Welcome to Day 82 of the Wellbeing 9-a-Day blog! Yesterday, we began our final look at each of the habits contained within The Wellbeing 9-a-Day Journal, starting with Setting Goals and the importance of identifying intentions that serve you going forward. In today’s blog, I move onto Being Mindful and how to connect with the present moment.
Being Mindful
Just as Setting Goals helps us move towards a better future, Being Mindful reminds us to make the most of the present moment.
Throughout my time with The Wellbeing 9-a-Day Journal, I have used box breathing, walks in nature, and tending to my plants at home as my mindfulness practices.
Last week, I ran an online Wellbeing 9-a-Day workshop that focused on Being Mindful, where we discussed different ways of connecting with the moment.
Most of these included using the five senses – touch, taste, sight, smell, and hearing – to bring awareness to what is happening in the now.
One of my favourite ways of being mindful is eating an orange. From peeling to eating, this is a process that engages all the senses, whilst making sure I get at least one portion of Nature’s Candy each day.
Mindful Colouring
During the Being Mindful session, we tried a mindfulness exercise where you draw around your dominant hand with your weaker hand, and then create an image.
Using the weaker hand to write brings your focus to the present, and it is always interesting to see what comes out when you mindfully doodle. Mine ended up looking like black and white teapot with a face.
As a lover of the North East, it was my privilege to help my girlfriend develop Live Well with Cancer’s mindful colouring books.
For the original North Tyneside edition, and the follow up for Northumberland, we travelled around the North East to take pictures of famous landmarks, which Jervie turned into colouring exercises.
As much as I enjoyed visiting these places and researching the facts for the Northumberland colouring book, it wasn’t until yesterday that I actually coloured in one of the pages.
As with the teapot face that I created during the workshop, my artistic ability left a lot to be desired, but I enjoyed the process of mindfully colouring in one of my favourite landmarks.
If you’re interested in trying some mindful colouring, look no further than Live Well with Cancer’s mindful colouring books, available exclusively at www.livewellwithcancer.co.uk/shop.
Call to Action!
Think about the things that connect you to the present. How can you make these a part of your day-to-day life? Also consider the things you do every day, such as brushing your teeth, eating Nature’s Candy, or drinking tea or coffee. By consciously focusing on your senses as you do these things, you can turn them into mindful, present moment activities.
This blog was written as part of a 90-day blog writing fundraiser for Live Well with Cancer, a volunteer-led charity serving North Tyneside and the surrounding areas. If you enjoyed this blog, please show your appreciation by donating to my JustGiving page. Every penny raised from donations or sales of the journal will help deliver workshops, events and support groups that empower better health and wellbeing for those affected by cancer, including family, friends, carers, and healthcare workers.
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