5 Mindfulness exercises to improve your emotional well-being

March 30, 2024

In this busy world in which we live, in which we are constantly connected to new technologies, the mind jumps from one place to another continuously, spreading our thoughts and emotions, which can make us feel stressed, nervous, and even anxious.

The way of life of western societies puts us in autopilot, which means that lDays go by without us realizing what is happening inside or around us . We are pulling, walking through life, without stopping for a single moment to observe ourselves internally, without stopping to think about our needs. Always ruminating, clinging to expectations rather than reality.

Live on autopilot, a bad option

Living on autopilot, living by inertia and letting yourself be carried away by routine can be very comfortable in the short term. It is easier for days to pass and do not face the fear of talking with your partner about what you feel. Or it is less complicated to get carried away by the day to day than to recognize that you are sad, right? The planets will be aligned to solve your problems ...

But living away from the present, that is, with the breastplate on and feeling nothing, can be negative in the long run, because when something happens that shakes us (for example, we get fired from work or the couple leaves us), then it's time to step on With feet on the ground. Further, living in expectations can make us tremendously unhappy .

Mindfulness: more than techniques, a philosophy of life

Mindfulness practice, more than a set of techniques to be in the present moment, it is a philosophy of life, an attitude that must be adopted to reconnect with oneself . It is a coping style that promotes personal strengths, which helps self-regulate behavior and get to know each other better, as well as creating an environment conducive to well-being.

In other words, Mindfulness is a conscious and intentional way of tuning in with what is happening inside us and around us, and allows us to unmask automatisms and promote integral development.

A few minutes a day is not so much ...

For some people, those who live eternally stressed, find 5 minutes a day to connect with yourself can be complicated. But invest 10, 15 or 20 minutes a day for your own welfare is not so much.

As already mentioned, what is important in the practice of this discipline, regardless of the techniques used, is to adopt the Mindfulness attitude, whichit breaks the attention in the present moment, without judging, and with compassion towards oneself and towards others .

5 mindfulness exercises for greater well-being

Before moving on to the list of exercises, it is important to emphasize that practicing Mindfulness, because it is an attitude towards life, is not limited to the realization of these exercises, but rather it is a way to face the events that occur in daily life . Even so, adopting a healthy habit like this is beneficial for many reasons.

If you want to know what are the benefits of this practice, you can read the following article: "Mindfulness: 8 benefits of mindfulness"

Having said that, we present below a list of Mindfulness practical exercises :

1. Mindfulness in a single minute

This exercise is ideal if you are initiating in Mindfulness practice, since it is as you advance in the learning of mindfulness, it is ideal to increase the practice time until reaching 15 or 20 minutes a day. Also, because it's only a minute, You can practice this exercise anywhere and anytime in daily life .

2. Breathing landing here and now

This exercise It is ideal to turn off the autopilot . When practiced, attention is focused on the present moment and stops the constant flow of thoughts, memories, images or ideas. It is ideal to discharge the accumulated tension in a very simple way.

To carry it out, it is necessary to focus on breathing. It Must be done a soft, deep and constant inspiration through the nose . When filling with air, immediately release the air through the mouth with intensity but without forcing the throat. When noticing a distraction (which is normal), we observe what is what caught our attention and we return to the breath again.

3. Mindfulness breakfast

It is usual to get up in the morning with the autopilot. You leave the bed, you shower, you dress, you have breakfast, you clean your teeth, and another day more to work. Yes, another day!

You can break this negative habit by doing Mindfulness in the morning. So you will face the day in another way. For it, It is necessary that you sit in a quiet place, and that you turn off the TV so that you are silent . You must also have the mobile away. It's about not having distractions. When you prepare to have breakfast, try to focus your attention on the flavors, the smells, the touch of food or drink ... feel them! In this way, you will be with attention in the present moment, and you will see the difference.

4. Attention to the sounds of the moment

This exercise consists of consciously observe the sounds that occur in our environment . Therefore, it is about listening, of hearing them as they sound without trying to identify them, judging them as pleasant or unpleasant, or thinking about them. Without any effort, the sounds are observed and other external perceptions are left aside. When we notice a distraction, we observe what is what caught our attention and we return again to listen to the sounds, relying exclusively on the breath of that moment

Obviously, when listening to sounds that enter our ears, thoughts and feelings arise related to what we are hearing, so this exercise tries to know silence and sound in a non-conceptual (not thinking) but experiential (feeling) way.

5. Body scanner

With this exercise you try get in touch with the experience of our body as it is, without judging, without rejecting unpleasant sensations or sticking to the pleasant . This exercise is also called body scan or body scan.

To do this, it is necessary to sit in a comfortable position, with the back straight, although it is also possible to adopt the lying position. Afterwards, close your eyes, pay attention to the breath and make the journey through the body. This type of meditation is advisable to be guided.

Mindfulness Training Program: M-PBI (Mensalus Institute, Barcelona)

If you are interested in knowing what Mindfulness is and you want to experience first-hand the practice of Mindfulness, the Psychology Center Mensalus Institute of Barcelona offers the possibility of taking the Mindfulness Training Program: M-PBI .

Mindfulness allows you to be in the present moment and helps you to be more aware of your immediate experience with a non-judgmental attitude of openness and acceptance.

Its benefits for our daily life are many: it contributes to regulate emotions, reduces stress and anxiety, improves psychological well-being, increases the capacity for concentration, helps to sleep better, promotes creativity ... Thanks to this experiential course of 9 weeks of duration, you can check first hand the purpose of this millenary practice, and you can dive into this method to learn to manage emotions, reactions and thoughts, something necessary to deal with the different situations that presents you day to day. Also, you will be able to discover that through the development of mindfulness it is possible to know yourself better and develop certain positive attitudes in relation to your emotions and feelings, managing to control them from freedom and compassion.

The next workshop begins on November 14, 2018, although before, on Wednesday, October 24, a free informative day is held. Further, Mensalus Institute frequently conducts free informative sessions lasting one and a half hours so you can experience in first person the purpose of this ancestral practice so used in Psychology.