The thing I hear most often from people when I tell them that I teach people how to use mindfulness, physical activity, and journaling to manage stress and anxiety is "I would love to do that but I don't have time to add anything else into my schedule." But here's the thing: mindfulness doesn't have to mean sitting down and meditating for 20 minutes. In fact, if meditating sounds like a chore to you, then you're not going to do it. When I meet with clients in the 6-week Wellness Journey Program, we find a mindfulness activity that works for them, from mindful walking or yoga to breathing or chanting, and also plan ways to add it into their schedule. I help my students organize their time so that adding Mindfulness, physical Activity, and mental Presence into their routine doesn't feel like a chore and is manageable for their life.
I'm going to be honest, I actually suck at meditating (probably not what you were expecting from someone who teaches yoga and mindfulness for a living!) But it's true... My mind is all over the place, I have a hard time sitting still, I peek and check the time every 30 seconds. I had to find other ways that work for me so that I could sit for longer periods of time. I had to find something that I was excited to do so that I would make the time to do it. Chanting is my go-to mindfulness activity now. My brain needs something to focus on so I can stay present and sit for a while.
If you feel like you don't have time to take care of yourself or you don't even know what other mindfulness activities you can do, check out the FREE "20 Days of Mindfulness" Guide that I created to support people (myself included!) in finding quick and easy ways to be more mindful and present. Some of the activities are soothing to the nervous system to help you de-stress while other tasks are meant to help you find more time in your day. My hope is that you find at least one thing that works for you over the 20 days so that you can begin to feel more calm and less stressed every day. Enjoy and be well!
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