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Autumn Soundscape Meditation

By Therese Sheedy on March 7, 2016 in Mindfulness

As I wait for someone in a park in my beautiful city, I decide, as I often do in situations like this, to take the opportunity and sit in a soundscape meditation.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with meditation or soundscape meditations I will attempt to explain what I like to encourage when I teach it.

Generally in our day we divide sounds into those we like and those we don’t. The sounds we don’t like we usually describe as noise. This is particularly true when we are feeling the negative effects of stress. When our minds are in distress.

It seems the higher our stress the lower our threshold is to cope with the cacophony of everyday sounds.

By labelling these everyday sounds as ‘noise’ we limit ourselves. We limit our tolerance, because noise is something that annoys us, grates on our nerves, and interrupts our thinking or sense of calm.

We also limit ourselves to see, or should I say hear, the connections that make up our world. Connections made by others perhaps going about their day. We limit our awareness of noticing, which is why soundscape meditation is very much a mindfulness meditation.

So as I sit with my eyes closed on this warm day early in Melbourne’s autumn, I start to hear so many sounds. I always find it amazing how when we quieten the eyes our sense of hearing seems to awaken even more.

Construction sounds are probably the most dominant sounds in my present, and so the ears are naturally drawn to them. Construction sounds are sounds of people working. Sounds of possibilities for the future for others to work or live in the city. Sounds of amazing machinery designed by engineers and creative inventors to help make our lives safer and easier. Machinery that someone else has also made, providing a job for them as well.

As I listen more closely to my city I hear the sounds of traffic. People moving. Looking to connect with others perhaps, possibly looking to leave the city for the weekend. Moving to jobs, for jobs. Moving to families or friends. Who am I to decide that this is annoying or unnecessary?

The ding of a tram bell indicates movement stopping or starting. A caution to others to be careful as they go about their life. Not all cities have this unique form of transport. Trams are synonymous with Melbourne, they are our history.

Suddenly the sounds of sirens. An ambulance followed by a fire engine. We can be tempted to think they are spoiling our serenity with their loud raucous bells, or we can understand that someone is in need of support and these people are doing everything they can to get there as quickly as possible to offer that support. Their sounds no longer offensive, more an act of selflessness, courage and compassion.

The wind is rustling the trees providing a touch of nature in this city soundscape. Birds are tweeting to each other as they either fly overhead or sit perched in the trees that create a softening of the city.

People are walking by. I hear their footsteps. Some are gentle, some scurry. Some push the autumn leaves along the pathway. Kicking autumn leaves always transports me back to childhood. Fallen leaves, a sign of the change in seasons. The earth in its continuous cycle of change, a change we can often be oblivious to as we go about the busyness of our day.

A soundscape meditation is a wonderful way to instantly become present. While I have talked here about the sounds, labelling them for the purpose of this blog, a soundscape meditation is actually a time when you don’t have to think. You don’t need to label, judge or assess the sounds of your present as good or bad, they just are.

A soundscape meditation can immediately ground us in the beauty of the world, a world full of connections that we may otherwise miss.

Soundscape meditation is easy to do and very portable, you can do it anywhere.

Give it a go and watch your mind attempting to label and judge, resist these temptations, allowing the world to be and you to just be in it.

Science explains – why meditation is good for us!

By Therese Sheedy on July 11, 2015 in Mindfulness

Have you ever wondered what goes on in your brain during meditation?

Why would sitting still, with closed eyes be so calming?

Well actually for some of us, it isn’t so calming, it is a nightmare. Some people can’t stand the endless chatter that the mind does when they stop and sit. Some people say that trying to still the mind is just impossible and so meditation just isn’t possible for them. A lot of people agree with that, in my meditation practice and teaching course I hear that a lot. “You know this won’t work for me, I can’t stop thinking for a second let alone minutes! It’s a lost cause I’m afraid.”

Well, no it isn’t a “lost cause” but the striving to quieten the mind, or still your thoughts is fraught with problems. So in order to gain the benefits of meditation it is best to let those ideals go.

DON’T try to do anything to your mind and see what happens.

There are two things you need to know: Firstly, anyone can meditate and secondly, one of the reasons why we actually feel good when we do.

OK, firstly, anyone can meditate. If you stop trying to control everything you might notice that you immediately have a bit of freedom to actually notice what is happening during meditation.

Meditation is attention training. Training yourself to focus on one thing and noticing when your mind wants to get involved and ‘run the show’.

Our attention is rarely tuned to one thing. It flits all over the place. We think about the weather, what we need to be doing next, what happened yesterday and how we feel about it. We think about people, food, work tasks, chores, traffic, and problems to be solved. Thinking goes on and we let it, getting hooked on each thought that comes into our head as if it were SO important that it deserves all that attention.

In meditation we decide where our attention will be placed. Often this may be on the breath, sometimes it may be on sounds, or a mantra, or even a movement or eating. It is where we place our attention and how we continually notice when our attention is distracted from that focus and gently bring it back.

That simple, right? Hell no! This is hard work – at first – but like anything new, once we practice, it becomes easier and easier.

Now why does it feel good when we do focus in meditation?

One of the reasons is a small gland hidden in centre of the brain called the pineal gland. The pineal gland is responsible for the release of the hormone – melatonin, which is an important part of the body’s circadian timing system and can synchronise daily rhythms. The French philosopher Rene Descartes believed the pineal gland was the ‘seat of the soul’ considered to influence happiness.

Melatonin is responsible for our sleep/wake cycle and sexual development. It is stimulated by darkness. One of the reasons why meditation activates the pineal gland could be the darkness caused by closing the eyes.

Meditation activates the pineal gland to produce melatonin, creating a deep feeling of wellness and sleep (peacefulness) in the awake brain. During meditation we have a decrease in blood pressure, decreased heart rate and a slowing of the breath, all causing a sense of calm and relaxation.

All of this is due to the fact we can focus our attention by closing our eyes to external stimuli, stimulate the pineal gland to release melatonin and feel calmer and happier in the process.

So give it a go. Don’t get caught in the trap that your mind is too active to meditate. The best thinkers in the world know that to be focused produces results. Try being focused for 1 minute, then 3 minutes, 5 minutes, then 10 minutes a day and see what a difference it makes to not only your productivity but your overall sense of wellness and happiness.

With thanks – photos by Sebastien Wiertz

What is mothering?

By Therese Sheedy on May 9, 2015 in Mindfulness

With Mother’s Day here I am drawn to the concept of what is mothering?

My own mother passed away 13 years ago and she is still present in my life. While I miss her greatly, I savour and give thanks that she was my mother.

As I have grown I have a different relationship with my mother than I used to. When she was alive she was busy doing. Her family meant a lot to her – not everything – she had other parts of her life where she also shared her gifts of friendship, laughter, love and support. Mum dedicated herself to others – my father, our family, her local cricket club.

I often hear my mother’s voice in my head as I walk along our beach, where she would challenge me to consider what a wonderful gift nature was. How lucky we were to have such beauty around us, and how we needed to be gentle and kind to the universe. This part of mum I channel daily in my work, my gratitude and my awareness. This is in tune with my practice of mindful living.

However mindfulness has also taught me to be aware of my thinking and sometimes I find my mother’s judgments on the world seeping into my consciousness and becoming my judgments. It is in these times that I acknowledge my choice, to be just like my mother, in all ways, or to choose how I react to the world and more specifically to people and their actions in the world.

It is easy to be kind and generous of spirit to those we are ‘like’ or those we agree with. The challenge is to remain openhearted to everyone’s pain not just our own.

While my mother was a wonderful human being and a loving, caring mother, I know she wasn’t the perfect person. No one is. As a mother and now grandmother, I see the role of mothering to be broader than my immediate family and Mother Nature. I attempt to bring kindness and gentleness to my interactions with others whether I know them, like them or not.

I believe that the unconditional love of a mother is what the world needs more of. The world aches for guidance and wisdom of a mother who will teach values and keep you in line with understanding and strength.

I give thanks for my mother, not just on this special day, but everyday. I also give thanks for the opportunities to take a mothering kindness to my own family, my friends, my colleagues, my clients and my world.

I hope you can honour all the mothers in your life and the many ways you can mother in your part of the world.

Be kind to your body, stay present

By Therese Sheedy on March 25, 2015 in Mindfulness

It is difficult to understand, but the present moment is the only moment you actually have. This is difficult to understand because our minds rarely live in the present moment, and so they are unfamiliar with it and don’t readily trust it.

The past is gone, done, dusted. No amount of reliving it in your head will actually change those events, make someone or yourself nicer, or take away the pain those events brought. I think a lot of times we revisit the past to remind ourselves of the wrongs someone has done to us, as a means of comfort or justification, reminding ourselves we were wronged.

We think by going over and over, ruminating on past events, we will understand them more clearly and perhaps pick up some ideas or clues on how to prevent or avoid them happening to us again.

Unfortunately what happens is this.

When we experience pain, trauma, suffering, or experiences we don’t like or want, our body reacts. It usually goes into what is called the fight/flight response. Trying to shield itself from the trauma or danger that exists in front of us.

When this happens little parts of us shut down to protect our systems from harm. Other parts fire up to help us gain the strength to fight or tackle the trauma head on or, flee – escape the situation to keep us safe.

Each time our mind revisits a past danger or trauma, such as getting bad news, being attacked by someone (both physically or verbally), being in an accident, someone being injured or dying etc. our body also revisits the past. It re-experiences the fight/flight response we had back then, even though there is no threat in the present moment. This is how powerful the mind-body connection is.

The same is true if we continually think about what might happen in the future – “What if this doesn’t work? What if I can’t do it? What if they don’t do what they are supposed to? How will we cope?”

When we live in this future that we can’t control, again our bodies experience the trauma of the event we are imagining as if it were actually happening now. Again parts of our system close down to protect us, and other parts move into full swing – again the fight/flight response is in action even though you may be sitting at your desk at work, on the train, in the kitchen, or watching TV. There is no trauma our bodies are reacting to in the present, it is reacting to the possibility of trauma in the future, but it can’t tell the difference.

Our bodies need to respond naturally to events, rather than be pushed into a constant state of trauma and anger management. This is where mindfulness and living mindfully can help.

By focusing just here, just now, we give our internal systems some space and rest. We are able to experience calmness and regain a feeling of control in our lives. We are more able to respond to just this situation, and not have it blown out because we were stressed by events of the past or possible events in the future that we have been thinking about.

When our minds are out of the present they can often feel out of control. We feel out of control and every little experience such as a traffic jam, or rain on the washing, or dropping a cup, can feel like a major crisis and we in turn feel like we’re not coping.

So how do we live more mindfully?

We need to start bringing a little mindfulness into each day. Here are a couple of simple but not so easy to do exercises to practice – and keep practicing!

Each time you move through a doorway, consciously notice and remind yourself you are now in a new space. That may be a doorway between rooms, the door going outside, the car door, even the toilet door! Each doorway takes you into a new space, see if you can take your mind and focus into that space as well.

Three Breaths Stop: any time you stop, for whatever reason, focus on the next three breaths. When you stop to wait for your morning takeaway, stopped in traffic, stopped in the queue at the supermarket, stopped waiting for children to finish sport/music/school. Each time you stop notice three breaths. You don’t need to breathe deeply or in any particular way, just breathe and notice it. Breathing in and out will do, it does a good job for you the rest of the time when you’re not noticing!

Good reasons to become a morning person

By Therese Sheedy on January 4, 2015 in Mindfulness

There are many reasons to start the day early, but if you’re not a morning person then becoming an early riser will be one of the hardest, but most rewarding, routines you will put into place, and here are at least five good reasons why you should:

Early risers are more proactive and future-focused. According to Harvard biologist Christoph Randler people who rise early are more likely to set long-term goals and commit to those goals.
Early risers are more likely to have an exercise routine which boosts mood and energy for the rest of the day
Sleep experts agree that going to bed earlier, and rising earlier will tune your body to the earth’s circadian rhythms, meaning sleep will be more restorative
Early risers report lower depression and higher levels of overall happiness and wellbeing
Rising early means you will have time for breakfast. Eating breakfast has been linked to more stable weight control, lowered heart disease and lower risk of diabetes.

And if that’s not enough, here are 5 more things to consider:

The morning brings a beauty that is different from any other part of the day – there is a reason that birds sing in the morning
Rising early means you will be more tired earlier at night which will encourage you to go to bed instead of watching mind-deadening television programs just to ‘fill in time’ before you go to bed
Getting up early will give you space from other people in your world – you can decide how you spend this time just for you, without the demands of others
Taking this early time to sit in silent meditation gives your day a whole new perspective. Instead of getting out of bed anxious about the demands of the day ahead, you can start your day with a clearer, quieter perspective – something you can draw on throughout the rest of the day
If you get up just 1hr earlier every day you will gain 15days in a year! What could you do with 15 more days? – everything you love to do, that’s what!!!!!

Start small, set that alarm for 15mins earlier and then gradually build up to 1hr. When you hear that little voice say “I don’t want to get out of bed” know that that is just a habit. Ask yourself is it easy to do – put you feet on the floor? – yes it is. Is it easy not to do – pull up the covers and roll over? too right it is. But when you choose the ‘easy to do’ over the ‘easy not to do’ you win the debate and you can do it because it is easy. It will continue to become easier and easier, and you will have become a ‘winner’ in the battle of the mindsets. Once you win that battle, other battles throughout the day will be a piece of cake.

A “new” year or a new moment?

By Therese Sheedy on January 2, 2015 in Mindfulness

According to the calendar it is the beginning of a new year.

Goal setting is very much a part of our new year rituals, and it is a strong component of the teachings in positive psychology. Goal setting helps us achieve things, feel a sense of accomplishment, sometimes even a sense of purpose. But how can you really know what you might need or what things will be like in March, July or September when it is only the beginning of January?

This new year I am setting a goal, just one. A goal that will help me stay focused each day to achieve what I want to achieve and respond to situations that arise with clarity and choice.
However I need to be present in each moment of each day to fulfill this goal.

My goal has five elements, and I believe that if I live through these five elements daily, moment by moment, I will bring the best version of me to 2015.

This one goal is to live out the Five Ways to Wellbeing and this is how it looks in practice:

1) Take Notice – in 2015 I will bring my full attention to this very moment as much as I can. I will be conscious of when my mind is wandering and bring it back to the present, because the present is the only time my mind is useful, calm and wise. I will practice taking notice through mindfulness and meditation. Allowing silence to sit easily in my world. Mindfully completing daily chores like cleaning and washing. Mindfully participating in my daily routines of brushing my teeth, showering, dressing, and daily sitting meditation either at home, on the train, at the beach or in waiting rooms.

2) Be Active – in 2015 I will look for ways each day to move my body. I will walk places rather than drive. Catch public transport, walk up stairs, stand for meetings, play with children and dance whenever I can!

3) Connect – in 2015 I will ask others how they are and genuinely listen to their answer. I will chat with the person who works in my local cafe. I will smile more at people I meet or pass in the street. I will make eye contact so people will know they are welcome in my life.

4) Give – in 2015 I will look for ways to donate my time not just make a donation to charity. I will give way in traffic to let someone else get home to their loved ones as well. I will offer to help others by holding doors open or moving aside for others to sit.

5) Learn – in 2015 I will take opportunities to find out about people I know and those I don’t . I will continue to learn more recipes to cook, to travel new ways around my neighborhood. I will listen to new music. I will investigate my beautiful city and visit exhibitions that will teach me about others and our wonderful planet.

By Taking Notice, Being Active, Connecting, Giving and Learning, these five ways will enrich my daily life so that I don’t have to wait for the weekend to be happy or wait for another holiday time to feel rested.

Starting with Taking Notice will prevent the time-warp created by clocks, diaries and calendars. These are all measures of this thing we call ‘time’ and time is often our enemy.

Measuring time can make us think we don’t have enough of it to get things done, or get to somewhere ‘on time’. It makes us rush, stress and panic about what we didn’t do or what we ‘have’ to do. We start to feel that time is running our lives and often that our life is running out!

Taking notice slows life down, and brings you into this space, so that you can choose how to respond rather than being driven by the sense of urgency that time can bring.

I have chosen to let go of the urge to make resolutions for how life could look in three, six or nine months time, and have chosen to live the ‘five ways’ daily, so that no matter what life throws at me, I will be the best version of myself to respond. I know that living through the ‘five ways’ I will be healthier, feel more vibrant and connected. I will notice more and appreciate what I have more.

The psychological nature of a ‘new year’ does indeed have its advantages. We can say goodbye to the ‘bad’ things or events that we have connected to last year and imagine and hope that this new year will bring us new fortune, changed luck, good times. Can a mere date on the calendar actually do all that, or do we need to do things differently? After all, we do have more responsibility for our own happiness than we often realise.

Remember, every moment is a new moment, every day is a new day, and every moment offers a chance for new fortune, whether the date says it is January 1st or September 21st, whether it is 2014 or 2015, it is still a new moment. We just need to be present to notice it.

So this ‘new year’ turn to the only moment you have – this one!

Happiness and how do you get it?

By Therese Sheedy on November 9, 2014 in Mindful Musings, Mindfulness

I am constantly amazed at how much we all seek happiness and yet we actually know very little about what defines happiness. This is probably because happiness differs for each one of us. For me, I have decided that because I live close to the beach I need to make the effort to notice its beauty every day. That may mean I drive home a different way so that I can mindfully watch the waves roll in before I hit the house for the evening, or it may mean noticing the fresh smell of salt in the air when the wind is just right. I love it and it does definitely increase my levels of happiness. So what makes you happy?

One thing scientific research has shown us is that the old adage “money can’t buy happiness” is actually true. Our lifestyles are such that we are much wealthier than our parents and grandparents and yet our levels of happiness have declined by about 30% in the past 50 years. Only in the poorest countries like Bangladesh and India, does a good income align with the measure of emotional wellbeing.

So what do happier people do to be happier? Firstly, they like themselves. Yep that’s right they feel good about themselves. Happier people are those people who live a life according to their ethical beliefs and values, who are less judgmental of others, and work towards a harmonious life with others. Happier people take physical care of themselves. They feel like they have personal control in their lives, which means they see themselves as deciding how they can live each day, a sense of ownership of their moods and attitudes. Happier people see a future of possibilities for themselves, for others and for the planet and they actively work towards those possibilities. They hold connections to others as a priority. While there is a link between extroversion and happiness, you don’t have to be the life of the party to be happy, but not being afraid to seek personal connections to others is a sign of self-confidence and also optimism.

Imagine if you were asked a series of questions about your life that would indicate your level of happiness. Researchers David Meyers and Ed Diener have been pondering how to measure happiness for many years. They ask people how they feel about their lives. How would you rate the following statements?

In most ways my life is close to my ideal

The conditions of my life are excellent

I am satisfied with my life

So far I have gotten the important things I want in life

If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing

Would you strongly disagree, disagree, would you be up the other end, agree, strongly agree, or would you be neither agree nor disagree?

Whatever the answer, you need to be actively involved in creating or continuing to enhance your own happiness. Look at what you currently do to create your own happiness rather than wait for the day to deliver what it has to offer. At the start of your day pick the attitude you might want to explore that day – you can choose to be curious today, or caring, or perhaps grateful. As your day is coming to a close see what you can do to end it the way you want it to end, perhaps some exercise like a walk or yoga, or a meditation practice or listening to some music you connect to. Even in times of stress and distress we can still do things that help us connect with our true selves. While we may only be just finding out what makes us happy, what we do know, is that getting up, mindlessly going through your day, coming home, mindlessly watching a screen and then going to bed, probably won’t shift your scores along the continuum towards creating a happier life for yourself.

It’s your life, you may as well contribute to living it the way that will be the closest to your values and your strengths and then happiness will be closer than ever before.

Experiences or information?

By Therese Sheedy on September 21, 2014 in Mindful Musings

Einstein once said “Whatever happens is experience, if it doesn’t actually happen then it is just information”.

Is your life filled with experiences or information? What do you pay the most attention to – what is happening in front of you or your thoughts trying to explain what just happened or what might happen in the future?

Are you busy looking for your part in what just happened? How are you to blame somehow, or perhaps why did that happen to you?

Mindfulness asks us to be more aware, present, here and now. Something that you can already do, but due to being absorbed in your thoughts you are probably out of touch with.

By paying attention to this moment we can notice when we are fragmenting the world into inner and outer, what we like or want and what we don’t. All of this prevents us from experiencing the clarity and unity of true awareness. The information gets in the way of the experience and so we may interpret the experience differently to what it actually is.

When we are going along on autopilot just living our lives we are at the mercy of others and events as they happen. When things are good, we often tell ourselves we are happy, we can cope, but when life takes a turn for the worse we tell ourselves we are unworthy, or we are to blame, or a story that there is no hope for us. Mindfulness says that is just thinking – or in Einstein’s language – it is just information.

Sure we can find a basis for it. Evidence is everywhere once we start to look, but is that really evidence or just more thinking? Plus who is doing all this thinking anyway? We become our own worst enemy.

Don’t allow Mindfulness to be one more strategy you need to implement when the going gets tough. Then it just becomes a slogan that will ‘fail’ you because you haven’t developed it as a way of life.

Mindfulness is about being wise to this thinking, about being self-compassionate and understanding of ours and others’ suffering.

To be present we need to be more active in our lives and not just let it happen to us.

Challenge yourself to do more: living; exploring; seeing; cherishing; being; experiencing; savouring; sharing; honouring; touching; feeling; hearing; tasting.

Look for the magical; the wonderful; the special; the different; the beauty.

Start at the beginning of each day – notice the sunrise. Instead of rushing into the busyness of the day, welcome the new day, the new beginnings with opportunities. Rise early enough to greet the sun as it creates a new day for you.

Instead of pushing yourself to fit more in or end your working day, notice the end of the day – the sunset. Notice the changes as the day becomes night. A time when you can let go and rest, not collapse into bed or in front of the television. Choose to experience restfulness fully present.

Allow yourself to experience more and think less and notice the freedom it brings.

Moving from Illness to Wellness

By Therese Sheedy on July 27, 2014 in Mindful Musings

In this week’s blog I thought I would look more holistically at wellbeing and see how Mindfulness is a core component of keeping us mentally well.

In 2008 the UK Foresight Challenge Report aimed to enhance the understanding of how to achieve the best possible mental health and wellbeing for people living throughout the United Kingdom. It commissioned the Centre for Wellbeing at the new economics foundation (nef) to develop a set of evidence-based actions to improve personal wellbeing.

According to nef the concept of wellbeing comprises two main elements: feeling good and functioning well.

A positive experience in life is reflected through feelings of happiness, contentment, enjoyment, curiosity and engagement.

Unfortunately, it is estimated that only 14% of people in the UK have a high level of wellbeing – often referred to as “flourishing”. The equivalent number, 14%, have low wellbeing (not including those with a diagnose mental disorder), what some would call “languishing”.

So what influences wellbeing? Evidence is reliably pointing towards what we do and the way we think. The consensus within the fields looking at wellbeing seems to be that a holistic approach to improving one’s wellbeing is important.

nef’s role was to develop a set of actions that enhance wellbeing, however positive psychology research has indicated we quickly adapt to repeated activities. Therefore it seems that variety really is the spice of life as it keeps us fresh and interested, and more likely to continue to achieve success.

Acknowledging that different approaches suit different people, nef developed five actions that can be varied according to age, lifestyle and culture.

Those five areas are now known as the 5 Ways to Wellbeing, encouraging us daily to explore how we connect, be active, take notice, learn and give.

Connect – social relationships are critical to wellbeing. Social participation is the biggest factor between those with and those without mental health.

Happy people have stronger social relationships than less happy people. Life goals associated to a commitment to family, friends, social and political involvement promotes satisfaction with life whereas life goals associated with career success and material gains are seen to be detrimental to life satisfaction.

To Connect you can build connections with those around you; smile; make eye contact; greet others; share; enjoy – basically invest in personal relationships.

Be Active – physical activity is related to a greater sense of wellbeing, lower rates of depression and anxiety across all age groups.

Research is exploring the types of activity which is most beneficial, however it has already identified that physical activity increases perceived self-efficacy, sense of mastery and the perceived ability to cope. Action is central to cognition.

Even small changes in activity levels of people who are sedentary and the elderly has shown to enhance wellbeing.

You can improve your activity simply by stepping outside more; moving; doing whatever energises you to continue to move.

Take Notice – this areas is an emerging field. Increased sensory awareness has been shown to decrease stress and improve overall wellbeing.

Research supports that the practice of Mindfulness predicts positive mental states, self-regulated behaviour and heightened self-knowledge – all contributors to emotional intelligence.

Self Determination theory suggests that an open awareness is particularly valuable for choosing behaviours that are consistent with one’s needs, values and interests.

When we are aware and taking notice we are able to in turn savor moments that reinforce our life priorities.

You can Take Notice by encouraging your own curiosity; noticing beauty and the unusual; notice the changing seasons; savoring the moment; becoming aware of the world around you at any moment of the day.

Keep Learning – learning is an important role in our social and cognitive development.

Life-long learning enhances self-esteem, encourages social interaction and a more active life. It has also been linked to lifting depression in older adults.

Wellbeing is enhanced when goals are self-generated, approach goals and are congruent with personal values. Formal and informal learning are highly desirable .

To Keep Learning you could try something new, rediscover an old interest; sign up for a course; take on a different responsibility at work; fix something around the house; learn to play an instrument; cook something new; set challenges you will enjoy; learn things that will make you more confident.

Give – neuroscience is contributing greatly to how we understand the impact of giving on wellbeing.

Wellbeing is considered to be greatly enhanced when an individual is able to achieve a sense of purpose in society, and contributes to their wider community.

Helping, sharing, giving and team-oriented behaviours are likely to be connected with increases in self-worth and positive feelings.

Offering support to others has been linked with reduced mortality rates.

What the research is saying – individuals who report a greater interest in helping others are more likely to rate themselves as happy.

It seems that to improve our own wellbeing we need to be outwardly focussed not inward. We need to look to improve the life of others and in doing so we improve our own.

To Give you could do something nice for a friend or a stranger; thank someone; smile; volunteer your time; join a community or sporting group; perform Random Acts of Kindness often; look outward and see your happiness linked to the wider community; seek reward through giving rather than receiving.

So now you have 5 Ways to Wellbeing. If you like apps you can download the 5 Ways to Wellbeing app, set goals and keep track of your wellbeing in the five action areas.

Remember that you can only achieve wellbeing through you actions in the present, this will set up how you view and act in the future.

Give the 5 Ways to Wellbeing a go and let me know how you go.

Changing sides

By Therese Sheedy on July 16, 2014 in Mindful Musings

Recently I travelled (hence the delay in this week’s blog – apologies).

Naturally as a student of mindfulness I notice everyday events in detail, this happens when I travel just as it does every other day.

One of the things that I noticed again was how often people appear to be flustered when they travel. Some even panicked that they might be doing something wrong.

Travelling creates a major break in routine which our minds need to deal with. We need to be observant of new conditions such as traffic moving in a different direction, or perhaps a different etiquette, carrying extra things we may need, noticing where services and supports may be, getting to places at scheduled times.

If we neglect to notice these things we can make mistakes and feel quite silly about ourselves when we would normally be quite competent.

We can also leave or forget things such as phone chargers, tickets, books or other belongings in hotel rooms; leave parcels on seats or on transport; or forget to carry cash in places that don’t have teller machines.

Breaking routines as we have noted in a previous blog in January, Changing Things Up a Bit, creates an environment of flexibility. Doing things differently can be challenging when our minds have created habits and expect things to go a certain way.

When things don’t go as automatically as we thought, panic can set in. I have seen people at airports frantically going through their luggage checking for certain belongings. I have seen people checking and double checking that they have got everything with them. Our minds can be quite edgy when we think we might make a mistake and look silly in front of others. We can become distraught if we forget something, which we think at the time is really quite valuable, too valuable to lose. If we do happen to forget it, we soon realise that we can either live without it or it is replaceable to some extent.

For this week’s Mindfulness Challenge you might need a sense of humour, as the challenge is to use your non-dominant hand for as many ordinary tasks as you possibly can each day.

Some things you could consider may be changing how you drink your morning cuppa, brushing your teeth, locking your door, picking things up, unpacking the dishwasher, opening the refrigerator, even scratching your head or folding your arms, handing something to someone, or changing the television channels.

You might try writing with your non dominant hand. Of course if you have an important certificate or document to sign you may want to use your dominant hand, but at other times give it a go.

You will of course notice how clumsy and awkward it will feel. You may not remember but there was a time when using any hand was clumsy and awkward as you started out becoming independent as a child. Your dominant hand has grown a skill that the non-dominant hand hasn’t.

This exercise can teach us many things. To appreciate our dexterity and our ability to use the limbs we have, to the ability we have.

To notice perhaps and develop compassion for others when they are clumsy or unskilled; or perhaps injured or disabled. We can develop compassion and patience and not expect others to always complete things as we would do.

This task will challenge your determination as well as your ability to tolerate imperfection.

You may be surprised at how quickly or how slowly your mind and body adapt, this could be beneficial if you ever become incapacitated or injured for a period.

You may develop a confidence in your non dominant side and realise that you are not too old to learn new skills and you have many abilities lying deep beneath the surface just waiting for the opportunity to be revealed.

Mostly it will encourage you to approach daily tasks with the Beginner’s Mind I have previously blogged about (June 15th, 2014). To approach things without expectation, with an openness to what will happen, with curiosity and patience toward yourself.

With practice you will develop trust in yourself, a freedom knowing that you are capable of so many things that even you didn’t know about.

Stay present, flexible, and accepting with open-hearted spaciousness and watch yourself grow.

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