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Transition from March Madness to March Mindfulness

Writer's picture: bmosuburbiabmosuburbia

March is known for the nortious term of March Madness. This term is used to describe Spring season of College basketball tournaments. This is the time of the year basketball fans get a chance to make predications of what teams will go to the finals. Madness was coin because millions of people are drawn into the games hoping and wishing their predications are correct, eventually going MAD in the progress. As the season changes we tend to see madness appear in our own lives. We're going from cold winter nights to sunshine and rain.Trying to recover from the winter storm. We see the political strained within our government, our mental health, our children education, and the uncertainty with the COVID-19 virus. This March could be considered Marchness, however I want to challenge you to shift your perspective to Mindfulness. March Mindfulness, I like the sound of that.

Mind·ful·ness

/ˈmīn(d)f(ə)lnəs/ noun: mindfulness

  1. the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.

  2. a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

Being mindful means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens. Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.


Below are 5 mindfulness activities for you to consider trying:

1. Daily Journaling

Journaling has an amazing power to shift mindset and help bring more gratitude and joy into your life. I suggest taking 5 minutes to journal the following each day


2. Put Down Your Phone

Your attentional system is pulled toward the most stimulating thing around you and your phone was designed to be the most stimulating thing around you. Holding onto a phone may temporarily stave off boredom, but it also allows you to tune out sensations and surroundings. Set some time each day to put your phone out of reach (if it’s in reach, you might pick it back up without even realizing it) and just notice what, if anything, happens.


3. Mindful Eating

Be fully present as you eat, without focusing on other people, the conversation, the things you have to do when you finish. Eating is one of the most powerful ways to nurture ourselves. Notice any thoughts or feelings that come to you as you are eating. Are you nurturing by nourishing? By emotional comfort? What are the feelings that come up for you when you eat?


4. Connect With People

When you meet someone, connect with your senses rather than your ideas. Look the person in the eye in a natural way. Listen to what she has to say, rather than thinking about what you’re about to say. Be curious and ask questions rather than imposing your own perceptions so much. What would you be like in that person’s situation? How would you feel, and what would you want?


5. Smile

The muscles in your face link with your feeling of happiness. When you’re happy, you smile you know that of course. But did you know that smiling can make you feel better? Try the process right now, no matter how you feel. Simply hold a subtle, gentle smile as you read these sentences. Continue for a few minutes and note what effect the smiling has.


It’s so easy to fall into habitual ways of thinking, feeling and doing. Mindfulness slows the process down,and brings a sense of meaningfulness to even the most mundane, everyday tasks. It allows us to engage the whole of our senses and experience moments of our day with a full aliveness and presence, without the distractions that might tend to dilute our experiences.

The opportunities for mindfulness are in our hands every day – many times a day. Engaging with the things we do regularly


If you are new to mindfulness, it’s important to be patient and kind with yourself. If your mind is full and a seasoned wanderer, it might push hard at first against any attempt to slow it down or bring it to the present.

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