Getting in your Right State of Mind

Your mind should be your best friend.  It does so much!  It stores all of the knowledge you absorb throughout your lifetime, memories you have made as your life transforms, and it is where your thoughts have unpacked and decided to live.  What happens when your thoughts get messy and unorganized though?  Your mind begins to look like an adolescent’s bedroom.  Items are shoved in the closet, there are empty water bottles left on the floor, and nobody has seen light in days.  Don’t get me wrong, we all have our days.  But this is not a happy place to remain for too long.  Below are some mindfulness exercises to get your head in the right state of mind.

1.     Yoga and meditation are great ways to focus on breathing techniques.  We learned to breathe right off the bat when we were born.  Our bodies are able to do it unconsciously.  However, we could be getting so much more out of our breaths.  We can learn to control it and be more conscious about the oxygen we are consuming. Become mindful about breathing with the diaphragm Vs. the chest. Chest breathing often makes us more anxious, whereas diaphragmatic breathing activates our autonomic nervous system (rest and digest), and allows both the mind and body to calm.

2.     Exercise is another form of mindfulness because it promotes self-control.  Whether it’s the decision to walk a certain distance every day or reaching new goals when lifting weights.  This movement of the body is so healthy, and allows your body to take responsibility for something.  It gives you ways to be proud of yourself for reaching new heights and maintaining a healthy routine. Exercise is also a great way to boost those feel good endorphins, and is a serotonin boost for the brain.

3.     Posting affirmations around your home, or any place where you’ll see it daily, is another way to remind yourself of the amazing human being that you are!  Post-it notes on the computer screen, mirrors, even toilet seats are great places to stick these posts of positivity.  It’s like having a constant hype man, which may just be what you need to tackle the day ahead. Best of all the more you SEE these messages, the more you will BELIVE them.

4.     Various mindfulness practices like listing things you’re grateful for or naming positives that are going on in your life are more ways to remain thankful for the life you’re living.  As humans, we tend to dwell on the negatives.  However, in the grand scheme of things, your situation is constantly changing throughout life.  Nothing remains and bad times DO pass.

These are just 4 things in a list of many.  It’s great to take care of others, but you can’t take care of people to your fullest potential if you’re not taking care of yourself first.  Let your mind be happy and free, and let your thoughts be excited to kick their shoes off and come home every day! 

-Written by Jessica Skrelunas

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Mindful Movement and Mental Health

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