As the days get darker and nature starts to get ready to rest for winter, take some time for you and you’re mental health with these simple FREE mindfulness ideas that will help you embrace the wonder of Autumn.
- Sit and watch the leaves fall; simply finding a cosy spot in a window or a bench in your favourite park, taking the time to slow down and clear your mind enough just watch the leaves fall and appreciateciate their beauty, and the trees ability to let you of what it no longer needs. As you observe each tree fall allow your self to feel the release of thoughts and personal beliefs that no longer serve you too.
2. Take and early morning walk and photograph the dew; taking photos on walks give us the excuse to look and observe in a more detailed way than we would normally. Use this excuse to pay attention to the things you regularly walk past daily without noticing. From the dew on the grass to the glinting cobwebs in the morning sunlight.
3. Sip a warm drink, and observe the sensory experiences; What can you see? What can you feel? What can you taste? What can you smell? What can you hear?
4. Meditate in front of a bonfire; or any fire, even a candle. Gets lost in watching the flames clearing your mind and focusing on the warmth of the fire building up in your heart centre.
5. Carve a pumpkin, or weave an Autumn wreath. Doing crafts and allowing yourself to let go of judgement and self criticism is a great way to practice mindfulness. Using crafts to clear the mind of stress.
6. Read a book by a cosy fire or candle light; relax your eyes and mind with some naturally lit reading.
7. Go foraging; Autumn is such a great time for foraging and a reminder that although a lot of the plants have gone to sleep there is still so much abundance in nature.
8. Go forest bathing; have a break from technology, surround yourself with trees and rejuvenate your lungs. Count how many different types of tree you can see, collect leaves to identify the trees later. Or simple listen to the crunching sound of leaves beneath your feet and feel how different the clean air feels to breath.
9. List gratitude; Although this time of year is filled with wonder and magic it can also be very difficult for those suffering with SAD, listing gratitude can really help with anyone struggling with low mood for any reason
10. Prepare your garden for autumn; turn your chores into an opportunity to relax your mind and take in nature.
My 5 top tips for mastering mindfulness: for most people mindfulness does not come naturally especially in our over stimulating society, these are my top tips I will repeat time and time again for anyone who feels like they are struggling to get to grips with mindfulness practice.
- As with any form of meditation if your find you mind keeps wandering, let any other thoughts pass you by with out judgement and continue where you left off. your mind is used to wandering and it takes time to teach it how to focus, the important thing here is to not judge yourself or your thoughts when it happens.
- When you feel really lost always go back the focusing on your breath. If you get really scattered and you can’t seem to focus on the practice go back to basics and try doing belly breaths concentrating on slow even in and out breaths.
- One form of mindfulness can be bliss to one person and hell to another. Your not broken., you just need to keep trying things until you find what works for you. However just because something didn’t work for you when you first start practicing mindfulness doesn’t mean it won’t work for you in the future. Shelf it.
- Be mindful over what stimulants you have exposed your self to and how they effect you; mindfulness practice straight after consuming a mass of caffine, watching a thriller film, or even scrolling through social media may effect the results of your practice. This is part of benefits mindfulness however, being able to observe how things effect your body. Remember to ask your self sensory questions during your practice to see how things effect you and whether you should be considering experimenting with cutting certain stimulants out of your life to improve you overall wellbeing.
- Remember mindfulness practice can be done anywhere any time in a way that suits you. It is about learning to clear your mind and observe; with the eventual result being able to slow down reactive responses including negative thought spirals, and be able to find more joy and gratitude in life.
If you want to support what I do …….
…. you can donate a coffee here : http://ko-fi.com/restorativewellbeing
…. follow me on social media….
INSTAGRAM (@restorative_wellbeing) ► https://www.instagram.com/restorative_wellbeing
FACEBOOK ► https://www.facebook.com/restorativewell
Send me an email! Emcat89@gmail.com
Please be aware all information in this blog is based on my own personal experience and research, and I am not a medical professional. If you are needing advice about medical conditional please seek advice from a medical professional.
This blog follows my personal research and learning into health and wellbeing, as well as my own personal comments of the subject matters. All blog posts contain my own personal opinions and does not reflect the opinions of any organisations I may be affiliated with. Any information I provide on my blogs is accurate and true to the best of my knowledge but there may be omissions, errors or mistakes that I am unaware of. All information presented on this blog is for informational purposes only and shouldn’t been seen as advice. I reserve the right to change how I manage or run my blog and may change the focus or content on my blog at any time