“Stop and smell the roses” isn’t just good advice—it’s also a powerful safeguard against stress. Mindfulness, or the practice of consciously and non-judgmentally observing the present moment, has been linked to better wellbeing in previous research. And according to a new study from the University of Utah, people who are naturally mindful report being more emotionally stable during the day and more relaxed at night.
Researchers recruited 38 people aged 20 to 45 for the study. First, the subjects completed a questionnaire that measured how naturally mindful they were, including their ability to notice their surroundings and act consciously. For two days, the subjects were asked to rate their emotions throughout the day, as well as their physical and cognitive arousal before falling asleep (a measure of anxiety). The people who were naturally mindful had less variable emotions, described themselves as being more in control of how they felt, and were calmer at bedtime.
The study suggests that mindfulness can act as an emotional buffer, protecting you from the normal highs and lows of your day. “People who are more mindful are able to stay somewhat separate from shifts in their body and their emotional state,” says Paula Williams, PhD, associate professor of psychology at the University of Utah and co-author of the study. “They’re more observant, as opposed to reactive.” And when you’re not reacting to every little change in your environment, you’re bound to feel more at ease.
Luckily, mindfulness isn’t just a personality trait—it’s a skill you can learn. Susan Evans, PhD, professor of psychology in clinical psychiatry at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, offers these tips on how to be more mindful:
Ease into your mornings
On an average weekday, you may abuse the snooze button before scrambling out of bed to (just barely) make it to work on time. Rather than rushing through your a.m. activities, Evans suggests taking up to 30 minutes every morning to sit quietly and simply focus on your breath. “When your mind wanders, come back to your breath,” she says. This gives your mind and body time to transition from a resting state to an active state. If sitting still for too long makes you squirm, meditating for even just five minutes is better than nothing.
Step away from your desk
You don’t have to be a smoker to excuse yourself from your office for a few minutes to mentally recharge. In fact, Evans says it’s vital. If you take a walk, observe what’s going on around you—the color of the sky, the movement of the wind, and any physical sensations you experience. Mindfulness is the opposite of living your life on autopilot, and these mini-breaks will help train you to appreciate the here and now. “We get caught up in a lot of thoughts about the future, the past,” Evans says. “This an opportunity to kind of break out of that.”
Take a real lunch break (seriously)
We know it’s hard. The temptation to shovel food into your mouth while cruising the blogosphere or touching up that last work assignment can be tough to resist, but it prevents you from enjoying your meal—or even paying attention to what you’re eating. Try to ditch your desk for 20 minutes and carve out time for really zeroing in on the texture and taste of your meal. You’ll enjoy your lunch more, slow down, and—as an extra perk—eat less of it, Evans says.
Give yourself time to transition
In any given day, you might go from a career woman to a Zumba junkie to a domestic goddess. Rather than jumping from role to role, take a moment to mark these shifts. Doing so will help you get into the right mindset so you can better focus on the task at hand. When you sit down at your desk in the morning, for example, give yourself a full minute to center yourself and say, “This is where I am right now.” Likewise, when you come home at night, try to consciously change gears. It’ll prime you to embrace your new role and help you to be fully present for the people you’re around.
Listen up
We’re all guilty of zoning out in the middle of a conversation. And let’s be real—water cooler chit-chat isn’t always the most riveting. But practicing mindful listening, where you focus on what the person is saying without judging or interrupting them, is a way of getting out of your own head. Think of it as a vacation from your own thoughts. It may even help boost your bonds—everyone loves a good listener.
More From Women’s Health:
Meditate for Mindfulness
Stress Relief Tips
Good Stress: There Is Such a Thing
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