Soulful Healing

Have you ever noticed all the ways we show distaste for Mondays?  From familiar songs like The Bangles’ “Manic Monday” to a reluctant “Ugh, it’s Monday!” as we get ourselves to work, our culture really has a lot of negative things to say about Mondays.  I often struggle with Mondays myself, as they signal a transition from the fun & relaxing weekend back into the land of meetings and multitasking.  Whether you go to an office, sit in traffic, assemble parts in a factory, or work in the home, Mondays can be challenging.  If we in the world of psychology know anything, it’s that our thoughts affect our feelings, which in turn affect our behavior (and all of these things in turn affect one another).  And so today, I begin a series of “Mindful Mondays”, tips to start your week off on a mindful note.  If we can change some of the ways we approach Mondays (and every day!), maybe we can find a little more contentment in this moment.

Try the following throughout your day and week:
1)  During your normal activities today, bring your attention to your breath.
2)  Are you holding your breath?  Or breathing in a shallow manner?
3)  If you answer “yes” to either question in #2, work on making your breathing more intentionally slow and rhythmic.
4)  Continue with whatever you were doing, while maintaining this awareness of your breath.
5)  Repeat as often as you wish!

When you first begin practicing mindful breathing, you may have a tendency to judge the things you notice.  The mind has a powerful litany of judgments and appraisals, but have courage!  Make an effort to simply notice the mind’s evaluations, then bring your attention back to your breathing and the task at hand.