Mindfulness is a handy tool based on meditation practices that can help manage our mental health and improve our day-to-day wellbeing. Find out how one expert makes it part of her routine.
Sharon Best, Mental Wellbeing Practitioner at Bupa, knows all about the benefits of mindfulness – and she also understands that it can be a challenge to incorporate it into an everyday routine.
In this article, she shares her own mindfulness journey and the blueprint she follows as a way to get the best out of her day.
How mindfulness helps us stay in the present
As humans we are hardwired to react to anything we perceive as stress, which in turn activates our internal stress responses in the body, leading to a range of physical symptoms. Practicing mindfulness can help us calm our nervous systems, be more consciously aware of how we’re feeling and take steps to feel calm, resilient, focused and refreshed.
Sharon explains that the first step to mindfulness is being present, slowing down and paying attention to what’s around you. “Whether it’s having a shower, eating or going for a walk, try to be present and engage your senses. Really look around and take in the smells, sounds and sights. This trains your brain to let go of automatic ‘busy’ thoughts and to just be in that moment.”
Our mental bandwidth is finite, and sometimes it can get congested. Practicing mindfulness can help because “as we start to become more consciously aware of our senses, we may notice we feel less consumed by our thoughts and feelings such as anxiety, irritation or stress.”
It sounds simple, but it can be tricky to incorporate this helpful practice into a busy lifestyle. Whether you’re tending to toddlers, ferrying teenagers around, dealing with work pressures, or trying to balance an active retirement with family commitments, you might find that time for mindfulness has been squeezed out.
We sat down with Sharon to find out what drew her to mindfulness in the first place, and how she makes time for this important practice in her busy lifestyle.
The making of a mindfulness expert
Before becoming a Mental Wellbeing Practitioner, Sharon worked as a physiologist for over a decade. Her growing interest in the mind-body connection made her want to branch out into psychology.
“The mind and body are interconnected, and how we feel physically affects our mental health,” she explains. “Mental health is on a continuum and life events can impact even the most resilient of people. I have experienced this with my own mental health, and over time I have learnt ways to use mindfulness to restore balance and resilience when things around me are outside of my control.”
A typical working day for Sharon involves conducting Mental Health Assessments and making onward referrals for further mental health treatment. She also supports individuals going through online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
Even with a full-time schedule, Sharon prioritises how she balances looking after her two young children, being active, eating well and spending time in nature.
This is where she draws on her 14 years’ experience in wellbeing coaching and running workshops and classes throughout the UK and overseas.
“I find that so many people connect with learning how they can manage the impacts of busy home and work lives. What I teach, and practice myself every day, is simple mindfulness techniques to find inner peace and calm. Taking even a few minutes for these each day adds up to build resilience and support mental and physical wellbeing."
How to incorporate mindfulness in your day
Mindfulness activities don’t all look the same. In fact, they can include meditations, breathing exercises and movement. Choosing the kind of exercises that fit in with your own lifestyle can help build up a sustainable practice. For example, if you’re creative, you may love the chance to journal or draw as a way to de-stress.
Making time for mindfulness doesn’t need to be daunting, no matter how packed your schedule is. Even small pockets of time can be put to great use. You might want to put away your phone on your way to work and read a book or listen to music instead.
Sharon finds that even mundane, everyday moments like doing chores can be used to practice mindfulness.
“Things like washing up and ironing are great times to be present and let go of ‘busy’ thoughts. Too often, we rush through chores while still thinking about what we need to do next, rather than just taking time to breathe and be in the moment.”
One small thing that everyone can incorporate into their day is to spend a few minutes connecting with how they are feeling, Sharon explains.
“Take a moment to acknowledge your feelings in a non-judgmental way. Think about what you’re grateful for, or what brought you joy today. Understand what is making you sad, angry, or irritated. Mindfully checking in with ourselves can bring some stillness and calm, especially on busy days.”
It’s also important to be aware of physical symptoms of stress that may affect us in our busy day-to-day lives and use mindfulness to restore feelings of peace and calm. Physical symptoms could include increased heart rate, feelings of nausea, sweating, or heart palpitations. These are all signs that the sympathetic nervous system has been activated as a result of perceived stress, anxiety or danger.
A great mindfulness technique to use in these moments is the 5,4,3,2,1 method - this is taking a moment to notice what we can see, hear, touch, smell and taste. Grounding ourselves in our physical environment can immediately help us feel in control, improve rational thinking and lower our stress responses.
How to keep the mindfulness habit going
As with any habit, consistency is key if you want to feel the full benefits. Maintaining a regular mindfulness practice helps these small moments build into meaningful, lasting change.
For Sharon, this means setting realistic goals for when to add mindfulness into your day. It could be something as small as building mindfulness into something you’ll be doing anyway - for example, appreciating the fresh air as you walk to your car or noticing the smell of your shower gel as you take a quick shower.
“Small, mindful moments all add up. The more you engage your senses in different activities throughout your day, the more you can train your brain to be present and feel more focused and calm. Evidence suggests that mindful practice can strengthen the part of our brain responsible for compassion, helping us be kinder to ourselves and others. This can increase your resilience to the challenges life brings at home and at work.”
There are physical health benefits too: nurturing feelings of calm and joy supports the body’s ability to rest and repair, benefiting both digestion and the immune system.
One small way to get started with mindfulness
Take your first step into practising mindfulness with Sharon’s key piece of advice: where you can, spend more time in nature.
“Prioritise getting outside when you can, moving or sitting in green or blue spaces, viewing or listening to nature. Even just being near a window and feeling and smelling the fresh air can make a big difference. There is a wide body of evidence supporting time in nature as a way to boost mental wellbeing, as it can bring us stillness and calm to restore our mental and physical energy levels.”
