the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology researched the effects of lunchtime activities on mental health. It concluded that a walk in the park was associated with better concentration and less fatigue in the afternoon. A “listening stroll” will further your meditative practice. Simply walk in silence while listening to your surroundings. Focus on every sound you hear, such as rustling leaves, car horns, and skittering animals. This easy exercise clears your mind, making you feel refreshed to tackle the rest of your to-do list.

The study also concluded that engaging in relaxation exercises lead to better concentration, as well as decreased strain and fatigue.

Meditation is a mind-body practice that focuses on slowing down to achieve emotional stability and mental clarity.  In this exercise lets calm the mind and the body and rejuvenate and refresh to start back into the day after lunch.

Be seated in a comfortable position

Take a long slow, deep breath in. Hold it for a moment, and then slowly exhale.

Allow any tension to melt away as you gradually begin to soften your muscles, letting go with each breath.

Continue to breathe slowly and gently as you bring your awareness to the top of your head. Just sense or imagine a feeling of warmth and softness beginning to spread down from the top of your scalp…. feel the muscles in your forehead and temples relax.

Allow your eye to relax to release. Let your cheeks and jaw soften and let go of all tension.

Now let this peaceful feeling flow down into your neck. With each breath you take, this relaxing feeling becomes deeper and warmer. It works its way deep into the muscles in your shoulders…soothing them…releasing them. It loosens the muscles in your arms… your hands…relaxing and soothing…all the way to the tips of your fingers.

As your body softens, your thoughts seem to become lighter. You are slipping further and further into a dreamlike state of stillness.

Now, bring your awareness to your chest and your stomach. The peaceful sensation flows throughout this area of your body, soothing every muscle and relaxing every organ.

Now put your attention to your upper back, and feel this softening sensation flow all the way down your spine. As it gradually works its way down your body, feel every muscle in your back let go and unwind.

Feel that your entire upper body has become loose, limp and soft. Sink into this serene sensation. Now feel your hips soften as the peaceful feeling starts to work its way through your lower body.

Release the muscles in your buttocks…the backs of your thighs…the front of your thighs. Soothing feelings flow down through your knees, and into your calves. Your ankles let go. Now your feet let go. Allow your entire lower body to let go completely, and allow any remaining tension from anywhere in your body to flow out through the tips of your toes. Feel the deep state of calmness and register it in your mind so that you can remember it.

Allow your body to be rooted in this moment with your breath.

As you breathe, I want you to imagine that every breath in is cleansing you, clearing space that is taken up by emotions or physical sensation. And every breath out is exhaling those emotions or physical sensations out of your body.

Breathing in, clearing space.        

Breathing out, letting it go.

feeling the cleansing inhale refresh you,

And exhale everything else out.

Now bring your breathing to its normal rhythm…

And feel as your body vibrates softly with a cool, fresh energy.

Now, take a deep breath, and as you exhale, bring your attention back to the room, your awareness is in the present.

Gratitude activities.

Studies have shown that feeling gratitude can improve sleep, mood, and immunity. Gratitude can decrease depression, anxiety, difficulties with chronic pain and risk of disease.

Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, and improve their health.

With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives.

Being grateful also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals — whether to other people, nature, or a higher power.

Gratitude helps people refocus on what they have instead of what they lack.

Self-gratitude can build confidence and help you face challenges in ways no else can. Reminded yourself of your own strengths and abilities. This will motivate you to keep going and take on the next challenge.

A few activities for practicing gratitude

Morning Coffee / Tea Gratitude – Feel the warmth of the cup. The smell of the drink. Start your beautiful day with positivity as you drink it in.

A Gratitude Letter – This can be emailed but from personal experience, a handwritten letter in a card will greatly affect the receiver with heart felt joy.

Gratitude Rock – keep a rock that brings you joy. It doesn’t matter the shape or smoothness, it’s your rock. I keep mine in my pocket.  Each time I reach in and pull it out I think of something I an grateful for before I put it back.

Share family memories at a family get together.

Gratitude garden – pick a special area that makes you feel good, plant your favorite plants and flowers, add a bench or tree stump where you can sit. Relax and look around and be grateful for the beauty around you.

Keep a gratitude journal – Each day write down things you were grateful for that day. Research shows the more detailed you are the more beneficial journaling with be to your happiness and health.

The Gratitude jar – This can be any container that brings you joy. Examples, a jar , a vase, a box, a bowl, a basket…   If you want, decorate it and make it special to you. Every day write down something that made you grateful that day. Try and do more than 1. Write them on special paper to make the contents look colorful on the outside. When you look at this container you will see just how much you have to be grateful for. On special occasions share some of your moments.

Keep calm.  Remember when things are not going right to step back and breathe. Think about something that makes you happy. Think about something to be grateful for.

May all the negative energy bringing you down come to an end.

May the dark thoughts, the overthinking, and doubt exit your mind right now.

May clarity replace confusion.

May hope replace fear.

May the light of your spirit shine so bright that nothing can dim your glow.

Meditation is a technique used to develop awareness of the present moment. Becoming aware of our thoughts, emotions, sensations, whatever is happening with an accepting, nonjudgmental disposition. Meditation can be difficult for beginners to hold their focus for longer than a few minutes at first. If your mind wanders and it most likely will in the beginning, acknowledge what interrupts you and let it go. Go back to your focus.

There are many ways to meditate.

Mindfulness Meditation -concentration with awareness of the moment. Sit, relax and breathe. Simply relax and observe quietly, returning to your breath when thoughts or sensations flow through.

Spiritual Meditation – is your way of developing a deeper understanding of your religion and your connection to your higher power through prayer. This can be done at home or at your place of worship. Sit, kneel, stand or how ever you choose to pray.
Focused Meditation – is relaxation with concentration using any of the 5 senses. Counting, listening to a song or a sound, looking at a candle.

Visualization meditation – is focused on relaxation and calmness through visualizing beautiful scenes, images or figures as you sit quietly for 5 – 10 minutes.

Progressive Relaxation – is done to reduce tension throughout your body. Starting at your head and focusing on relaxing each part of the body at you recognize as much as you can rom your head to your toes. This is also very good if you are having a hard time falling asleep.
Just to list a few.

How to start.
Find a quiet and comfortable location. Sit down in a relaxed position. In a chair, on the floor, whatever is most comfortable for you. I say start slow. Set a quiet timer for 2 – 3 minutes. Close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. In through your nose and out through your mouth. Belly deep breathing, If your mind wanders go back to your breathing till your timer goes off. There are many videos on YouTube if that helps you. Add a minute or two each day.

Peace

Ritalong.org

Let’s bring in the new year a little more healthy, a little less stressed and a little more aware of oneself.

Self-care means taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health.

Mindfulness is a powerful coping strategy. It lays a strong foundation in our self-care routine. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.

Here are 5 mindful tips to bring in the new year.

1.   Daylight – Natural light helps our bodies produce vitamin D, improve circadian rhythms (wake – sleep cycle), it helps us focus and even makes us happier. Start your day and get your natural light before 11 AM with a simple stroll or even a morning stretch.

2. Gratitude – According to health.harvard.edu research shows gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, and improve their health. Let’s start practicing gratitude at least once a week. Find 1 to 3 things you are grateful for, write them down or just talk about them at dinner. By focusing on the positive you will feel energized, be better in your relationships, and it can help us improve our self-esteem.

3. Stretch – Medical news today states stretching improves mood and focus, relieves tension, headaches, increases blood flow, relieves stress. Follow a healthy proper stretching routine. Stretching regularly will contribute to a healthier you!

4. Mindful Hydration and Eating – Stress affects our eating, it can cause cravings of comfort food, highly processed snacks, food high in fat and calories. Mindful eating practice counteracts stress eating by increasing deep breathing, making thoughtful food choices, focusing on the meal and slow chewing. This will increase enjoyment of the meal and improve digestion. Hydration – Take a minute or two every hour or so and focus on drinking. Hydration has many benefits, reducing risk of migraines, increasing blood flow, increased energy, concentration, even lowering levels of stress and depression. Focus and appreciate the hydration of your body as you drink water.

5. Meditate – Meditation can produce a deep state of relaxation and calm mind. Take just a few minutes each day to reap the benefits. Better focus, improve self-awareness, lower levels of stress. Effects of meditation is cumulative. Taking short blocks of time, even just one minute will linger afterward and contribute and help in altering internal chemistry and nervous system.

I hope this helped you do just a bit more self-care for the new year.  I appreciate you for taking the time to read this. Have a  happy and safe New Year.  Till next time – Breathe……RitaLong.org