Mindful Moments: Gaining Instant Clarity

Written by: Marissa

As  a mindfulness practitioner, I am frequently asked about cultivating mindfulness in moments of stress. Stress is a silent epidemic. It plagues people of all ages and lifestyles around the globe. It has become so commonplace it is becoming categorized as a normative state. In relation to health, the side effects of stress need to be properly managed.

Without the proper management of stress, its power will overtake your joys. From a mindfulness perspective, stress is a blockage barring you from enjoying the present moment. Our mind races, focusing on the future, past instances of stress, or inflated thoughts during its capture of clarity. Since the present moment is the truest reality, it takes away life’s simplest pleasures.

For example purposes, let’s say you are in the midst of a stressful episode. You can physically feel your heart beating. You start to sweat. Your mind races in a plethora of different directions. Instantaneously, you become extremely exasperated. Everything seems overwhelming. Everything seems out of control.

Now, in the middle of a stress fret, how do you gain momentum in the moment?

I want you to take this moment, a mindful moment, and silently breathe. Connecting to our breath is a grounding, calming experience. Be one with its natural ebb and flow. In between breaths, ask yourself these 3 questions:

“Are my thoughts focusing on the future?”

“Am I focusing on unlikely outcomes?”

“Is everything okay in my reality?”

Mindfulness is inner awareness. Questioning recurring thought patterns begins the process of being mindful. Allowing for an introspection of self creates mindful awareness. If we develop a pattern of catching ourselves in stressful situations, then we learn to bring ourselves back to reality. Remember to breathe. Remember to question your actions. Remember to be mindful. Each moment is meant to be enjoyed.