Contemplating mindfulness

by NATALIE RINEHART (B.A.Sci (Psych); Grad.Dip.App.Psych)
10th February 2025

MENTAL HEALTH

MINDFULNESS is a term that has been bandied around a lot lately.

I thought a good positive way to start the column for this year is to look at mindfulness and how it can work in everybody’s life, young or old.

At its core, mindfulness is about attention.

In our busy lives and hectic minds, we tend to constantly multitask across worries of the past, needs of the present, and concerns about the future.

This causes anxiety and stress for many of us.

Underneath that mental chatter, there can be calm, and mindfulness aims to get us there.

For others who experience periods of disassociation, it can be helpful.

Disassociation is when one feels disconnected from thoughts, feelings, and identity.

I refer to it as a “movie-set” day.

The world feels unreal and out of sync, and you feel detached from others and yourself.

Dissociation can range from mild brief moments to a quite severe disorder.

I find it is quite a common experience for neurodivergent people with ADHD and Autism for chunks of time.

It is almost like the brain is giving you a break which is ok for a little, but not all the time.

Mindfulness is about using attention to bring you back to the moment if your brain is running too fast or is experiencing a sense of disconnection.

Different experts discuss it in various ways, including the four Cs, five steps, and the five Rs.

Pushing all those categories aside, I like the notion of three core elements:

• Intention: Consciously deciding to be mindful in a moment.
• Attention: Focusing very specifically on a moment and all the aspects of your interaction with it — sensations, your thoughts, and your environment.
• Attitude: Being non-judgemental and curious about the experience.

Mindfulness doesn’t need to be viewed as a hugely complicated meditation process.

It can be incorporated into our daily experiences to reduce stress, reconnect with ourselves and our environment, and become more positive and grateful.

So how do we do it?

Simple mindfulness activities

Breath: We have been told to breathe deeply so often we begin to get annoyed with the idea.

However, whether we are anxious or angry, breathing exercises have been shown to help slow our systems away from Fight or Flight mode.

For my clients, I teach them a method I developed called finger breathing.

It uses a combination of touch across each finger followed by circular breathing patterns.

The sequence helps to keep them in the moment and their bodies and slow their systems down.

Mindfulness breathing can also be as simple as sitting with your hand on your stomach and just noticing the movements and sensations of breathing in and out.

The more we practice these activities, the more our body recognises what it needs to do — which, in this case, is to slow down and connect. 

Eating: Mindful eating can be especially useful for people who tend to disconnect from what they are putting in their mouths.

Mindful eating can also slow the eating process, allowing our bodies to better alert us when full.

Mindful eating involves closing your eyes and tasting the food, noticing its texture, flavours, and smells and how it activates different parts of your tongue.

We chew slowly and intentionally, focusing on all the sensations associated with what we are eating.

Walking: Walking is actually a complicated set of movements that our bodies naturally perform for most of us.

The length of steps, the balance, the placement of heel to toe, and when the next leg starts its movement.

If we pay close attention, there are a lot of sensations across the body.

Mindful walking can take place out in nature, where we focus not just on what is occurring in the body but also on the environment.

Alternatively, it can occur on your walk to the bathroom first thing in the morning.

Focus on how your body moves, how the floor feels under your feet, and the ambient temperature of the house.

Move slowly so you can absorb all the elements you are experiencing.

Anywhere and everywhere

You can incorporate mindfulness into almost any activity, even daily tasks like washing the dishes or watering the garden.

Naturally, our brains, especially the busy ones, will eventually try and take back the reins to multitask again.

That is ok.

Let the thought pass without judgment and then refocus.

Over time, you will find that you can go for longer periods of mindfulness.

Overall, mindfulness can be as big or as little as you want.

I always say to start small, and then you can work it up as you want to.

That achievement of our calm and centred self allows us to deal with the hectic world better.

We are more present and positive to those around us, strengthening our relationships.

We connect with our current reality if we are struggling to.

So, next time you feel stressed, find regular times to practice mindfulness, and you will reap the benefits.

Until next time, folks!

Natalie Rinehart
Young Person & Family Counsellor/ Life Coach, Author
youthlifecoach.com.au
youthlifecoach@healthpriorities.com.au
0425 735 106