BE IN THE PRESENT MOMENT Dr. Linda E. Carlson on the tool of mindfulness by Suzanne Aranda.

Be in the present moment…

Mindfulness helps reduce stress and shows kindness to ourselves and others. Suzanne Aranda

Acancer diagnosis may cause a fair share of fears, uncertainties, and the feeling that you have lost control. Mindfulness has been proven to be a helpful tool to help manage stress, improve mood, decrease blood pressure and gain balance. But what is mindfulness, and where to start?

We asked the question to Dr. Linda E. Carlson, Clinical Psychologist and Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary and coauthor of The Art and Science of Mindfulness who shared with us her definition of mindfulness and some practical tips.

First, let’s get some of the misconceptions out of way. Mindfulness is not about clearing your mind of all thoughts, nor always being peaceful or calm, and you definitely don’t need to be seated in front of the ocean, eyes closed, hair floating in the wind to be mindful. Rather, mindfulness is a way of being in the world and a continuous practice. Dr. Carlson defines mindfulness as, “paying attention on purpose in the present moment with an open and accepting attitude.”

Humans have between 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts per day and studies have shown that about 50% of them are not about what is happening in the present moment – we are the masters of mind wandering! But when we are not paying attention to the present, our thoughts are either in the past ruminating about things we can’t change, or racing into the future and worrying about the unknowns.

Mindfulness is a practice, that will help you BE in the present moment. As any practice, it requires some training.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO GET STARTED

Be Kind to Yourself!

Be patient with yourself while going through the process. Your mind is going to jump around, and it is part of the experience. It’s all about acceptance and practice!

Book Some Time!

Incorporate 30, 20 or even 10 minutes to your daily routine, if that is what you can do! A regular practice is key to make it part of your life and rewire your brain.

BREATHE IN. AND OUT.

Calm your mind with easy, breathing exercises you can do anywhere!

RELAXING TRIANGLE BREATH

in pause

out

Click to listen

SQUARE BREATHING

pause

in out

pause

Click to listen

GO TO LGFB.CA FOR MORE BREATHING AND MINDFULNESS EXERCISES TO GET YOU STARTED.

YOU CAN ALSO CHECK OUT YOUR FAVOURITE APP STORE FOR MINDFULNESS TOOLS.