Mindfulness & Self Care
Overview
Your emotional health is a SUPER important part of your overall health. When you are emotionally healthy, you are in control of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Having strong emotional health doesn’t mean you’re always happy, it means you have good coping skills and are able to handle anything that comes your way, good, bad, and everything in between. Improving your emotional health doesn’t happen overnight, it’s a process which takes time, but you can start today through mindfulness and self care.
Mindfulness means paying full attention to something. Being mindful is all about slowing down to really notice what is happening right now - how your body feels, and what you see, smell, and taste. When you're mindful, you're taking your time. When we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings, we can respond more calmly, making better decisions without hurting our own feelings or the feelings of others. Mindfulness helps us focus and respond to emotions so we can feel better faster, both emotionally and physically. Practicing mindfulness can be very difficult, but the more we practice, the better we get.
Sometimes we’re so busy and worried about everyone else, we forget to pay attention to our own needs. In these situations, and always, it's important to practice self-care! Self-care is about giving yourself some “me-time” and doing something nice for yourself. Self-care isn’t selfish, it’s how you keep yourself well enough to be there for your friends and family. You need to take care of yourself before you can take care of others!
Websites
Videos
Apps
Headspace
Stop, Breathe, & Think
Smiling Mind
Calm
Try this: 5-4-3-2-1
Sometimes, when things around us feel really crazy, it’s helpful to notice our five senses and calm down. 5-4-3-2-1 is an exercise that helps 'ground' you, which means it helps me be more mindful and present in the moment. All you need is five minutes in a quiet space. Try it out the next time you're stressed or experiencing an extreme emotion.
Take a deep belly breath to begin
5 – LOOK: Look around for 5 things that you can see, and say them out loud. For example, you could say, “I see my computer,” or “I see the cup.”
4 – FEEL: Pay attention to your body and notice 4 things that you are feeling right then, and say them out loud. For example, you could say, “My feet feel warm in my socks,” or “I feel the chair I am sitting on.”
3 – LISTEN: Listen carefully for 3 sounds you hear around you, and say them out loud. For example, you could say, “I hear cars outside,” or “I hear the TV in the next room.”
2 – SMELL: Say 2 things you can smell, you can move around if you need to. For example, you could say, “I smell bacon,” or “I smell freshly cut grass.” If you can’t smell anything at the moment, name your 2 favorite smells.
1 – TASTE: Say 1 thing you can taste. Maybe it’s the toothpaste from brushing your teeth or something you just ate. If you can’t taste anything, say your favorite thing to taste.
Take another deep belly breath to end.