Managing Everyday Stress Mindfully

In today’s fast-paced world, stress and anxiety have become all too common. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 42.9% of people aged 16–85 years have experienced a mental disorder at some point in their lives, with 21.5% experiencing a mental disorder in the past 12 months. Anxiety disorders are the most common, affecting 17.2% of people aged 16–85 years. Chronic stress can lead to various health issues, including high blood pressure, heart problems, weakened immune function, digestive disorders, and mental health conditions like depression and anxiety disorders.

Having a daily mindfulness practice can be a powerful tool to manage stress and improve overall well-being. By dedicating just a few minutes each day to mindfulness, you can cultivate a sense of calm, enhance your focus, and develop a greater awareness of your thoughts and emotions. This practice can help you respond to stress more effectively and improve your overall quality of life.

Best Time to Practice: It is often helpful to start this practice in the morning to establish a regular routine. By doing so, you set a calm and mindful tone for the day ahead. Additionally, having this practice in your toolkit can help you navigate and overcome stressful situations as they arise throughout the day.

Everyday Mindfulness to Bring Calm

1. Find Your Space: Find a quiet place where you can be alone without interruption for at least 10 minutes or longer. Try to use this same place every time you practice. If you can, try to do this exercise at the same time every day.
2. Settle In: Sit in a chair, or on the floor, with your back straight and your hands in your lap. Sit comfortably, with your body balanced on its own weight, not leaning against the chair or the wall. You can lie down if you wish, but this may make you sleepier, which can make it harder to concentrate.
3. Close Your Eyes: See if you can close your eyes, or at least lower your eyelids. If this makes you anxious, it is fine to leave them open. If you want to keep your eyes open, use a “soft” (unfocused) gaze, with eyes directed downward about 3 feet ahead of you.
4. Begin with a Conscious Breath: Take a deep, conscious breath in through your nose, expanding your belly and feeling the air fill your lungs. Pause the breath for a brief moment, and then slowly exhale through your mouth, letting go of any tension. Repeat this a few times, allowing each breath to bring you to the present moment.
5. Focus on Your Breathing: Now, focus your attention on your natural breathing pattern. Feel the air going into your lungs, note the pause between breaths, and then feel the air going out. Continue to breathe naturally without trying to control it.
6. Return to Your Breath: When your mind wants to think about other things, gently remind yourself to go back to your breathing—watching and feeling the breath go in and out. People usually have a hard time just paying attention to their breath. Their mind wanders. That’s okay. It’s just what minds do. Don’t criticize yourself when this happens, just briefly notice that you were thinking, and then go back to watching and feeling yourself breathe in and out. Let your thoughts and feelings come and go. You don’t need to believe they are important, or even true. They are neither good nor bad, right nor wrong – they are just thoughts and feelings that come and go. Notice them, and then return to watching your breath.
7. Practice Daily: Try to do this for at least 10 minutes a day, every day, if you can. You can keep a clock or watch next to you to keep track of the time, but try not to look at the time too often. If it has been less than 10 minutes, just go back to paying attention to your breath. Eventually, you may want to spend more than 10 minutes in this practice, or to practice more often.

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