Mindfulness Practice in Times of Transition.

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As summer ends and we try to establish route, things can feel pretty chaotic and overwhelming. If you have children, they are no doubt going though a bit of transition into a new school year. New people to meet, new expectations, and, for some, a whole cultural shift and new school.

How can we hang on to that spacious feeling of summer amidst it all? Here are a few tips.

1. Starting each morning mindfully – lying in bed when you first awake, instead of instantly reaching for your phone or mentally constructing your to-do/panic list. Try just bringing your awareness to your body. A mindfulness practice first thing can really help tone your nervous system for the day. Listen to your breath, coming into your body. This grounds you in the present moment and helps move you into a state of awareness and calmness. It’s not necessary to change your breath in any way, just simply notice it. Enjoy it. Feel that centering, connecting to your inner calm and inner wisdom.

2. We can be thoughtful and deliberate in prioritizing our tasks. When we are overwhelmed, it can be easy to try to multi-task, scrambling to doing a bit of this and a bit of that, running from one thing to another, juggling like crazy. Sometimes we simply can’t avoid this, but it can also be come a habit and is not particularly efficient.

When we apply mindfulness, we prioritize our tasks and then attend to them one by one. We integrate a more deliberate, calm, and mindful approach. Pay attention to each thing, bringing your focus back to it when your drift away or find yourself shifting into something else. A task list can be immensely helpful and you also receive the satisfaction of crossing the task off when you are finished! These lists can be helpful for kids, too.

3. Mini-mindfulness breaks can be very helpful throughout the day. Pause for a moment, pay attention to your feet connecting to the floor, notice what your hands are doing, be aware of any sensations, take note of the rest of your body, shifting from observing one part to the next. Follow your breath and allow your mind to clear. Small breaks can make all the difference in a chaotic day.

4. Use your lunch break wisely. Make sure you take it, even if it’s brief. Get away from your desk, take a walk. Is there a way to connect to nature? In NYC, we are so lucky to have an abundance of parks, so get out and use them! Connecting with nature reduces depression, increases energy and productivity. Taking a quick walk in your lunch hour pays off in your state of mind and efficiency.

5. Mindful Awareness – Just having moments in the day when you stop and fully bring yourself into the moment. On your walk to work, notice the light falling, making patterns on the pavement, notice the plastic bag being carried by the wind, notice the sensation of the sun on your skin. These moments of full awareness can be profoundly beautiful and help you release the tension at different points during the day. Your mind is simply focused on what you are seeing, you let go of all other thoughts.

6. Bring back the Gratitude Practice. In times of stress or transition, bringing awareness to the positive, the things for which we are grateful can really provide perspective. This can also work for children at the end of the day, too. Recognizing the things that may have bought them stress during the day, they can also focus on the positive things, the things (big or small) that they are grateful for. Try using a gratitude jar for the whole family, simply writing down a few things and popping the slip of paper into the jar. Or try a notebook next to your bed, making it the last thing you do before you go to sleep. Or simply part of a coming-together routine, going around the dinner table sharing what you are grateful for that day can be a wonderful way to connect.

7. And last, but not least, of course, is a Mindful Meditation Practice. Developing a Meditation Practice can literally change your life. There is so much scientific evidence now showing that a regular meditation practice can help with stress, anxiety, depression, and pain.

Now is the time to begin!