The last thing you remember was looking down at your phone. Then all of a sudden, you start to hear your heartbeat in your chest, you start to sweat a little, maybe even start to pace back and forth. You just can't sit still, you need to get up and get moving. You feel you need to immediately deal with the situation. Before you know it, you are raising your voice. When the dust settles, you feel exhausted, defeated and don't really understand what the hell just happened.
That my friends is a visual representation of an anxiety attack (well, one that I have personally experienced). You might not have had this exact experience, but somewhere, at some point you may have had feelings of anxiety.
When we are in the moment, we tend to act instinctively. Which more often than not, results in us feeling pretty damn shitty. #beenthere
The great thing about practicing mindfulness is that you are able to become more aware of your surroundings and therefore able to better identify when anxiety might make its nasty arrival. #youcantsitwithus
A mindful person is REFLECTIVE rather than REACTIVE. Mindfulness teaches us how to respond to stress with awareness of what is happening in the present moment, rather than simply acting instinctively, unaware of what emotions or motives may be driving that decision. Mindfulness also encourages us to see things from different perspectives. For example, if your partner snaps at you, you might blame yourself and worry that you've done something to upset him/her. If you are able to distance yourself from your immediate response of being hurt, you might remember that your partner mentioned a hard day at work, and perhaps they snapped at you because they're tired and stressed out.
How to be mindful right now...
Focus on your breath. Feel your chest rise and fall, notice the sensation of the breath. When your mind wanders, simply return your attention to the breath. Focus on the present moment. Notice this very moment; it feels good to be alive, right now.
If you don't immediately feel a complete release of anxiety, it is important to remember that most of the benefits of mindfulness require consistent practice.
To get a sense of mindfulness meditation, sign up here: https://www.dinifitmind.com/mindfulness-meditation for a guided meditation practice with me!