Executive Republic

culled from:http://themindsanctuary.com


Camilla Ghazala is the founder of 360wellbeing (formerly Ghazala Group) a group of highly skilled professionals, experienced in the field of psychological and emotional development. Camilla has practised mindfulness herself for over fifteen years and has been teaching it for eight. She now runs mindfulness workshops and training programs to help people throughout Suffolk and East Anglia learn the art of mindfulness.
In this article, Camilla explains what mindfulness is and shares her top mindfulness tips for wellbeing. Each Monday we’ll publish a new tip on The Mind Sanctuary website, until the end of February.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is an essential tool for modern day life and is a proactive way to help with stress management, support overall wellbeing, increase awareness and enhance psychological and emotional resilience.
When you’re mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them as good or bad. Mindfulness techniques can be used at virtually any time and can quickly help you to bring your focus to the present moment.
Mindfulness is a form of meditation, which involves establishing a practice of observing thoughts or other aspects of our physical body – thereby strengthening our observer skill.  This encourages us to have a break from conscious thinking (feeding our thoughts), and over time slows down our thinking process and weakens the thoughts that create overwhelming emotions. Achieving a healthy balance between actively thinking and observing our thoughts can profoundly strengthen our overall wellbeing.

Camilla Ghazala’s top mindfulness tips

Tip number one
At the end of a day, many of us get straight into bed with the events of the day still whirring in our minds, which can lead to problems settling.
Next time you go to bed, try to set aside a few minutes to practice a mindfulness technique. First of all, either sit yourself comfortably down, or lie down. Then, rest your hands on your tummy. Watch your hands move as you breathe in and out. If you notice your head getting busy thinking or analysing, congratulate yourself for noticing your focus has shifted and simply take your attention back to your hands and continue to observe them. Continue this practice for around five minutes.
Tip number two
Many of  us leave the house in the morning in a rush, whether doing the school run, going to work, or preparing to run the errands of the day.
Before you open your front door in the morning, stop and take 30 seconds to stand with your shoulders back and spine straight, becoming aware of yourself in the present moment. Focus on your feet and observe them touching the floor. If you notice you’re back to thinking about a particular situation or the day ahead, just for a few more seconds shift your focus back to observing your feet.
Tip number three
Having a shower or bath can be a functional experience, or an opportunity to become present in the moment, relax and fully enter the experience of water touching your skin.
Next time you’re in the shower or bath, observe the water running over your skin. Just continue to observe and feel the sensations for a few minutes. If you notice your mind has wandered off and you’re thinking about other things, simply shift your focus back to observing the water on your skin.
Tip number four
We often watch television in the evenings as a way to unwind and relax from the day. However during this process, our attention becomes distracted by the programme we’re watching rather than focused in the moment.
So, before you switch on the television, take two minutes to sit and observe your breath. You are not trying to change your breath or analyse it, just observe it. When your mind demands attention (because that is what our minds do!), gently bring your attention back to your breath.
Tip number five
Doing daily activities or tasks in the home or office offers a number of opportunities to practice mindfulness.
For example, when you go to make a cup of tea, you can use the three minutes waiting for the kettle to boil to stop and become present.
Either stand or sit yourself down. Then simply notice the air coming in and out of your nostrils. When your mind starts shouting about doing things, ignore it for this short period of time and go back to noticing the air entering and leaving your body.
Tip number six
Walking provides a great opportunity to clear our heads and practice mindfulness. When walking (anywhere – between offices, out at lunch, with the dog) observe your feet touching the ground as you walk. If your focus goes back to thinking about people, situations or concerns, simply shift it back to observing your feet.