The secret to having a stress-free life lies right in front of your eyes, literally. Simply by focusing on what is actually, truly in front of you, rather than future which hasnโt happened yet, we can remind ourselves that our present life is beautiful, happy, and real!
Stress-free living exists in everything, and everything that is real exists in this very moment. Take a second to think about what causes stress. Stress is caused by worrying about what is coming next, in the future, or what happened years ago, in the past; it does not exist in this actual moment. What exists is what is happening now.
By shifting our focus away from harmful thoughts and onto items in our environment, we create a space of calm within our mind and body; we create mindfulness. As humans, we are naturally conditioned to worry, but we have the power to change our habits! That power is mindfulness, and over time, mindfulness practice conditions your body to seek out the happiness of the moment, rather than dwell on the past or future.
This is a great exercise for being mindful at work, even if you work with computers!
1 Minute Mindfulness Exercise: Visual Awareness
- Take a deep breath and give yourself permission to relax into this moment.
- Look around you. What is the first thing that you see? Is it book? Is it a cup of pens? Is it your computer screen?
- Take a moment to really look at that item. Outline that item with your eyes.
- What color is it? Is it bright? Is it dark? Does it look soft? Does it look like it would have a texture if you touched it? Does it have writing on it? What does it say?
- Allow your eyes to follow the lines on the item.
- Now, look for something on that item that youโve never noticed before. If that item is a computer or phone, look at the other parts of the item that are not the screen. Where are the buttons on this item? Are they raised or are they flat?
- Really get to visually know and dissect this item.
- Now, say the name of this item at least three times, out loud or internally. This confirms to your mind and body that you are connecting to and identifying something that exists outside of your thoughts.
- Finally, reach out and touch that item with your hands, and thank it for being in your life.
- Notice how, for the last minute or more, you did not think about things that worry you. Feel the impact of being stress-free, if even for just one minute. Smile and congratulate yourself!
Want more mindfulness practices? Check out 5 Mindfulness Exercises for Stress Management!
Copyright 2015 Jennifer โAurora Mooneโ McDonald / All Rights Reserved.
