Turning to Mindfulness During Uncertain Times

Mindfulness

These days, trying to keep up with the news can be overwhelming. Everything seems to change by the hour as we hear about more restrictions across the country. Some of us worry that we’re not up to date, while others become overwhelmed with too much information. Now more than ever, mindfulness is important because we are all facing so many unknowns. Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of our surroundings and our actions, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. Put simply, it is the act of noticing without judgment. It helps connect with ourselves and decide what we need in order to cope—whether it’s a break, connecting with a friend, a good cry, or a movement break. As parents, we can model mindfulness for our children by practicing it ourselves.

We can help our children by noticing how they are doing and helping them communicate their feelings in a calm and non-judgmental way. All too often, we seek to stop our kids from experiencing any bad emotions—but there can be power in letting them feel every emotion and sitting with them through it. Any and every emotion we are all going through is completely valid.

Mindfulness and meditation practices can be particularly helpful in calming our anxieties during the coronavirus pandemic. For people on every step of their mindfulness journey, here are several great resources you can access from the comfort of your home.

  • For daily mindfulness videos from Minding Your Mind, click HERE.
  • For Minding Your Music’s Spotify stress-easing music playlists, click HERE.
  • For the Greater Good Science Center’s list of practices, resources, and articles for those facing COVID-19, click HERE.
  • For Oprah Magazine’s top ten mindfulness apps, click HERE.
  • For tips from renowned meditation teacher Tara Brach on using mindfulness to manage your anxiety, click HERE.   

As always, JFCS is here to help people who are facing anxiety and other mental health struggles. Please feel free to reach out to us at 856-424-1333.