Helping you weave your Wellbeing Parachute in May

“Mindfulness has been compared to weaving a parachute. But there’s no point in doing this when we’re falling headlong towards destruction. We have to weave our parachute every day, so that it’s always there to hold us in an emergency.”

— Finding Peace in a Frantic World

As lockdown continues, and the psychological impacts of isolation and staying at home start to be felt by us all, we want to continue to support your personal wellbeing.

Accordingly, I’m pleased to announce that our weekly programme of free guided mindfulness sessions has been extended to continue throughout May – please click here for more information on the dates and times, as well as the link to join the sessions. We’d love you to join our community in practising mindfulness each day, and support us all in waking up out of the fear of the unknown and living more fully the life we have right now. 

As we approach May, we’d like to share some informal mindfulness exercises you can use throughout the month to help you switch from a ‘virtual reality’ of thinking about the future and unknown into the present moment.

Why is this important? Well, a study from Killingsworth and Gilbert (2010) demonstrated that we spend a large part of our waking hours (around 47%) in more of a trance-like state. So, we could say that we are often more mindless than conscious — we often perform a large proportion of our day on ‘automatic pilot’, which often results in a dulling of our experience. We are not always aware of what we are experiencing as we experience it. 

More importantly, what this study evidenced is that when we are in a state of ‘mind wandering’, we are often ruminating about events that have happened in the past, or events that may happen in the future (usually around 50% of that time). It is for this reason that the researchers from this key study observed that “wandering minds are unhappy minds!”

In these moments, when we are lost in our negative thoughts, our ‘buttons’ are more likely to get pushed, and we start to react before we are consciously aware of it — and for some of us this is when we overreact! 

So, below you will find an informal mindfulness exercise to practice during each day during May to help you step out of autopilot — and integrate mindfulness into your everyday life.

Tip: you may wish to bookmark this page for easy reference to it throughout the month.

1 May – Pausing and savouring the moment

Today, choose consciously to P.A.U.S.E at moments either by choosing transition points — e.g. lunch — or when you notice you have been in task mode and getting things done. Practice a Conscious P.A.U.S.E as follows:

Present
Change your posture by sitting or standing upright, to signal you are waking up from autopilot and to embody alertness. Take three conscious breaths as a way of taking some inner time out from the momentum of your day. 

Allow
Allow your experience to be just as it is, without trying to change it or wishing it to be different. Be fully awake and aware of what you are experiencing — ask yourself, what am I experiencing in my mind, emotions and body?

Unplug
Let things be just as they are. Take a step back and observe how you are relating to your experience without any judgement.

Sense
Tune into your senses – sight (you might notice 5 things about the place you are in), hearing, smell, taste and touch. Use your sensory information as a way of bringing you into this present moment. Be aware of the physical sensations of standing or sitting – the weight of the body going into the ground.

Embody
Now consciously choose to take this present moment and grounded awareness into the next moments of your day.

2 May – Remind yourself to pause and move

Today, set a reminder on your phone to buzz once an hour.

When it does, take a conscious breath and wake up to whatever you are doing and experiencing. Then choose to stretch or move – movement is a great way to come back into the present moment and be with ourselves.

3 May – Undertake a mindful activity

Today, think about a task you usually complete mindlessly — e.g. making lunch or a cup of tea — and then pause before you start and then choose to pay attention to your senses as you are doing this. Remember that y paying attention to our sensory information we will wake up out of autopilot into this moment.

After you have completed this task, reflect on what you noticed.

4 May – Mindful Listening

Today, choose consciously to listen to understand when you are in a conversation with a loved one. Think about when you are most likely to be on autopilot when you are with someone today.

Choose to pause, take a breath, let go of any distractions and pay full attention to the other person and yourself; use all of your senses — sight, touch, feelings as well as hearing. What do you notice when you pay attention in this way?

5 May – Mindful awareness

Today at different moments P.A.U.S.E and look around the home you are in (even if you have been there every day for the past 5 weeks) — and notice 5 things about the space you are in. What do you appreciate? What are you seeing, hearing, smelling and feeling right in this moment?

6 May – Adopting a mindset of wonder

Today, choose to look at the the sunset, the sunrise or the night sky: enjoy the colours and the moment of the beginning or the ending of the day. Bring a mindset of  wonder — ‘the eyes of a child’ — and notice what you notice. How does paying attention in this week impact you? What do you notice about your sense of connection?

7 May – Practice the 10-finger gratitude exercise at the end of the day

At the end of the day, bring to mind ten things that you are grateful for, counting them on your fingers. It is important to get to ten things, even when it becomes increasingly harder after three or four!

This exercise helps you to bring into awareness the tiny, previously unnoticed elements of your day and helps you appreciate the small things in life.

“The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little.” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn

8 May – Enjoy nature

Today, if you can, go for a walk in nature or if not, choose to pause and look out of your window. Focus on a natural object that you can see and approach looking at it with a beginner’s mind.

As if you have never seen it before, drink in what you are seeing through your eyes – what do you notice by paying attention in this way?

9 May – Taking a breath

Today, during the day simply P.A.U.S.E and take a breath at different moments, or when you notice that you are reacting to something you have read or heard. Notice the air flowing in and out, notice the quality of the breath and how you experience this physically in the body. 

10 May – Brushing your teeth  

Today, notice where your mind is when you are brushing your teeth. What’s your tune of the week (regular thoughts in your mind)? What happens when you pay attention to the physical sensations, taste, smell of this activity? How do you feel afterwards?

11 May – Queuing mindfully

Today, if find yourself waiting in a queue — something which is more than likely at the moment!) — pause and take a breath consciously; notice how you are and how you are relating to your experience.

(This exercise can also be performed during ‘virtual’ queues online, or on the phone.)

12 May – Showering

When you shower or take a bath today, sense the water on your body, the temperature, the pressure…what do you notice? Let go of your thinking, and pay attention to the sensory experience of showering.

13 May – Preparing food

Preparing any food is a great opportunity for mindfulness. Stop multi-tasking and pay attention to the act of preparing the food for your meal, pay attention to your senses. What do you notice? 

14 May – Repeat the 10-finger gratitude exercise

At the end of the today, repeat the 10-finger gratitude exercise. Bring to mind ten things that you are grateful for, counting them on your fingers. It is important to get to ten things, even when it becomes increasingly harder after three or four!

This exercise helps you to bring into awareness the tiny, previously unnoticed elements of your day and helps you appreciate the small things in life.

“The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn

15 May – Washing up

Today, when you are washing up, remember this is an opportunity to pay attention to seeing, moving and feeling all the sensations associated with washing up (even if washing up means simply unloading the dishwasher). Stop multitasking and pay attention to what you are experiencing. 

16 May – Being outside

Today, if you can, find a comfy spot to take a seat and listen to the sounds around you (even if this is just sitting by an open window). Take some mindful breaths and drink in this experience of listening through all your senses.

17 May – Mindful Walking

Today, choose a 20 metre stretch and pay attention to the sensations of walking, using the bottom of your feet as anchors for attention. Choose to focus on this alone.

Every time you notice your mind wandering, simply let go of the thinking and come back to the physicality of each step. If you are outside, stop from time to time and look up and around before walking on.

18 May – Answering the phone

When the phone rings, stopping before answering, take a conscious breath, then tune in to your thoughts, feelings and body, breathing with these before answering. During the call itself, tune into your feet on the floor and pause before speaking.

19 May – Emailing

As with answering the phone, before responding to your messages, take a breath, tune in to any thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations, breathing with these until your mind is more settled.

20 May – Just one breath

At a few points in the day just P.A.U.S.E and take one breath consciously. Notice where you feel this in your body and notice the quality of the breath. Breathe in and let be.

21 May – Repeat the 10-finger gratitude exercise

At the end of the today, repeat the 10-finger gratitude exercise. Bring to mind ten things that you are grateful for, counting them on your fingers. It is important to get to ten things, even when it becomes increasingly harder after three or four!

This exercise helps you to bring into awareness the tiny, previously unnoticed elements of your day and helps you appreciate the small things in life.

“If we hope to go anywhere or develop ourselves in any way, we can only step from where we are standing. If we don’t really know where we are standing…We may only go in circles…” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn

22 May – Making a drink

Today, as you are waiting for the kettle to boil, tune into your feet being on the floor and your experience. Use your senses and really tune into this moment — what do you notice?

This is an opportunity to P.A.U.S.E, connect to your breath and be here now.

23 May – Opening doors  

As you reach for the handle of a door, tune into your sense of turning this and our bodies, P.A.U.S.E and take a breath before moving over the threshold and transitioning into the next conversation or phase of your day.

24 May – Showing a random act of kindness

One of the most powerful ways to develop greater kindness and compassion is to practise conscious acts of kindness. Today, try to perform at least one ‘Random Act of Kindness’, and to notice how this feels; any effects in body and mind.

25 May – Mindful gratitude

As it is close to the end of the month, think of someone that has helped you and had a positive impact upon your life. Now pause and think why you are a grateful to them and what you would like them to know. Then send them a message of appreciation. This could be a call, letter, email or text.

26 May – Mindful appreciation  

Today, consciously reflect upon a number of things in your life that usually go unappreciated. The things that support our life but usually go unnoticed – for example this could be your home, running water or the planet we live on.

Now pause and consider how they benefit you, your life and your loved ones.

27 May – Mindful Listening  

Pause at a certain point today, close your eyes and move your attention to sounds. Open yourself up to a 360-degree awareness of all the sounds you are experiencing from moment to moment: sounds to the left and right, in front and behind and above and below you. Listen with all your senses.

28 May – Repeat the 10-finger gratitude exercise

At the end of the today, repeat the 10-finger gratitude exercise. Bring to mind ten things that you are grateful for, counting them on your fingers. It is important to get to ten things, even when it becomes increasingly harder after three or four!

This exercise helps you to bring into awareness the tiny, previously unnoticed elements of your day and helps you appreciate the small things in life.

“Give yourself permission to allow this moment to be exactly as it is, and allow yourself to be exactly as you are.” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn

29 May – Mindful awareness of your phone   

Every time you reach for your phone today, P.A.U.S.E and take a conscious breath and notice how you are. What is happening inside of you right now? What is causing you to reach for your phone?

30 May – Mindful Minute

Three times today, P.A.U.S.E and practice mindful breathing for one minute and notice how you are. Any impulses to act?

Then, choose to do something that will support your wellbeing.

31 May – Repeat the 10-finger gratitude exercise

At the end of the day, repeat the 10-finger gratitude exercise. Bring to mind ten things that you are grateful for, counting them on your fingers. It is important to get to ten things, even when it becomes increasingly harder after three or four!

This exercise helps you to bring into awareness the tiny, previously unnoticed elements of your day and helps you appreciate the small things in life.

“Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand-and melting like a snowflake…” — Sir Francis Bacon

You might also like to read our recent blog post on the key principles of mindfulness practice — it’s a useful reminder of the attitudes we hold to help us in meeting our experience with awareness and compassion.

Reference: A Wandering Mind is an Unhappy Mind (2010) by Matthew A. Killingsworth and Daniel T. Gilbert

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