Mindfulness. How being present can help combat stress, fatigue, and burnout.

Written by Katy-Jane Mason on behalf of Virtually Smart Ltd.

“Five hundred years ago no one died of stress: we invented this concept and now we let it rule us.” Ruby Wax OBE (1)

“Ruby Wax has always been an inspiration to me. As a woman she has fought tooth and nail to carve out her career. From very humble beginnings and as an Austrian immigrant in the USA, life was not always an easy ride for her.

Ruby Wax has suffered with bouts of depression most of her life and in her fast-paced career these have deepened and even found her hospitalised on more than one occasion.

However, one way in which Ruby has trained herself to combat her depression and keep tabs on her mental wellbeing is through Mindfulness.

Ruby has research and teaching links with Bangor University’s School of Human and Behavioural Sciences and, in particular, with the University’s Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice. She has attended Mindfulness retreats, using her experiences to understand more about how mindfulness can provide therapeutic support for people living through depression and anxiety. (2)

In 2022 Bangor University presented an Honorary Doctorate to Ruby for her role in highlighting and discussing mental health (2)

“When you use mindfulness, you learn to accept things the way they are without trying to change them. It is the gateway to the ‘shit happens’ school of enlightenment. Everyone wants things to be better, but they mostly aren’t, so what are you going to do about it? Have a hissy fit? This is a hard one to swallow, but swallow it you must if you want to go to sleep at night.

As the observer, you witness the good, the bad and the ugly without giving a running commentary on whether you like what you’re seeing or not. Once you start doing that, you’ve lost your seat on the sidelines and will be sucked back into the crossfire of words.” (1) Ruby Wax – Frazzled.

Humans generally live relatively fast paced lives. The normal pressures of jobs, careers, homes, families, money, food, social life, mental health, social media, wellbeing etc are all part of the web of life, but sometimes the excessive pressures modern life can put on people is simply too much and when stress levels start to rise, so too does our mental health worries.

One of the ways many people are looking to combat the stresses and strains in an increasingly challenging world is through Mindfulness.

Therefore, if you are feeling stressed and or overwhelmed by the continued pressures of this hectic sometimes chaotic life, what can you do to help yourself be more ‘present’, reduce your stress levels and become more resilient?

Note: Virtually Smart Ltd are not mental health professionals. If you are concerned about your mental health, please contact your GP.

Calm and Headspace

Calm and Headspace are two App’s designed to support mental wellbeing by using mindfulness meditations, music, sounds, etc.

I have been using the Calm app for over a year and I use it to help lower my stress levels and improve the quality of my sleep. The app is easy to use and gives the user a wealth of options. The bonus of using Calm is that you can set your goals before you use it, complete a basic survey and the App will adapt its recommendations based on your input.

Calm allows you to choose the amount of time want to spend on each action, be it a meditation, re-focus exercise, relaxation, de-stress programme, whatever your needs are, the app can adapt for your situation.

Having not used Headspace yet, I can only impart some of the information from their Website:

Through science-backed meditation and mindfulness tools, Headspace helps you create life-changing habits to support your mental health and find a healthier, happier you.

Headspace is proven to reduce stress by 14% in just 10 days. It can also help you relax your mind in minutes, improve focus, and get the best sleep ever. (3)

Each app has an option for a Free Trial which is a great way to find out which is the better option for you.

Physical and practical mindfulness practises can include writing diaries, gardening, walking and most importantly remembering to breathe.

Writing a diary or thankful list

When everything seems to be monumentally stressful and days slip into each other seamlessly, one way to remain mindful, to remain in the moment, is to create a mindfulness thankful diary or blog.

The idea is to find some time to write down at least three things you are thankful for every day. It could be your own health, the sunshine, the spring flowers, the laughter of a loved one, a kind message from a friend, autumn leaves, chocolate cake or even a smile from a stranger.

Through even the most challenging days, there are always things to be thankful for, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.

Walking

Going for a walk and changing the walls of your home, office, school or workspace for the outdoors, can give your brain a different perspective to focus on.

While you are walking, taking time to observe the world around you, looking up in the sky, at the trees changing colour, the flowers blooming, or the colour of buildings is part of keeping in the present and letting the chaos of a modern mind slow down for a while and gain perspective.

Listening carefully as you walk, noticing the sounds around you, maybe the birds singing, vehicles as they pass, the sounds of other people again can help you to remain present with these sounds, being mindful all the time of the different sounds surrounding you & how they make you feel.

Staying in the moment and allowing your mind to relax into the sights, sounds, smells of your environment is part of how mindfulness can help keep you present and quieten your mind, allowing more positivity to blossom.

Breathing

When anxiety takes its grip, it can be difficult to regulate breathing. However, being mindful of your breathing can really help reduce stress levels and bring you back to yourself.

During your day, find some time to breathe. Sit or stand quietly and breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth three or four times.

Take notice of your breath, be present and mindful of how it makes you feel. You should notice that if you include this activity a few times during your day, that this simple breathing exercise can help bring your stress and anxiety levels down and help you re-focus.”

Note: Virtually Smart Ltd have collated this information from readily available information on the internet and from textbooks.

Written by Katy-Jane Mason for and on behalf of Virtually Smart Ltd.