Rund's Halloween Makeup TutorialOct.27.2020
Do you have difficulties in managing your day-to-day lives and often encounter feelings of stress? If so, you need to try a mindfulness exercise. Mindfulness is a way of maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future by simply focusing on the moment that you’re currently in. There are several ways to practice mindfulness, and the good news is you can incorporate most of them into your day!
It’s happened to all of us: you’re sitting there, trying to focus on one particular thing, whether it be work, an assignment, or even a conversation with a friend, but then catch your mind drifting. This is where the use of the Teflon technique comes in handy! Teflon is a synthetic chemical, or a non-stick surface that is usually found on cooking appliances like pots and pans. The idea behind this is to imagine your mind as having that surface and allow intrusive thoughts to drift off in order to focus on one particular thing – hence, the Teflon effect.
This technique can be done both together and separately. When in distress, simply pick an object that is around you and observe it for a good minute. Pay close attention to the details, textures, and shape of the object whether you’re just looking at it or holding it. Once you’re done observing, take another minute to describe what you see and feel by using non-judgmental terms. Keep the Teflon technique in mind when practicing this technique to stop your mind from allowing your observations from drifting. This activity allows you to decompose yourself and release your negative emotions by focusing on and appreciating an ordinary object.
In this exercise, all you have to do is notice 5 things in your day that usually tend to go unappreciated. For example, the ability of a bulb to light up a room! The point of this exercise is to simply give thanks and appreciate the seemingly insignificant things in life, the things that support our existence but rarely get a second thought amidst our desire for bigger and better things. Don’t forget to keep track to see how well you’ve done by the end of the day!
You can use this technique with basically anything and everything, and the best part of it is that it can be something you really enjoy! Whether it’s a hobby, or playing with your pet, all you have to do to practice focus fascination is direct all your energy and attention to that one particular thing. Like observing and describing, this technique goes hand-in-hand with the Teflon technique because it won’t work unless you’re completely focused on that one particular activity.
So, what happens if you need to practice mindfulness when you’re around other people? Well, you can actually play a fun word game! Whether around friends or family, the word story is both a fun and stress-relieving game that anyone can enjoy without having to explain yourself or your feelings. All you have to do is say a word – no matter how random or silly – and have each person in the group add another one to create a funny story. This technique is a great stress-reliever in terms of directing your focus and attention, and even having a good laugh with your loved ones.
