Finding moments throughout the day to disconnect from your work and worries and simply let your mind and body relax, allowing thoughts to float in and out of your awareness, observing but not judging, can be a transformative experience.
Besides regularly performing mindful meditation, the Cleveland Clinic's Dr. Roxanne B. Sukol suggests the following mindful activities:
- Get a massage
- Talking Can Spread COVID-19
- Practice yoga
- Eat lunch outside
- Take a hike in the woods
- Sit by a fire
- Walk the dog
- Knit or crochet
- Take up pottery
- Do some painting
- Savor a cup of tea
- Keep a daily journal
- Watch a sunrise or sunset
- Float in a pool
The power of these activities is based on contemporary studies and ancient traditions. For example, taking a hike in the woods comes from the Japanese tradition of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing.
The use of art like pottery and painting to help focus the mind and ease depression or anxiety is well researched, as is its power to contribute to better sleep and a stronger immune system, and make injuries heal faster.
To learn how to let your mind relax and detach from the everyday, we advise working up to 10- or 15-minute mindful meditation sessions daily or a few times a week. That’s a reasonable goal to begin.
For tutorials, check your app store for the UCLA Mindful App. In addition, the mental health site Psycom.net lists 25 of the best meditation resources.