Before I embraced my own practice, I was intimidated by the concept of mindfulness. I never envisioned myself meditating or checking in with my emotions throughout the day. If you do not think you have the time or interest in mindfulness -I get it. I didn’t try anything mindful until I was desperate. So, consider yourself lucky if you have not felt the pressing need to find inner peace. However, I know there are many of you out there like me who have convinced yourself that you don’t need it, when in fact you could actually benefit from it. Or more importantly, maybe you have a loved one who is battling anxiety and just needs the slightest push in the direction of mindfulness to find relief.
My suggestion is to micro-dose mindfulness. When you read “micro-dosing” you’ve probably heard it in reference to the safe amount of hallucinogenic substances to use to heal trauma. No judgment here if you are into that, but that’s not what I’m taking about. I’m suggesting incorporating quick mindfulness check ins throughout your day just to make sure you know what your baseline calm feels like. I did not find mine until I was in my forties (yikes!) which is why I am on am mission to teach high school kids about how to regulate their nervous systems by introducing them to a variety of mindfulness activities. There is no “one-size-fits all” form of mindfulness. All we can do is share our experiences and hope the message reaches those who need it the most. Unfortunately, the people who need mindfulness the most are usually the people who are most reluctant to try it (like I was). That’s why I am encouraging people to normalize 5 minute meditations, breathing check-ins, and sitting with certain emotions we are inclined to ignore like fear and grief. Believe me when I tell you I had no intention of ever sitting with my grief, especially after suppressing it for twenty years, but I decided to do the work anyway and I am eternally grateful to myself for finally believing I deserved to feel better.
So, how does a micro-dose of mindfulness sound to you or would you suggest it for someone else?
