Strategies and Benefits of Practicing Mindfulness
Abby A.

Do you ever just feel anxious, overwhelmed, or worried? Did you know that there are actually strategies that help you feel less overwhelmed, anxious, and worried? By practicing mindfulness, you can feel more relaxed, calm, and ready for anything. What is mindfulness, you may say? Mindfulness is when you practice focusing on the present you, being aware of the areas around you, and observing your thoughts, memories, body sensations, without any judgement (Mindful.org). Two mindfulness practices that can benefit a person’s mental health are Body Scanning, and Drawing.

First, a mindfulness practice that can benefit one’s mental health is body scanning. According to the Very Well Mind, it says, “Body scanning can benefit one’s mental health by helping you notice tense areas around your body. Body scanning is a way to release the physical tension in your body.” Very Well Mind also states that “Regular meditation can equal lower blood pressure, less pain, better sleep, less anxiety and stress, better emotional regulation, and increased self awareness,” (Elizabeth Scott). This article explains how body scanning has many tons of great benefits that can improve one’s mental health. Sometimes, I just feel so overwhelmed and drained. I love how the body scan method gives me time to breathe and calm down, while finding out where and what is bothering me. This method really helps, even if your not feeling any negative emotions.

The second mindfulness practice that can benefit a person’s mental health is drawing. According to nga.gov, drawing can help people feel calmer and more relaxed. Chris Rusinko states, “As a museum educator, I’ve seen how drawing can help people slow down and relax, embrace playful creativity, and at times even discover emotional catharsis.” This quote explains how drawing can be very peaceful, and relaxing. Mindful drawing is a way of focusing on the present moment through drawing. According to the article Draw Yourself Calm: What is Mindful Drawing, “It’s really about slowing down and approaching art in a very process-oriented way so that it’s inviting and grounding,” (Nicholls, 2022). This article explains that mindful drawing is just about slowing down, relaxing, while drawing. Drawing can be really stressful but approaching the drawing slowly can feel more subtle and grounded.
SOURCES USED:
https://www.mindful.org/what-is-mindfulness/
https://www.nga.gov/stories/articles/mindful-drawing-activities-embrace-experimentation
https://happiful.com/draw-yourself-calm-what-is-mindful-drawing

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