Spring into Mindfulness
Coming out of the winter slump can be difficult. We've spent many months inside or at work, perhaps just going through the motions to get through the challenging season. Often, we stay hunkered inside and cling to our devices. With the warm weather approaching, it's the perfect time to take advantage of resources that nature has to offer us in support of furthering our mental well being. In DBT, we emphasize mindfulness as the foundation to acting skillfully, being effective, and finding our wise mind, and below are several mindfulness activities you can engage in just by going outside.
5-4-3-2-1 Grounding:
Take a step outside to engage in this sensory-based mindfulness. Notice 5 things you see, 4 things you hear, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you taste. As our city bursts with new blossoms and pollen, it's the perfect season for practicing mindfulness by noticing what we sense in our environment. This is a great one to use if you only have a few minutes during the work day and can break up the monotony of your day!
Taking an Unplugged Walk:
If you're like me, you use walks as a time to catch up on podcasts or my favorite music. For a change, try going on an "unplugged" walk and leaving all your electronics at home. Notice what calls your attention when it's not divided between our phone and the ground in front of us. Additionally, the bilateral movement (alternating activating our right side and left side) of walking has been found to help with grounding in the body and processing difficult emotions.
Thoughts on a Stream (literally!):
If there's a body of water near you (even a tiny trickle will do), perhaps take a blanket and spend time practicing mindfulness of current thoughts by imagining each of the thoughts going through your head is flowing down the stream in front of you. Alternatively, just notice what comes into your visual field in the stream, and then let it pass, without attachment or resentment.
Mindfully Watching Clouds:
Return to the activity of your childhood and watch the clouds! Spend 5 minutes looking up at the clouds, and simply observe their shapes, their changing movements, the speed with which they move, or perhaps their color. Do this activity without judgment, and without attachment (e.g., when a cloud that you enjoyed observing moved outside of your field of vision, simply allow yourself to observe the new clouds that have entered, rather than remaining attached to the original cloud).
We’re excited to offer a Mindfulness Seminar on Friday, June 21st for those interested in learning more about Mindfulness.