Feeling frustrated? These Mindfulness Techniques Will Help You Get Back on Track
We can all feel frustrated and rundown from time to time. Life is hectic, chaotic, and often unpredictable, especially during a global pandemic.
If you feel this way sometimes, we can assure you this: You are not alone! It is completely common to find life overwhelming, and often this frustration can lead to other negative feelings like anger, anxiety, and even depression. So, it’s important to try and stop those negative emotions in their tracks – and manage your anxiety – before they turn into something more challenging to handle. This is when mindfulness strategies can help.
Still feeling frustrated? These mindfulness techniques will help you get back on track.
Breathing Techniques
One of the first things that you might want to consider is breathing techniques.
It is important to take a step back and just breathe. You can do this in different ways. For starters, you can focus on deep breaths, counting as you breathe in and then counting the same as you breathe out. Deep breaths can help to center your thought process, calm your heart rate, and also slow down your rapid racing mind as you begin to take stock of the situation. This is one of the easiest breathing techniques to try when you are feeling frustrated. For more breathing practices to try, check out this guide on the best calming breathing techniques for kids.
Notice Your Surroundings and Ground Yourself
Another strategy and technique to try is to notice your surroundings. This will give you the chance to ground yourself.
A simple way to do this is to notice five things you can see, four things you hear, three things you can touch, two things that smell, and one thing that you can taste. You can change these around depending on what your surroundings are, but this exercise allows you to remove yourself mentally from a situation and create a new way of thinking. It grounds you and helps you to calm your mind.
Try a Body Scan
To this, you’ll need to find a quiet place to lay down, or at least sit without distractions. A body scan is essentially a way of centering your thoughts and focusing on you. You will slowly work your way from your toes to your head, acknowledging the different body parts, and how they feel. This mindfulness strategy will also encourage deep relaxation.
Learn to Meditate
Meditation is one of the most common mindfulness techniques. This is where you take time to clear your mind and focus on your breathing and relaxation.
There are many different meditation techniques. But if, after trying a few types of meditation, you still struggle to calm your mind, you can try some of the guided options available online on apps like Headspace and Calm. You can even find guided meditations that focus on particular things, such as anxiety, frustration, anger, and specific situations that you want to overcome. YouTube is another excellent resource for meditation and breathing exercises.
Practice Yoga
Yoga is one of our favorite mindfulness techniques as essentially it’s a moving meditation. Plus, you don’t need to be flexible or have any fitness skills to practice yoga. Anyone can do yoga! So, grab a mat and your family or friends. You can even do yoga with kids! And guess what? If you LOVE practicing yoga and children, you may even want to consider teaching yoga for kids as a career!
Try Journaling
A great way to help you understand your feelings and also be more aware of how you can overcome them is through journaling. Even kids can start journaling!
One of the major benefits to journaling is that you get to communicate your thoughts by putting pen to paper. There is something powerful about the act of writing, and it can help you to be more in tune with how you feel. If you struggle to start, there are plenty of journaling prompts and exercises that you can try.
You can even start by focusing on gratitude and the things you appreciate in life as this can help change your mindset.
Use Effective Communication
Open communication is always a great way to make sense of a situation and include others in your struggles. You might want to talk to someone who knows you or try counseling to help you see things from a different perspective. Talking to a professional therapist may also give you coping strategies and help you change your mindset.
Go for a Walk in Nature
Finally, walking is a great way to get outside and get exercise. The fresh air and nature can also be healing, and give you the chance to embrace alone time while you process your thoughts.
Exercise is also a proven form of self-care, and walking is a perfect chance to get in your steps. Plus, a brisk thirty-minute walk can be all it takes to realign your mindset.
Are You Ready to Try Mindful Techniques to Get Back on Track?
Hopefully, these mindful techniques will help you feel better and more refreshed. Are you ready to give some of these mindfulness strategies a try? You’ve got this! ?
