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How to Develop a Daily Mindfulness Practice
The benefits of mindfulness are many and well-known. Mindfulness has been known to reduce stress and anxiety, aid in emotional regulation, and enhance mental well-being. Research has established that mindfulness doesn’t just improve our mental health but also boosts our physical health. It’s a very simple practice that leads to profound changes. But how many of us actually implement it in our daily lives? If you’re struggling with developing and maintaining a mindfulness practice, my experience may help. The following is what I’ve been doing to keep my mind focused on the moment and to let go of the need to control outcomes. I practise mindfulness in small chunks through…
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Why Self-Compassion is a Critical Component in Your Self-Care Routine
Self-care isn’t what it appears on the outside. It’s not necessarily about the things you do. It’s about why you do them and how you do them. Research on self-care has found that “the beneficial effects of self-care include improved well-being and lower morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs.” But what does self-care truly look like? If you engage in what is popularly referred to as “self-care rituals” but aren’t doing them out of compassion towards yourself, you’re missing a trick. Self-Compassion Could Be the Missing Ingredient Let me illustrate: Scenario 1: You’ve decided to wake up at an early hour and sit on a meditation cushion to begin your day…
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This One Question is Doing Wonders For My Mental Health
I react too much. I stress out easily. I feel emotions with great intensity. I’m also quick-tempered and can be unforgiving. All of which has wreaked havoc on my mental health. When I’m having a heightened reaction, emotions colour my ability to see. Everything seems worse. And pointless. And there it goes again, a gradual slide into depression. To break that chain, I now ask myself this one simple question when I’m consumed by the power of my own emotions: Is the thing that has me so distressed really that bad, or is it my way of processing it that is leading to the distress? And just like that, my…