What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the practice of focusing on what's happening inside and outside of ourselves, moment by moment. It's easy to get caught up in racing throughts about the future which cause stress and worry, but bringing ourselves back to the present and focusing on what is happening right now instead of tomorrow or the next day helps us focus on the present.
The Body Scan 
A great way to slow your mind and bring you back to the here and now:
- Get comfortable and close your eyes
- Be aware of your breathing, focus on each breath in and out
- Take a breath in and focus your attention on the lowest part of your body, the toes
- Make an effort to relax all the muscles in that body part and notice how it feels
- Continuing to take deep breaths, slowly move up to the next body part and repeat
- After you have scanned your whole body, sit for a few moments to bring your attention back
- Slowly open your eyes and come back to the room.
Box Breathing
This really simple breathing technique is great for reducing stress and anxiety in any situation.
- Take a deep breath in, counting six seconds
- Hold that breath for six seconds
- Exhale for another six seconds
- And repeat
Sometimes it's easy to forget to take a moment to really focus on our breathing and this exercise is great for reducing anxiety and stress.
Mindful Seeing
This great exercise can be done in any situation and is perfect for grounding you.
- Find a space where you can see things, for example a window or sitting outside
- Take time to look at everything there is to see, focusing on colours, patterns and movements
- Try to focus on things you would normally glance past, really looking for little details
- Be observant, not critical and aware, but not fixated. Absorb the beauty of the everyday
Remember - mindfulness is a skill that can be practised and improved every day. The more you practise, the better you'll get at slowing down racing thoughts and cravings in stressful situations.