What is a Mindfulness Circle? (Using Mindfulness for Stress Reduction Technique)

We all experience stress to varying degrees through the days, weeks, months, or even years. 

Many things can be stressors, including work, family, or health-related challenges. 

It is essential to notice and identify the stressors and rate them on a scale of 1-10 to determine how much they impact your life. 

Psychologists have researched that identifying your stressor is the first goal in mitigating the effects.

At the same time, second, rating provides a way of knowing which stressors to target first. If you can use most of your energy and time to target reducing the effects of your main stressors, it becomes much easier to deal with little ones from that point. 

After reviewing your stressors and identifying which ones are the most prominent in your life, it is essential to understand and journal how much you have control over that stressor. 

For example, some people may have health challenges they do not have control over; therefore, finding a way to reduce the stress while letting go of being unable to control the stressor is essential. 

One way to instantly reduce stressors is through a mindfulness circle. 

Here are a Few Quick Thoughts About Mindfulness

1. You can practice mindfulness at any time in any place.
2. Mindfulness practice does not have to be limited to focusing on your breath. 

Here is a list of activities to practice a mindful circle: 

1. Washing hands
2. Stopping at a red light
3. Looking at a clock or your watch
4. Washing dishes
5. Brushing your teeth
6. Walking
7. Taking a shower
8. Eating

Things to Think About: 

1.  Be aware of your breath, senses, thoughts, and feelings as you perform the activity. 
2. Consider your posture, mood, how quickly you move, what is happening around you, and your level of tension.

Practicing a Mindfulness Circle: 

A. Focus your attention on the task. 

B. At some point, you will most likely become distracted. 

C. Once distracted, become aware of that distraction. Notice it, be curious about it. 

D. Then gently assert your attention back to the task at the end. 

Congrats! You just completed a mindfulness circle activity. 

The benefit of completing the mindfulness circle is that it helps you to be more mindful of your everyday tasks.

Mindfulness is not just something you do at the beginning of the day when you wake up; it is an art you live out throughout the day.

As you become more aware, attuned, and conscious of your thoughts throughout the day, you can control stressors as they come. 

Give this practice a try, and let me know how it goes! 

As always, happy training!