Things That Make Me Smile

Photo by Keila Hötzel on Unsplash

I have always been an anxious person. My main coping mechanism is mindfulness. If, like me, you even wake up feeling anxious, it’s good to have a “mindfulness plan” in place so that you don’t begin your day feeding into that anxiety. The elements of your “mindfulness plan” will be unique to you, but I wanted to share some of the things that work for me.

My morning plan includes an “awareness of my senses” practice and a “things that make me smile” practice. An important part of mindfulness is actually not dwelling on the mind, but rather focusing on the senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch.

My dog is my partner in my “using my senses” practice. I feel her soft fur as I pet her, I smell her “doggie” scent, I look into her sweet eyes, I listen to her calm breathing, and I taste . . . okay, I don’t use my sense of taste with my dog! I also become aware of my environment. I feel the comfort of the bed, I hear the birds singing, I smell (and will soon taste)the coffee that my husband is brewing, and I see and take comfort in my familiar surroundings.

I do not watch the news in the morning. It’s important to be aware of what’s happening in the world, but the stories of fires, murder, war, and inflation are not going to put my mind in a healthy place. Rather, I turn to my computer. I have signed up for some emails to be delivered to my inbox daily…