Mindfulness Over Mood
I had not heard about Mindfulness until recently, but it is just the kind of natural way you can get a handle on your mood and possibly start a great outlook on life.
So what is Mindfulness, exactly? Well, it starts with being aware of your own thoughts and motivations. The idea comes from Buddhist ideals of being fully aware of one’s own thoughts, and then being able to “let go” of those thoughts. Mindfulness is a form of meditation, but it also has roots in psychology, specifically when it comes to decision-making.
I know some of this might sound a little “new age,” but if you consider it as just a way to collect and observe your thoughts in order to understand yourself better, then you can already begin to use Mindfulness to your advantage. It can be a great way to relieve stress or even deal with pain in some cases. I’m certainly no expert on Mindfulness, but as with SAM-e, it’s another way to naturally find your good mood.
After doing some research on Mindfulness, I found About.com’s article ‘Mind Over Mood,’ which has some tips on how to use Mindfulness to help change your mood. My favorite tip is #3—Don’t get distracted during mealtime:
To practice mindfulness while eating, eliminate all distractions and savor, rather than inhale, your food.
Pay full attention to what the food looks like on your plate, how it smells, how it tastes.
Chew slowly.
Be aware of how full you are becoming. People often notice that food tastes better this way and is more filling.
It is difficult sometimes to push away all thoughts of the past and future, but if you start by just concentrating on the thing that is most important at any given moment, then it can have a profound affect on the way you live your life. Also on About.com, here is a great article called ‘Mindfulness Improves Quality of Life’ which includes more tips on how you can start using Mindfulness today, including:
• Before you go to sleep, and when you awaken, take some “mindful” breaths. Instead of allowing your mind to wander over the day’s concerns, direct your attention to your breathing.
• Find a task that you do impatiently or unconsciously (standing in line or brushing your teeth, for example) and concentrate on the experience.
• Make something that occurs several times during a day, such as answering the phone or buckling your seatbelt, a reminder to return to the present — that is, think about what you’re doing and observe yourself doing it.
It takes some concentration, and certainly some getting used to, but give Mindfulness a shot. Even if you don’t spend time meditating an hour a day, you can still use the idea of Mindfulness to help you achieve control over your thoughts. Do any of you have experience with using meditation or Mindfulness to help you maintain a healthy mood? Let us know in the comments.
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