By Robin Fried, MA
Now that the New Year is upon us and the holiday goodies have settled in, it’s time to start thinking about those good ol’ New Year’s resolutions again.
When I think of a New Year’s resolution, health immediately comes to mind. Not just physical health, but finding new ways to take care of body, mind and spirit in a way that helps us improve our overall well-being. How do we do this without becoming overwhelmed by too many new goals and ending up with the same resolutions next year?
We can integrate them all by staying “mindfully active.” Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and nonjudgmentally. So what do we pay attention to on purpose?
It starts with your breath. Taking deep breaths, or diaphragmatic breathing rather than chest breathing, allows our bodies to tell our brains that we are “okay” and that it doesn’t need to pay attention to anything else right now. We can take that a step further and use grounding, another tool in mindfulness, to help stay connected to the present moment: What is in your present moment? What can you see, smell, hear, taste and touch right now?
Mindfulness is a way of engaging all of our senses and staying curious about our experiences. It can be used in any given moment. Connecting mindfulness to activities such as walking, biking and skiing can increase the positive feelings of well-being that exercise naturally produces. How do my feet feel hitting the ground or how do my skis feel gliding on the snow? How does the wind feel against my face? Is the air warm or cold? What does my breath feel like as I inhale and exhale? What can I observe here in nature, such as the simple way the sun may hit a leaf on a tree?
Being mindful gives us the space to simply “be,” even if it’s only for a moment before the next thought comes racing in. We need those moments to simply breathe, and to stay connected to ourselves and our values; doing so can give us satisfaction with who we are and what we are doing in this world.
Combine mindfulness with your physical health goals and activities and you’ve got one power punch for self-improvement. It can have a positive impact on our ability to cope with the stress of life and helps improve overall self-esteem as we achieve our goals and resolutions.
Although mindfulness is in no way a religion, for some it can have a spiritual effect by connecting us with a positive energy that’s always present but from which we often feel disconnected.
When you think about those New Year’s resolutions, think about taking them a step further. Open the door, take a few deep breaths, notice the sparkle in the snow and carve out a moment to connect with yourself, your goals and resolutions — and your world.
Robin Fried, MA, is a therapist with the Adult Intensive Outpatient Program at Community Reach Center, a non-profit mental-health provider with five outpatient offices in Adams County.