At The Gardens at Springfield, we incorporate mindfulness practices into our activity schedule, which includes spiritual events and activities centered around caring for our bodies and socializing with friends and family.

What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a practice that guides you to the present and rids your mind of distractions. It lets you focus on what's in front of you instead of harboring thoughts about past or future events. Prolonged mindfulness practice can lead to a more controlled response to our environment and reduced overreaction and feelings of being overwhelmed.

How Do You Practice Mindfulness?

You can practice mindfulness by yourself or through guided mindfulness activities until you get the hang of it. Here's a simple routine to follow.

1. Create the Space

Take a moment out of your daily routine. Start off small with 5-minute intervals until you're comfortable with mindfulness practices.

2. Find Your Focus

Focus on a moment, object or practice. Think only of the thing at hand, whether you're doodling a design on a notepad or watching an insect crawl on a leaf.

3. Clear Your Mind

Focus on a single thought. Cut out all the noise in your mind and focus only on what you're doing or observing.

4. Breathe Deeply

Breathe deeply to ensure optimal oxygen levels. Deep, slow breathing also helps you get your heart rate under control and provides a sense of calm during your mindfulness moment.

How Do You Incorporate Mindfulness Practices as You Age?

Mindfulness practices are easily incorporated into your daily routines and can be part of many daily activities.

Incorporate Small Bursts Every Day

Sitting down for an hour-long mindfulness session isn't necessary. You can practice mindfulness in small bursts just to get a feel for it. The more you practice it, the longer you'll be able to go.

Include It in Your Routine

You can include mindfulness during one of your daily activities, such as walking, swimming, needlework or even gardening. Make a point of using that time to focus on mindfulness to make the most out of the activity.

Partner With Others

Sometimes, learning a new skill happens faster when you do it in a group, and this can be true for mindfulness. Meditation groups, yoga and breathwork classes all include mindfulness to enhance your overall well-being and emotional state. Plus, there's the added benefit of not having to think of the next move and instead being led into it, keeping your mind free to focus on the act instead.

Focus on Your Breathing

Breathing is an effective mindfulness tool because it acts as an anchor, especially when you're experiencing a fight-or-flight moment. Through mindful breathing, you can reign in the runaway feelings just by exerting some control. A simple breathwork technique to increase mindfulness and slow down the stress response is box breathing. Box breathing lets you pace your breathing evenly by inhaling for four counts, holding your breath for another four counts and then releasing your breath for four counts.

Another breathing technique is managed stress breathing, which is inhaling for 3 seconds, holding the breath for 2 seconds and then exhaling for 4 seconds. The slightly longer exhale slows the heart rate, and it only takes a few of these to experience a sense of calm. For seniors, breathwork can easily fit into walks, relaxing sessions around the fireplace or a few minutes at night before you go to sleep.

Physical Activity

Incorporating physical activity into your everyday day can help with mindfulness, as it allows the body to focus on the activity instead of dwelling on thoughts that may disrupt the flow of the day. You can also choose a physical activity that incorporates mindfulness into the movements, such as yoga and forest walks.

Mindfulness Workshops

Experienced instructors can assist you with mindfulness practices and exercises you can incorporate into your daily routines. Be sure to explain your unique circumstances, abilities and home environment to ensure you're getting a workable solution that meets your needs.

Be Good to Yourself

When you're new to mindfulness practices, you have to learn a new skill. This can take time and attention to grow. It's normal to experience some resistance in the beginning. Ways to learn this new skill gracefully include:

• Encouraging yourself and telling yourself all the reasons you can do it
• Mentioning all the things you're grateful to experience during your mindfulness sessions
• Setting aside the time to learn the skill and treat it as an important daily activity
• Taking note of the ways your mindfulness practices improve each day

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