Overwhelming feelings of anxiety and sadness can be very common during times like these. As a human population, our entire lives have been shifted in the last couple of months due to this pandemic. 

Whether it’s something as simple as dealing with not being able to go out, or something more serious, it is easy to feel overwhelmed right now. There is a lot of information and changes to process and deal with. 

However, while it might feel like there is nothing you can do, there is one thing to maybe start incorporating into your daily schedule that can help you feel like you can control something: practicing mindfulness. 

Mindfulness at its most basic definition is learning how to just exist in the moment. It’s learning how to just be in the present instead of worrying about the past or the future too much. This may seem like a simple practice, but it can be really grounding and effective for some people. 

In fact, research points to many ways that practicing mindfulness can impact the mind and body. In addition to lowering stress levels, practicing mindfulness can help depression, improve your attention span, and even may help in easing chronic pain. 

With all of this being said about mindfulness you may be wondering how to accomplish such thing. Below are a few steps listed to help incorporate it into your life. 

1. Find a space where you know you can be alone and no one will disturb you. 
2. Set a time limit for the amount of time you want to take. 
3. Notice different feelings in your body. 
4. Control your breath 
5. Let your mind wander. Do not try to control your thoughts. Just take in the moment.

With all of this being said, get some you time in and do something good for yourself. You deserve it.