Mindfulness

Take five minutes out of your busy day, out of your busy schedule and sit down in that chair in your office.  Place your feet flat on the ground, your arms on the armrests and your back against the seat.  Turn of the computer and turn down the telephone.  Close your tired eyes and let out a deep exhale of air, the one that has been trapped in your chest, waiting to come out. Once you release that breath, take about four seconds and then deeply inhale. Allow the air to fill your lungs and diaphragm.  Hold it for about four seconds and then exhale once again.  Repeat this cycle three more times, each instance, sink deeper into the chair and allow the tension in your body to release.  Return to a normal state of breathing and focus on the top of your head, is it cold from the air conditioning blowing in the room or is it hot with sweat from contemplating all the work on the desktop?   

Allow yourself to visualize the stress on the top of your head and imagine it falling away, like you are removing a hat or scarf.  Next, turn your attention to your face, is it tense and tight with worry about deadlines and client issues? Imagine those emotions are beads of water, streaming away like droplets, down your eyelashes, your cheeks, your face.  Let them gently fall and stream away, like a whisper, as you continue to breathe normally.  How are you feeling right now?  Is relaxation becoming a part of your afternoon? Are you able to contemplate a calmer journey when you return home this evening?  Are you allowing yourself to release the tension and stress that has build up over the course of the morning hours?  Be intentional regarding your mindfulness and how it affects your physical being.   

The practice of mindfulness is a slow journey into your own psyche.  It is a soft exploration of how your emotions and feelings effect your daily habits.  When we attempt to suppress our negative inclinations, the reactions are experienced tangibly.  The body does not know how to handle the onslaught at times and the pessimism becomes internalized.  High blood pressure, migraines, muscle spasms, fatigue, all can be attributed to high levels of stress and anxiety.  To combat this reaction, it is necessary to incorporated a daily ritual of self-care and preservation.  Taking a daily walk in the park, a long drawn out bubble bath, a soothing rendition of Mozart or Brahms for the ear and listening palette.  All of these are examples of self-care that we can participate in.  Mindfulness is simply the act of being conscious of oneself, to “be present” with one’s own mind and body.  It is the ability to experience the self.   

As psychotherapists, we are always listening to others, engaging in the intricacies, the predicaments, the traumatic events that encompass their lives and ability to maintain mental well-being.  Often times, we overload our schedules and don’t take the necessary precautions to practice our own self assessments.  We, like out clients, need to step back and do a mental wellness evaluation. One way to ensure this happens, is by doing a mindfulness exercise everyday. By implementing the routine and learning a habit, it will ensure that only the best is given to our peers.   

Be mindful, be aware, always be present.  

Lisa Nyabinghi is an ACPE practitioner and commissioner on the Psychotherapy Commission. She can be reached at info@abundanthealing.net.