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YOUR MONTHLY DOSE OF MINDFULNESS

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Summer: A Time to Be - part II

Continuing with our summer theme of ‘A time to BE’, I would like to invite you to explore the ‘things’ that are helping you in keeping you ‘whole’, nourishing you, making you smile, with the intention of creating your own little Mindfulness Well-Being Toolkit (MWBT)… 

We all need supportive tools and practices in our lives to keep us grounded and balanced. Last month, I invited you to slow down (or rush less!), be more present (by simply and non-judgmentally focusing the attention on what you were doing) and noticing and appreciating the world / nature around you. 

We are going to explore further and I hope that by the end of this blog, you will have created your own little Mindfulness Well-Being Toolkit that will support you when you head back to work or return from holiday. 

Firstly, what is a Mindfulness Well-Being Toolkit (MWBT)?

It is a set of habits, mindfulness practices and tools that support you in feeling good, making you smile or even adding a little spring to your step. It isn’t necessarily ‘something physical’ per se - it can simply be a list that you refer to regularly to keep you going forward. When you have this list readily available, you can take a quick look and respond to whichever habit or action sounds supportive when you need it. 

What’s in my MWBT? 

Here are some of the tools in my current toolkit - I say current because it is always changing and evolving. 

I start my morning routine with a mindful moment - in other words, I am deliberately practising being present in the midst of an activity. It can be brushing my teeth or having a shower, making the bed… while staying connected with the sensations of the body.

I practise being mindful whilst moving - walking, practical tasks, sport or creative pastimes. 

By being mindful whilst doing these activities can really enhance these experiences and even support a sense of flow and ease with what we are doing. 

I love doing (especially when I am on holiday) what Mark Williams calls in his book ‘Finding Peace in a Frantic World a ‘Habit Releaser’. 

All you have to do is make a deliberate choice to break out of one (or more) of your usual routines. So, at the moment, I am back in France, staying at my parents’ and every morning, my mother and I walk to the town centre as my mother who will be 80 next year wants to do her daily 10 000 steps. However, I had noticed that she always takes the same route along the same streets. So I challenged her to find different routes to her same destination while walking mindfully, noticing the sounds, buildings around us and physical sensations with each step we take. We are both thoroughly enjoying this experience! Not only does this bring more awareness to our experience of life, but it is also bringing us great pleasure and joy!

I have a little afternoon siesta! 

A total holiday treat in this heat but also such a good way to practise this ‘time to be’. 

I have social media detoxes. 

I stay off social media for a day during my summer holiday, unplugging from everything - phone off. I won’t lie: the first time I did it, it was a bit daunting and the temptation to give in was strong! But it was really interesting to notice that I was far more able to give my full attention to the people around me and it gave me the opportunity to reconnect with the ‘old me’ when we simply didn’t have all this new technology. 

I listen to music

 Doesn't music heal everything? .... I think so!  I love creating various lists and they can be link to a trip, an event etc... e

Now, would you like to create your own MWBT? 

It is quite easy: 

1. Brainstorm the habits, activities, tools, and products that give you a sense of well-being, a sense of fulfilment. 

I would suggest that you use things that you already know well for you rather than creating a ‘wish list’ of new things. For instance, if you have never done a 30 minute mindfulness body scan, I would leave it out for now. 

Instead, try to think of your current daily routine and note the pleasant activities / moments. 

2.  Keep a visual reminder somewhere. 

You may wish to make a physical list of the things that feel supportive or nourishing to you. Having this list readily available allows you to take a quick look and respond to whichever habit or action sounds supportive. It’s one thing fewer that your brain has to think about.

3.  Keep it safe and use it!

When the going gets tough, turn to your MWBT and see what sounds good to you in that moment and remember to be kind to yourself. 

Your MWBT will inevitably change over time, so be sure to update your list with new discoveries or new delights and remove the ones that aren’t working for you anymore.

Wishing you a mindful and restful August and I hope this inspires you to put together your own Mindfulness Well-being Toolkit for those days when you need extra support.

Sophie