SKILL

Mindfulness
 How Does Mindfulness Help You?

• Mindfulness helps you:

– Stay present and engaged
– Improve focus and the ability to
concentrate on what is important
– Take action during stressful times
– Improves sleep and physical health
 What is Mindfulness?
• Paying attention, in the present, on
purpose
• Accepting the reality of the situation,
understanding what you can control, and
taking purposeful action
• Helps you train your mind to control
where your attention goes, rather than
letting your mind control you
 Three Mindfulness Skills
• Informal Mindfulness: Informal practices
ensuring focus on one thing, staying
present with full attention
• Formal Mindfulness: Most similar to
meditation—regular practice to strengthen
wellbeing
• Mindfulness in the Moment: strategy to
help you during stressful times
 Informal Mindfulness: Stay Present

Dwell on Past Worry about

Future

Stay Present
 Informal Mindfulness
• Throughout your day, be aware of how
often you are focused technology, multiple
tasks, or are distracted from the present.
• Practice informal mindfulness: Take time to
be purposeful and pay attention to:
– One thing
– In the present
– With your full attention
 Find a Formal Mindfulness Practice to
strengthen attention and focus

• Formal practices help you train your

mind, rather than letting your mind
control you
– Breathing/Progressive muscle
relaxation
– Visualization scripts
– Prayer and other spiritual practices
– Yoga/exercise/walking mindfully
 ACTIVITY

Formal Mindfulness Practice:

Turn Off Autopilot
 Turn off autopilot and focus: Mindful
grounding
1. Close your eyes. Take three deep breaths—observe what
your body does and how it feels
2. Focus on things around you:
– What are three things you can hear around you?
– What are three things you can feel in contact with your body?
3. Then, take deep breaths, and anchor your feet to the floor.
4. Take deep breaths as you feel your body anchoring you to
the ground.

If you lose focus, just bring your attention back to the present
 Debrief

How do you feel after the exercise?

What was difficult about the exercise?

 Mindfulness in the Moment
• Use mindfulness in the moment when your
thoughts and emotions:
– Are getting in the way of your performance;
– Keeping you from taking purposeful action
– Or you are avoiding dealing with a difficult
situation
• In both cases, mindfulness can help you
determine what you CAN control and take
purposeful action.
 Mindfulness In the Moment
1. Pause. Count three deep breaths.
1. Observe your thoughts and feelings.
Don’t judge them—just observe and
name them. When you feel more
grounded, move to…
2. Ask: What’s important right now?
3. Take purposeful action
 Debrief

What was helpful about this exercise?

What was difficult?

When could you use Mindfulness in the

Moment:
• In your career?
• In your personal life?
 ACTIVITY

Mindfulness in the Moment

 Activity: Mindfulness in the Moment
• Let’s try it. Think about something that
makes you feel a little stressed or
overwhelmed.
Step 1: Pause. Count three deep breaths.
Step 2: Observe your thoughts and feelings
without judging.
Step 3: Ask yourself: What’s important
right now?
Step 4: What action can I take?
 Debrief

How do you feel after the exercise?

What was difficult about the exercise?

 Review of Mindfulness:
The Goal

• Regular mindfulness practice

strengthens engagement, openness,
and focus
• During times of stress and adversity,
mindfulness allows you to refocus on
aspects where you have control and
take purposeful action.
 Review: Mindfulness
• Mindfulness helps us stay focused and
present and improves overall health and
wellbeing.
• Use mindfulness informally to be focused
on one thing or be present in the moment
• Use a formal mindfulness practice to train
your mind to control where your attention
goes (e.g., mindful walking or breathing)
 Review: Mindfulness
• Mindfulness in the moment
– When you feel overwhelmed with
emotions:
1. Pause
2. Observe your thoughts and feelings
without judging them
3. Recognize what is most important
4. Take action
 ACTIVITY

Turn Off Autopilot

 Turn off autopilot and focus:
Mindful walking
1. Start walking at a steady pace, slightly slower than
your usual walk.
– With each step, notice the lifting and falling of your
feet, the movement in your legs, and how your body
moves
– Notice how it feels when your feet touch the ground
again.
– Continue to have situational awareness around you,
but keep your focus on the physical sensation of
taking each step.
2. Notice when your attention wanders, and re-focus on
your walking.
 Turn off autopilot and focus:
Mindful breathing
1. Focus on your breathing—observe
what your body does and how it feels
2. Notice when your attention wanders
3. Don’t judge any thoughts or be too
hard on yourself if you mind
wanders. Just bring your attention
back to the present