People living with mental health issues often deal with symptoms of stress and anxiety that can make it hard to focus on treatment initiatives and stay on top of goals. This is why many mental health treatment centers teach people how to utilize mindfulness during therapy and treatment sessions. Mindfulness is the practice of living in the present moment, which can be beneficial to people struggling with the symptoms of mental health issues in many ways. But, how can one start practicing mindfulness in their daily life?

Why is Mindfulness Important?

Mindfulness is practicing living in the present moment. For many people, stress and anxiety arise from worrying about past or future events. So, living in the present moment can distract the mind from worrying about things that are out of our control – like the past or future. So, practicing mindfulness can be a productive way to overcome stress and anxiety that stem from worrying about things that happened in the past or will happen in the future.

Using Mindfulness as a Mental Health Tool

Living your life in the present may be more difficult than you expect. Stressing and worrying are natural defense mechanisms that are normal human reactions that can help us when danger is present. However, for many, especially people struggling with mental health issues, worrying and stressing may be something that’s overwhelming and can keep a person from focusing on their treatment goals. It takes practice to use mindfulness as a daily tool to stay in the present moment. Mindfulness is using the present moment to take a look at what’s around you, using your senses to take in the present moment, and acknowledging and accepting your current emotions. This can help you take one moment at a time and work to be present in order to overcome obstacles and stressors that come up in your life.

Some Things You Can do to Practice Mindfulness

There are some things you can do to practice mindfulness daily in order for it to become a more natural part of your life including:

• going outside for a walk surrounded by nature
• journal about what you’re grateful for and how you’re feeling
• listen to music that you enjoy
• utilize breathing techniques
• using specific holistic practices like acupuncture, meditation, or yoga
• talk about what you’re feeling or experiencing with a trusted friend or mentor
• use your senses and identify what you’re currently touching, smelling, tasting, seeing, and hearing
• touch something with texture and focus on how it feels
• do something physical with your body like hiking, swimming, or running

Learning More About Mindfulness in a Treatment Setting

Getting good at mindfulness takes practice. Treatment gives you the opportunity not only to learn more about how mindfulness works but also gives you the opportunity to practice mindfulness in a structured way. Delray Center for Healing offers therapy sessions that can allow people living with mental health issues to learn more about mindfulness and ways to practice it in their daily lives. And, we also provide mindfulness treatment services like acupuncture, massage therapy, physical fitness training, and yoga sessions as well. If you’re interested in seeing how using mindfulness can help you, find out more about our treatment services and programs on our website.