To have good Mental Wealth, our bodies need to move, and sometimes our minds need to be still.

In life we all get stressed out. We often find ourselves so busy, rushing around, feeling drained, overwhelmed and building up ‘mental clutter’.

Mindfulness strategies help us slow down and clear our minds. Be present, in the now, without judgement  - instead of getting caught up thinking about the past or the future. Research shows that practising mindfulness can reduce our stress and anxiety.

Our friends at Le Va have put together these tips on how you can practise mindfulness.

Breathe   Concentrating on your breathing and nothing else seems like an easy task but it can be quite tricky to focus all of your attention just on breathing! Find yourself a quiet space where you won't be disrupted, set your phone stopwatch for 1 minute, sit down and focus your 100% attention just on breathing for 1 minute. This simple activity can work wonders. Also try our controlled breathing activity.

Savour   Take time to enjoy and appreciate an activity you are doing: eating food, talking with somebody, checking out a good view. The point of savouring is to pay close attention to the details – be aware of smells, tastes, sights, sounds and things you can feel.

Pause   When you’re feeling stressed make this a rule to help you cope with conversations: take a moment before you go with your first reaction. Pausing before an emotional reaction can be helpful for everyone.

Grow Gratitude   Appreciating what we have, instead of focussing on what we don’t have, is a very important part of our mental wellbeing. Read how to grow gratitude.

Digital Detox  Over-indulging in the digital world can disconnect us from the here and now. A digital detox is a great strategy to recharge and rebalance our wellbeing. You should practise this before bed as a Digital Detox can help you sleep better. Find out how to do a digital detox.

Meditate   Just as we build muscles by going to the gym we can build our mindfulness muscles by practising meditation. Meditation can work wonders for wellbeing, change the brain in a protective way and help you sleep better.

More Info

“Smiling Mind” is one of our favourite mindfulness apps that can teach you mindfulness skills, meditation, and help bring balance to your life. Best of all it’s free!