Manage your Mental Health with expert Mindful Practices

For many of you changes are happening left, right and centre.

This might be an adjustment or transition, a change in routine, or perhaps worries around the future and your loved ones.

Now, more than ever, mindful practices are crucial to managing our mental health.

Any new practice and 'restart' requires a conscious choice. A daily decision to show up and follow through despite the feelings and comfort of yesterday. It is a choice, one that we have to own. When we learn to develop the habit of showing up, the rest is easy.

The practice of radical acceptance is a helpful tool to help you navigate changes. It is an intentional choice to accept reality for what it is.

Keep in mind radical acceptance doesn't mean you approve of what is happening, or that you even like it.

Rather, it is the practice of acknowledging what is in your control, and letting go of what isn't.

This 'simple' practice is effective in reducing stress, anxiety and depression.

Why?

As fighting and resisting our reality or 'struggling with it' only increases and intensifies our emotions.

It causes greater stress, anxiety and depression, which is ultimately, greater suffering.

We can fight our reality by judging a situation as good or bad, fair or unfair, "should or shouldn't".

The problem with these inner judgements is that we place our precious creative energy into stress, anxiety and depression by judging or blaming.

The longer and more we ruminate on what we can't change, the more overwhelming this can become.

Ultimately we may remain stuck on something for years, or find we can't move forward.

The reality is, life has pain, discomfort and hurt.

The sooner we can focus our attention and energy on accepting and allowing what has happened, the sooner we can use our energy and attention to focus on healing, creating/ coping with reality, and, we can begin to move forward.

When we accept what is happening, the intensity of our reaction decreases, and we find we spend less time worrying and thinking about what has happened, and more energy is directed into solving a problem and working with what is available to you.

So how can we practice radical acceptance?

1. Become aware of your feelings and practice kindness towards yourself.

2. Catch yourself when you begin judging as "good/bad", "right/wrong", "fair/unfair" and "should/shouldn't".

3. Remind yourself there is no right or wrong way to feel about your experience.

4. Acknowledging that it's ok to feel the way you're feeling (this is self-validation)

5. You may like to practice one of the statements below to help give yourself permission to accept what is.

- "I can accept what is happening"

- "It's been a difficult few days, I'm allowed to feel upset."

- "I'm allowed to feel scared".

- "I feel scared and overwhelmed, this doesn't mean I'm not coping."

- "It makes sense to feel anxious, there is a lot of uncertainty at the moment."

- It's ok if I don't know how to feel what is happening."

- "I give myself permission to feel and allow those feelings right now. ."

- "Everyone is allowed to feel differently about this situation, doesn't mean I'm wrong."

- "Even though I feel powerless and helpless, it doesn't mean that I am."

- "I can feel scared and hopeful at the same time."

- "I can feel angry with others and recognise that they could be struggling and be upset as well."

- " Despite what others may think, my feelings are valid."

- "Just because awful things are happening to others, doesn't mean I can't feel upset about what's happening to me."

- "Whatever I'm feeling is allowed."

- "I can let myself feel this emotion without getting lost in it."

- "I'm feeling angry/sad/down, and that's okay."