Our everyday lives are quickly regaining a more frenzied pace post pandemic. It is so easy to adapt by multi-tasking and squeezing more into our day. Now, more than ever, it is important to use mindfulness to ensure we give ourselves a balance and maintain headspace.
As we start to move into the “new normal” post pandemic, calendars are filling up with overdue events and the once regular yoga sessions, long baths and scheduled time for ourselves all feel like a habit from the distant past.
It may be that new schedules and lifestyles mean that it will be more difficult to factor in time for self-care, exercise regimes or relaxation. However, using mindfulness daily will ensure we give ourselves that much needed platform to look after our mental wellbeing. And if we can factor this into our time outdoors, it will be even more beneficial.
For me, lockdown and the last couple of years of working from home brought a whole new meaning to practising mindfulness. It felt really important to my mental health, and I would use apps, set aside time and space and practice daily.
Now, as time has moved on, I find I need to make more of a conscious effort to practice to keep me grounded.
Time spent outdoors makes it easier to shift into a mindful mindset. Every morning, regardless of the weather, I take my cup of coffee out to the garden and spend five minutes outdoors. As well as an early morning Vitamin D boost, this provides vital time to breathe and just “be”. Mindful breathing is a great way to introduce yourself to the practice. I would suggest taking this time every day to take a few deep breaths and be aware of nothing but your surroundings. Feel the heat of the sun, or the moistness of the rain on your skin. Focus on the colours around you, the shapes and the sounds. Try not to think about the day ahead, but just about this moment. This provides a good grounding for the day ahead.
If you are lucky enough to have a garden, this is a wonderful time and space to be mindful in the outdoors. It reminds me of being young and carefree before the days of mobile phones and social media. Gardening is an easy way to switch off.
I like to focus solely on what I am doing; I try not to plan or think ahead but just concentrate on the job in hand. I tune in to the textures of the soil. How does it feel in my hands, how do my surroundings smell? The scent of a beautiful rose or a bunch of lavender or even the smell of grass brings your mind to the present only if you focus only on the aroma. I like to tune in to the sound of the birds; they’re not worrying about the past or planning the future, they are totally living in the moment and really focussing on their sound brings me to that place.
If you don’t have a garden, you can do this in any location outdoors. Take in the surroundings, close your eyes and listen to the sounds, follow the leaves on trees as they dance in the wind. It is equally mesmerising and relaxing.
An outdoor walk in any environment is also a great way to relax and practice mindfulness. There are even apps that can help guide you with this. I like to leave my headphones at home and just concentrate solely on my surroundings. This really provides the opportunity to connect with the earth and disengage. A peaceful walk in the outdoors noticing what you see, smell, hear, taste and feel is the perfect way to be calm and mindful.
If there are clouds in the sky, and it is possible to do so, I love to lie down and watch the clouds drift and roll by. It is difficult to be anything but mindful. And, if the opportunity arises, I take off my shoes to feel the sand, grass, or dirt beneath my feet and just focus on that feeling.
Mindfulness really is a critical self-regulation practice for all people. It can help us feel calm, focussed and in control. There are so many opportunities to practice mindfulness outdoors. And the more you do it, the more it becomes a way of being, leading to a more peaceful and contented self!
