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Ruth Kennedy

Mindful activities to reduce anxiety



Practicing everyday activities mindfully acts to bring our attention to the present moment and helps to reduce anxious thought patterns. This could be as simple as having a cup of tea – but mindfully attending to the process of making the tea, watching the steam rise, noticing the smell, feeling the temperature of the cup, and taking mindful sips.


Other daily activities that can be practiced mindfully include washing the dishes or having a shower. In fact, almost anything can be turned into a mindful activity if you are present in the moment. All you have to do is concentrate on seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, feeling, and breathing.


Another way you can practice mindfulness is by setting aside some time to study an object – this may be a shell, stone, leaf, feather, crystal, or a coin. Notice the texture of the object – is it smooth or rough, does it have any indentations or marking that make it unique?

As you touch the object, does it create a sound as you move your fingers over it?

Does the object have a distinctive smell?

Look closely at the object – what colours does it display? Does the object have patterns on its surface?

Be in the moment with this object and appreciate its natural beauty.


For persistently worrying thoughts, Lowinger (2021) suggests visualising a leaf floating down a stream, wrapping the worrying thought in the leaf, and letting the leaf float away in the stream or perhaps even to go down a waterfall.


Do you notice a difference in how you act and react to life when you practice daily activities mindfully?



References

Lowinger, J. (2021). The mind strength method. Murdock Books Australia



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