The stresses of 2020 challenged us in many ways. We struggled to cope with what seemed to be an unending procession of crisis and tragedy. Finally, there seems to be some light at the end of the dark tunnel, with the first round of coronavirus vaccine having been administered. It is the hope that vaccines will help save lives and allow us, eventually, to return to a life that feels more “normal” in 2021. 

In the meantime, is there a way to inoculate ourselves against stress? There is no silver bullet that will allow us to escape the feelings associated with stress altogether. However, there are tools that we can use to gain perspective and help ourselves cope in ways that we feel good about. 

One such tool is “mindfulness.” You’ve likely heard the term, as it has become something of a buzzword in recent years. There is science behind the hype, as studies have supported the idea that mindfulness can help reduce anxiety (Shapiro et al., 1998). But what is mindfulness? Jon Kabat-Zinn (2015), founder of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, defines mindfulness as “awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” He adds that this practice is done, “in the service of self-understanding and wisdom.”

What does it mean to pay attention on purpose? Often, our attention is called from one thing to another, without our really noticing it. For example, when we’re in the middle of writing an email, we might start daydreaming about what we’ll do over the weekend, or think about the movie we watched the previous night. We’re on a sort of “autopilot,” and our attention goes where it goes without our tracking it from moment to moment. When we’re practicing mindfulness, we’re making a deliberate effort to be aware of where our mind goes and what we’re paying attention to at any given time. 

According to Kabat-Zinn’s definition, mindfulness is also about paying attention in the present moment. This means that, when we’re practicing mindfulness, we’re making an effort to pay attention to what’s going on for us in the here-and-now, rather than be consumed by the there-and-then of memories, fantasies, or anxieties regarding the future. If we do notice our mind going to the past or the future, we simply note that this is an experience that we are having in the present moment. 

The final component of mindfulness, according to Kabat-Zinn’s definition, is to pay attention non-judgmentally. This means that, when we’re practicing mindful awareness, we’re being gentle with ourselves when we feel that we’re not doing mindfulness “correctly.” You might have noticed an ongoing narration of your life that takes place inside of your head, like an inner monologue. Often, we find this inner voice to be passing judgment on our performance in various aspects of life. When practicing mindfulness, we attempt to take note of what this inner critic is saying without getting swept up in the analysis or regarding it to be necessarily “true.” 

So what exactly does mindfulness look like in practice? Renowned educator Dr. Dan Siegel (2020) offers a simple and powerful technique for practicing mindfulness in his book Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence (pp. 34-39). I’ll guide you through this practice below. It should be noted that mindfulness practice, along with other body awareness and relaxation exercises, can sometimes bring up feelings of anxiety for those who have experienced trauma (Levine, 2010). If you know that you have experienced trauma, it might be best to practice these exercises in the context of therapy, where an experienced professional can help guide you. 

Begin by sitting up in your chair, standing upright, or lying down. Become aware of your breath, as you breathe naturally through your nose. Feel the sensation of your breath leaving your nostrils as you exhale, and entering them again as you inhale. Now place your awareness on your chest, feeling it rise and fall with the breath. Next, become aware of your belly. Feel your belly as it expands with the inbreath and contracts with the outbreath. Finally, rest your awareness on whichever of these breath sensations that you feel most called to, whether it be the feeling of the breath moving through your nostrils, your chest, your belly, or perhaps your whole body. If you find yourself distracted by thoughts, simply return your attention to the breath. You might find it helpful to silently say the word “thinking” inside your head when you notice yourself thinking, or “remembering” when you notice yourself remembering something, before returning to the breath. Try not to become upset with yourself if you become distracted. The fact that you’ve noticed that you’ve become distracted by thoughts means that you’re doing the exercise right. 

This practice may have given you insight into some of the patterns of your mind. Did you find yourself worrying about your to-do list or cringing about something you said last week? Don’t worry if this exercise seemed impossibly difficult. The more that you return to this simple practice, the more that you will train your ability to focus your attention, notice what is happening in your mind, and redirect your attention. This will help you to gain perspective on the thoughts that are contributing to your feelings of stress throughout the day, and to gently redirect your focus. 

Often thoughts can trigger a reaction in our body, like muscle tension in response to worry. Depending on who we are and what we do for a living, we might not pay very much attention to what is going on inside of our bodies. As more and more of our time is spent in front of computer, television, and phone screens, we run the risk of living a “disembodied” existence. The process of cultivating an awareness of the sensations present in one’s own body is sometimes referred to as “embodiment.” By becoming more aware of our bodies, we can learn where we hold tension and experience what genuine relaxation feels like.

One way to gain more awareness of the body is to practice a “body scan.” Take a moment to sit up, stand up straight, or lie down. Place your awareness on the soles of your feet, noticing whatever sensations you might experience there. Do you feel a tingling sensation? Warmth? Coolness? Tension? Perhaps you don’t feel much at all. Just notice whatever is present, without judging your experience. Next, move your awareness to the space within your feet, including the space within your ankles. Notice the sensations that you experience there. Next, move your awareness to your lower legs, including your calves and shins. Continue to move up your body with your awareness, until you’ve reached the top of your head. Take note of any areas of your body that are holding muscle tension. Breath into these areas of tension, allowing your muscles to relax. If you find yourself becoming anxious when you place your attention on a particular area of your body, redirect your attention to an area of the body that feels safe or neutral for you.

If you find it difficult to notice areas of tension in your body, you might want to try another practice called Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Start by sitting or lying down. Place your awareness in your feet. Curl your toes upward, and hold the tension in your feet and toes for a few seconds. Now release that tension and allow your toes to rest naturally on the ground. Notice what it feels like for your feet and toes to be in a relaxed position, as compared to a state of exaggerated tension. Next, repeat this process by raising your legs into the air slightly, before relaxing them by placing your feet back down. Now, tense the muscles in your abdomen for a few seconds before releasing them and noticing the sensations of relaxation there. Continue moving upwards, repeating this process with all the muscle groups throughout your body. When you reach your head, scrunch up your face for a few seconds before relaxing it. Take time to become aware of and enjoy the feelings of relaxation throughout your body.

Workouts are an excellent opportunity to practice embodiment. Next time you set up to do a squat, feel your feet firmly planted on the ground. When you’re in plank position, focus on keeping the muscles of your core tight. An increased awareness of your body will help you to optimize your efforts in your workout, so that you’re hitting the right muscle groups without wasting energy. Try carrying this body awareness into your daily life, so that you’re conscious of your posture when you’re standing in line or sitting at your desk. Take a moment every now-and-again to become aware of your feet on the ground, and keep your shoulders relaxed. The more aware you are of the sensations in your own body, the more easily you’ll be able to locate muscle tension and relax it. 

Even though we’ve made it through 2020, life will never stop throwing stressful situations our way. Mindfulness and embodiment practices can be integrated into our lives in small ways, offering big payoffs in terms of stress-reduction benefits and more. Stay grounded and be kind to yourself. I wish you the best of luck in 2021.

References

Shapiro, S.S., Schwartz, G.E. & Bonner, G. (1998). Effects of mindfulness-based stress 

reduction on medical and premedical students. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 21(6). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018700829825

[Mindful]. (2015, May 28) Jon Kabat Zinn Me Me Me. [Video] YouTube. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULJSacYFzzQ&feature=emb_title.

Siegel, D. J. (2020). Aware: The science and practice of presence - the 

groundbreaking meditation practice. Penguin Books. 

Levine, P. A. (2010). In an unspoken voice: How the body releases trauma and restores 

goodness. North Atlantic Books.

Please note that this blog post is intended to be educational in nature, and not as a substitute for therapy.