ACTivate Your Life: Using acceptance and mindfulness to build a life that is rich, fulfilling and fun

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An important part of mindfulness is reconnecting with our bodies and the sensations they experience. This means paying attention to the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the present moment. That might be something as simple as the feel of a banister as we walk upstairs. Mindfulness can help us deal with issues more productively. We can ask: "Is trying to solve this by brooding about it helpful, or am I just getting caught up in my thoughts?" Stay with it. At times, this process may not seem relaxing at all, but over time it provides a key to greater happiness and self-awareness as you become comfortable with a wider and wider range of your experiences. Practice acceptance By practicing accepting your experience during meditation, it becomes easier to accept whatever comes your way during the rest of your day. Cultivate mindfulness informally

Mental training can take time and dedication. Aim for a few minutes of mindfulness each day to start. Anyone can experience upset at any stage in life and it can affect you in a number of ways. We’re currently living through a very unusual time, where anxiety can be increased and usual coping mechanisms or support networks may not be as accessible. Having identified our values, we know where we want to go in life, the direction we want to progress towards. We might set goals along the way.In recent years, mindfulness has become a household term. Mindfulness programs are now commonly found in schools, workplaces, and hospitals. You can practise mindfulness anywhere, but it can be especially helpful to take a mindful approach if you realise that, for several minutes, you have been trapped in reliving past problems or pre-living future worries. Different mindfulness practices

It’s become increasingly common for mindfulness meditation to be combined with psychotherapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy. This development makes good sense, since both meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy share the common goal of helping people gain perspective on irrational, maladaptive, and self-defeating thoughts. Mindfulness techniques Dimidjian’s team developed an eight-week self-guided online mindfulness program. Her studies showed that the program helped reduce symptoms of depression more than a standard treatment alone. As well as practising mindfulness in daily life, it can be helpful to set aside time for a more formal mindfulness practice. Knowing our values will help us decide how to react to stress and distress. In spite of how we feel, we can still move in the direction and service of our values. Mindfulness also allows us to become more aware of the stream of thoughts and feelings that we experience, and to see how we can become entangled in that stream in ways that are not helpful.A less formal approach to mindfulness can also help you to stay in the present and fully participate in your life. You can choose any task or moment to practice informal mindfulness, whether you are eating, showering, walking, touching a partner, or playing with a child or grandchild. Attending to these points will help: If mindfulness meditation appeals to you, going to a class or listening to a meditation tape can be a good way to start. In the meantime, here are two mindfulness exercises you can try on your own. Basic mindfulness meditation Feeling worried or anxious can have a big impact on your health, and for some people life at the moment can be particularly difficult.