Mental wellness reset: Mindful practices to start the year strong
Published by
Jacqueline Ledoux
on
New Year means a fresh start, the chance to reset your routines and focus on what’s important. If you’ve been thinking about ways to improve your mental health, mindfulness is a great place to begin. Mindfulness is the mental state of focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while acknowledging and accepting feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations without judgment.
Practicing mindfulness doesn’t have to mean long meditation or perfectly calm mornings. It’s about small, intentional moments that help you slow down and reconnect with yourself.
Here are a few simple ways to make mindfulness part of your everyday routine this year:
1. Do a body scan before bed
A body scan is a great way to check in with yourself after a long day. It involves mentally “scanning” your body from head to toe, paying attention to physical sensations without judgment. Cleveland Clinic explains that this practice taps into the parasympathetic nervous system to help you calm down. Making body scans part of your nightly routine can benefit your health, both short-term and long-term.
To perform a body scan, lie down, close your eyes, slow your breath, and gradually move your attention from head to toe. Notice any tension, discomfort, or sensation, and breathe into those areas. End at your feet and then bring your attention back to the room. Breathe deeply and open your eyes.
2. Try a short meditation
Meditation can help you achieve mindfulness, and you can do it by starting small. You can notice improvements by starting with even just five minutes of meditation a day. Mass General Brigham reports meditation helps reduce breathing rate, cortisol levels, heart rate, and even inflammation. According to Harvard, meditation reduces stress, depression, pain, and more.
Meditation comes in all shapes and sizes. You can follow guided meditation via audio or video, or you can try to quiet your mind on your own. Do whatever works for you. If you prefer guided meditation, you can find one on YouTube, Spotify, or Headspace. For Mass General Brigham Health Plan members with access to Lyra, you can find meditation options on their website.
3. Engage in activities mindfully
Most activities can be completed mindfully. This includes things like housework, eating, and even driving. To do these activities mindfully, you just need a little bit of awareness.
For example, you can mindfully wash your dishes by focusing on the sensations involved, such as the water temperature or the sound of the water hitting a dish. You can eat mindfully by gauging your fullness, feeling the texture of the food, and savoring the taste. By focusing on what you can taste, feel, hear, and smell, you become more present in the moment.
Mindfulness is a practice that gets stronger the more you do it. Some days will feel easier than others, but that’s just part of the process. The goal isn’t to silence your thoughts—it’s to notice them without judgment. So, as you move through the new year, remember: you don’t need to be perfect with your mindfulness. You just need to give it a try.
For more information about mind/body approaches to health, you can check out research from the Benson-Henry Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital.