Feeling like you need to escape and try something new to ease your anxiety?
You’ve probably already heard that Mindfulness has been demonstrated to reduce anxiety and stress time and again. But how does one put it into practice? A daily meditation practice may be challenging to startup and continue to do on a consistent basis, so taking it one step at a time with no judgement is an important component. One way to exercise your mindfulness muscle is start with active meditation- while you’re on a walk, just noticing things as you go. Heck, you can even practice mindfulness while on campus, at your desk at work, or home alone.
One thing I’ve put into place is watching some of my favorite videos and to be fully present as I’m doing it. I’m not drifting off into thought as I listen to the music, nor am I comparing myself with the things I see on YouTube or on social. What I do instead is take the full time of the video, typically just 5 minutes a day, and notice as many things as I can in the video. Just like in Taylor Swifts’ new video below, I just sit and notice her pink cat watch. Or the fluffiness of the cotton candy she puts in her smoothie. Or how many yellow chairs are in the yard she is in.
Give it a try. The hardest part of developing a mindfulness practice is just getting started.
By: Julia Smith-Wilson, Anxiety In Teens Contributor