Extraordinary Ways Mindfulness Can Help in Uncertainty

As we currently navigate untravelled paths through a pandemic, mindfulness can help you now and on the other side of lockdown.

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The past few months have created an air of complete uncertainty about the future and the present. This unease, lack of knowledge and control has lead to increased stress, high levels of anxiety, and constant worry. Mindfulness can help in uncertainty as an extraordinary and simple solution to your suffering health.

What is Mindfulness?

To be able to practice mindfulness, you need to have an understanding of what it means.

Mindfulness is a simple practice that often comes hand in hand with meditation. It is the action of being fully present and engaged in the moment and action of what you are doing.

This makes you fully aware of your thoughts and emotions, as well as encouraging you to be fully immersed in what you are doing.

Why is mindfulness necessary?

I want you to take today to be aware of your thoughts in particular.

Have you ever completed a task or even driven to the supermarket and not remember how you got there?

How often are thinking about something completely different from what you are doing?

This can be thinking about what you’re doing later in the day or tomorrow or worries about the future. Especially in uncertain times as this pandemic, your thoughts can be consumed by worry. Resulting in symptoms of anxiety and even depression.

Mindfulness enables you to centre yourself and your conscious mind in the present moment. It is also not a temporary state like meditation but rather a state of living. Mindfulness instead creates a state of self-awareness and presence that can be embraced and lived in all day.

How can you Integrate Mindfulness in your Everyday Life?

There are easy and simple ways to integrate mindfulness to help with uncertainty into your everyday life, including:

• Meditation

Meditation is a great addition to your daily life. It enables you to practice breath control, get in touch with your thoughts, emotions and your body. You can use guided meditations for reflection or meditation apps to help you in this practice.

• Breath

Your breath is an excellent anchor into the present moment. Take moments throughout your day to listen and fully experience your breath. This centers yourself and your energy to be really present in your body and mind.

• Focused Attention

As previously mentioned, quite often your mind can be distracted by thoughts. Instead, focus your attention on the task you are doing. Really pay attention to detail, to how it feels, how your body moves, the sounds you hear etc.

• Daily prompts

Journaling is a great opportunity to get in touch with yourself. You can use journaling prompts and inspirational quotes and consider these thoughts and feelings with you throughout the day.

A great way to do this is with LSW Mind Cards! This pack of cards gives you daily prompts and thoughts to cultivate gratitude, self-reflection, kindness and more. This can be the best way to start your day and integrate mindfulness into daily life.

Ways Mindfulness Can Help during Uncertain Times

Now you have an idea what mindfulness is you can learn about how mindfulness can help in uncertainty during lockdown and quarantine.

Emotional Awareness

Did you know that your thoughts are the triggers for your emotions?

During this uncertainty, your thoughts can spiral out of control, focus on negativity, and unconsciously worry. This can cause all kinds of negative and low emotions such as anxiety, anger, frustration, and loneliness.

By being more present in yourself and your mind, mindfulness can help you be more aware of your emotions. Aiding in understanding where they come from and how they are affecting you in your everyday life.

Emotional awareness also means you can improve your control over your emotions. It does not mean you are going to feel positive all the time. However, you can choose how you want to react to your thoughts or situations.

Additionally, mindfulness studies have shown declines in feelings of loneliness, depression, anxiety, stress and sleep problems. Instead, revealing increases in overall mood and positivity.

The uncertainty that we are facing in this new normal can generate masses of negative emotions. Alternatively, you can choose to change your perspective or create feelings of gratitude in lockdown for your health, life and the love around you.

Essentially, mindfulness creates a sense of personal, emotional power.

Reduce Stress and Anxiety

Mindfulness and meditation have shown to alter brain chemistry and size. Including, reducing the size of the amygdala which is associated with feelings of fear and stress. Increasing the size of areas associated with learning, memory and emotional regulation.

Stress can be extremely disruptive to your health, mental and emotional wellbeing. Mindfulness can result in people being better able to manage and minimise stress. As well as, helping reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Right now, this can be a powerful change that you need.

Note: these changes were evident after prolonged practice such as 8 weeks.

Being able to manage and reduce stress can lead you to be better prepared and ready for any challenge. Also giving you the time and perspective to react to and manage stress appropriately.

Therefore, it is important to continually practice and embrace mindfulness daily. Not only will it help you reduce and manage stress in uncertainty, but also in your day to day life.

Improve Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important elements that contribute to your health. Including boosting immune system function which is essential to help fight illness.

Sleep is more important than ever.

Studies have shown that mindfulness can reduce fatigue and insomnia symptoms leading to improved sleep and better sleep quality. Additionally, worrying thoughts, depression and anxiety can also disturb your sleep.

Therefore, mindfulness can help in uncertainty immensely. Leading to more restful and restorative sleep.

Improved sleep can mean you feel more prepared to take on the day. You may have more energy to tackle the day and challenges that come your way. This energy can lead to being able to prioritise your mental, physical and emotional health too.

Ultimately, using mindfulness to improve your sleep is a benefit that will improve your life too. This is why mindfulness is important now during the pandemic and after.

Nurture Better Relationships

Many people are facing the challenges of being in lockdown with their loved ones. This seems strange as you would usually spend time together.

However, you are most likely spending more time in close quarters than you are used to. Also, now that home has become the bubble of life, there seems no escape or relief from tension or strain caused by uncertainty.

But how can mindfulness help in struggling relationships?

The presence and awareness that you gain from mindfulness means that:

• You can take time to listen to build understanding and strong communication
• Understanding your own emotions you can communicate them more effectively
• You can take time to evaluate and react in a more appropriate way
• Generate and show the gratitude and appreciation you have for your loved ones
• Help manage conflict
• Be more present and attentive in the time you share together

All of these elements that mindfulness can help create and contribute to better relationships. Particularly through communication, understanding and appreciation of each other which can be missing in your relationships right now.

Mindfulness provides you with the opportunity to get to know yourself better. When you do this, you can be a better person in your relationships and receive what you need from them.

In such uncertainty, supporting each other is really important. Whether this is physically or virtually, you can still improve and nurture your relationships. These relationships can also help you get through these uncertain times.

Start Using Mindfulness to Help in Uncertainty

Uncertainty lurks around every corner, especially during this pandemic. However, mindfulness can be the key to helping you overcome your worry, stress and anxiety caused by it.

Mindfulness is easy to practice and implement into your everyday life which makes it even better. How you choose to implement mindfulness is your responsibility. Therefore, the changes you achieve are a result of your efforts. The more you put in, the more you will get out.

Take responsibility for your emotions and your reactions to this uncertainty and use mindfulness to your advantage.

We want to know all the ways you implement and have benefited from mindfulness. Let us know in the comments!