Mental Health Break: Practicing Mindfulness

by Amelia Broughton

Practicing mindfulness techniques and tools has become increasingly important in these times of uncertainty and constant fluctuation.  To cultivate resiliency and stay grounded, we must find our breath, our bodies, and presence. We don’t know what tomorrow holds, making each moment even more precious with our ability to slow down, stay home and stick together.  

In service of slowing down, the National Alliance on Mental Illness recommends that we be mindful of our news consumption.  With potentially more time on our hands and elevated levels of anxiety, our obsession to be in the know can catch us in loops of consuming bucks of information via social media or through the game of telephone where information can always get mixed up or lost in translation.

The invitation is to check reliable resources for news such as the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) or WHO (World Health Organization) and limit consumption to a couple of times a day.  Perhaps you even choose a day or two per week with no technology or limited phone use. 

Whatever mindful actions you choose, your mind will certainly thank you.