Mindfulness Practices
Mindfulness Techniques are Powerful Coping Skills
So many clients say one of their goals in therapy is to learn more coping skills for their anxiety or depression.
While there is a lot of meaningful work that happens in our therapy sessions, I teach a variety of easy, quick coping skills that clients can use in their everyday lives. My goal is for each client to walk away with a personalized “toolbox” of coping skills they can turn to when they feel overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious. Together, we discover which tools work best for them so they feel more confident and better equipped to manage their anxiety both in and outside of therapy.
Mindfulness techniques are powerful coping skills because they can help calm a heightened stress response (the fight-or-flight response). Using mindfulness techniques helps to relax the limbic system, allowing the prefrontal cortex to function better. AKA the brain’s emotional regulation center relaxes so that problem-solving and rational thinking can happen. Learning and practicing mindfulness can be a powerful coping skill for regulating emotions.
Please note: The mindfulness coping skills provided here are intended for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional therapy or mental health treatment. If you are experiencing emotional distress or mental health concerns, please reach out to a mental health therapist or healthcare professional. ,
Feet on the Floor
This grounding technique is so easy and can be done anywhere. It’s great to shift your focus from overwhelming thoughts to the present physical sensations, calming the nervous system, and releasing tension. Feeling the support of floor beneath you can help you connect with stability and manage anxiety and stress by bringing it to the here and now.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Focus on your feet. Feel the bottoms of your feet (soles, heels, and toes). touching the floor.
2. Feel the support of the floor. Notice how solid it is, any texture, or pressure points.
3. Take slow, deep breaths. You can even tell yourself, “I’m breathing in calm, grounding energy.” “I’m exhaling all worry, stress, and tension.” Picture soft, calming air coming in, and picture the color of the worry or stress leaving your body from the soles of your feet.
Sensations Within
Notice 5 sensations in your body right now.
Count them on your fingers.
Keep watching the sensations for a minute.
Do they stay the same?
Notice that the sensations move and change, and it doesn’t make much sense to try to control them.
Box Breathing
Inhale for a count of 4. Hold for a count of 4. Exhale for a count of 4. Hold for a count of 4. Repeat until you feel your mind and body reset.
Five Senses
You need an object, such as a water bottle, a cup of tea, a sports drink, or a pencil. This works because it shifts your focus away from anxiety or worries. It grounds you in the present moment by engaging your five senses. And best of all, you can do it anywhere, and no one will ever know you are doing it.
Here’s how to do it:
Hold an object in your hand. Use your five senses to experience it. Sight: Look at the object. Smell: Does it have a scent? Touch: How does it feel? Taste: Is there a taste to the object? Sound: Does it make a sound?
Mindful Music
Play one of your favorite songs.
As you listen, do nothing else but notice all the thoughts, memories, emotions, and sensations that arise during the song.
See if you can just notice all these things popping up, but keep your attention on the music, not the thoughts.
Belly Breath
Lay down and rest something on your belly ( this can be your hands).
Watch, listen, and feel your breath move in and out, up and down, for three deep breaths.
7/11 Breathing
Breathe in as you count to 7.
Breathe out as you count to 11.
Repeat.
Mindfulness Activities
Mindfulness activities can help focus on the present moment, rather than worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. Mindfulness can help to calm the mind and body.
Mindfulness Exercise to Try:
Observing and Describing a Comfort Item
Pick a comfort item (a stuffed animal or a blanket).
Observe as many characteristics of the comfort item as possible. Look at it as if you are an artist about to sketch the item.
How does the item smell and feel? Hold, admire, and snuggle the object. Breathe deeply and slowly for 5-10 minutes while holding it.
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What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is engaging with everyday experiences to be more present in the moment. Yes—it can be that simple! It all comes down to turning off auto-pilot mode and tuning in to the now. Instead of focusing on the giant to-do list in your head, mindfulness helps you focus on what is happening in front of you.
Jon Kabat-Zinn gives the benchmark definition of mindfulness: an awareness that arises through paying attention on purpose to the present moment, non-judgmentally.
This means mindfulness is a skill you can practice anytime and anywhere. And the more we practice, the greater our ability becomes.
Tuning into the present moment means letting go of thoughts or distractions and living the life before you. Living the life in front of you means the good, the bad, and the ugly—and I’d continue that list to say the joyful, the frustrating, the loving, the disheartening, the wonderous, and yes, even the mundane!
Why Meditate?
While mindfulness is an intentional awareness of what is happening in the present moment. Meditation is the practice that fosters mindfulness. The brain loves to spend time in going over the past or thinking about future. Meditation practices allow us to practice noticing what shows up, allowing it, and releasing it.
In my own life, a daily meditation has been key to dealing with stress—from the everyday to the circumstantial—and noticing how and when thoughts arise. I know from experience that a meditation practice can greatly help with healing, discovering your own inner wisdom, and inviting more peace into your life.
My degrees in counseling and psychotherapy have shown me the evidence-based research supporting how meditation positively affects mental health. This inspired me to get a certification in Mindfulness Mentorship from Banyan studying under Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield to share the positive impacts with my clients in all walks of life.