Mindfulness Blog

Mindfulness is a technique often used for centering and stabilisation, it involves taking notice of the present moment and being aware of your mind, body and surroundings. Mindfulness comes from the Buddhist practice of meditation; however you do not have to be spiritual or have any beliefs in order to try it, it is all about promoting well-being and taking time for ourselves.  The main benefits of mindfulness are: stress reduction, improving focus, boosts creativity, deepens connections and strengthens neural connections which improves well-being.

How can mindfulness help you through the loss of a pet?

Mindfulness can be a really useful tool when it comes to navigating grief. It can help you to regulate your emotions, have self-compassion and increased awareness of your well-being, which is really important whilst grieving.

Examples of mindfulness practices you can implement to help with grief:

·       Mindful breathing- focusing on your breath and keeping it steady can calm the mind and body, as well as grounding you when in a moment of emotional distress.

·       Mindful meditation- mediating whilst focussing on every sensation in your body and using all of your senses can give you a real sense of calm and acceptance.

·       Mindful journaling- taking time out during the day to express your emotions through writing can help you process your grief and enable you to recognise your progress.

How to practice mindfulness whilst grieving:

·       Find a safe, quiet space: having a comfortable, calming space where you feel at ease is ideal when practicing mindfulness.

·       Take small steps: begin with short mindfulness practices and increase the duration as you get used to it and find what works best for you.

·       Be kind to yourself: during your grieving journey, you will have good days and bad days, which is completely normal and it is ok to have those bad days.

·       Be patient: on your bad days, you may not feel that you ate in the right headspace to practice mindfulness, this is completely fine, do not force yourself into something you are not up to.

Some people feel as though mindfulness is beneficial to them, but some do not feel this way, and that’s ok. Everyone is different and what works for one person may not work for another, this is nothing to blame yourself for, there are many other well-being activities which you can try to see what it is that suits you. Looking after your mental health can feel really difficult, it can take some time and it is not a linear process. But with the right treatments, self-care and support, things can get easier. So, give yourself time to try new things and find what works for you, implement it as part of your routine and put your well-being first, make it a priority in your day-to-day life.