Mindfulness has gained popularity for easing and alleviating stress, lowering anxiety, and keeping you happy and fine. It helps you focus on being aware of what you are sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. According to mental health experts, there are various ways you can practice mindfulness to help your body and mind relax.
Research says mindfulness meditation is also beneficial for issues like anxiety, chronic pain, and depression.
And so, make sure to incorporate mindfulness activities into your routine in a simple manner, no matter what your age is. With a little oversight, almost everything you do can become an opportunity for mindfulness – irrespective of the fact that you are an adult, teenager, or a child.
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Mindfulness techniques to help you calm down
A few easy-to-do mindfulness activities – both as an adult or child, include:
Eating
According to experts, mindful eating is one of the best ways to feel happy, contented, and relaxed. Whether you are an adult, a teenager, or a child, you can make your mealtimes more mindful with a few basic eating practices, like
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- Listening to your mother/cook in the kitchen as they talk
- Chewing slowly to savour every bite
- Try eating with your non-dominant hand
- Eat the first few minutes of your meal in silence and focus on the flavors, aromas, and texture of your food
- Stay away from television, phone, or iPad while you eat
Wiggle-and-freeze game
While it may sound childish, this game can also be played by adults. The wiggle-and-freeze game is a fun way to practice mindfulness and improve your awareness of bodily sensations with the help of movements. It involves wiggling, moving around, shaking, or stomping until someone calls you out to freeze. Once everyone stops moving, now is the time to pay attention to the sensations that you feel in your body.
You can repeat this game many times and can even play music and pause when it is time to freeze.
Dragon breathing
Dragon Breaths is a fun and engaging mindful activity that helps release the fire in your bellies. When you practice deep belly breathing, it helps trigger your parasympathetic nervous system – also known as the relaxation response, helping you to move away from the stress response.
Puzzles
Puzzles are a great way to sharpen your mind. However, they are also among the best ways to practice mindfulness at any age, as they can catch your attention for a longer time. To solve puzzles, however, you need focus, attention to detail, and presence of mind as well.
A few kinds of popular puzzles include jigsaw, crosswords, sudoku, spot the differences, and riddles.
Eye gazing
According to experts, the practice of eye gazing is among the best ways to connect with the other person, while being totally attentive.
To do this, you need to sit facing each other and set a timer for at least 3-5 minutes. Begin staring into each other’s eyes once the timer goes off. You may find that strong emotions come up, but it also helps you feel relaxed after a while.
Colouring and doodling
While children would love to do this, many adult colouring books are easily available and help you not just show your creativity but also feel calm and composed.
Along with colouring, you can also try doodling – an art-based activity that has numerous design options.