The Mindful Kind

223 Pages·2019·1.64 MB·English

by  Rachael Kable

CONTENTS
Introduction
PART ONE Learning and Personal Growth
Chapter 1: Exploring outside your comfort zone
Chapter 2: The whole-hearted approach to mindfulness
Chapter 3: Journaling techniques and inspiring prompts
PART TWO Relationships
Chapter 4: Powerful communication skills
Chapter 5: Dealing with challenge and conflict
Chapter 6: Fostering deeper love and support
PART THREE Self-Care
Chapter 7: Making space for self-care
Chapter 8: Simple self-care practices for everyday life
Chapter 9: Mindful self-care
PART FOUR Health and Wellbeing
Chapter 10: Simple tips for a better sleep
Chapter 11: Mindful eating and conscious choices
Chapter 12: Moving your body
PART FIVE Work, Stress and Assertiveness
Chapter 13: Mindful commuting and a positive start to the working day
Chapter 14: Enhancing productivity and mental clarity
Chapter 15: The assertive employee
Chapter 16: Mindfulness techniques for stress
PART SIX Hobbies, Fun and Creativity
Chapter 17: The pursuit of fun
Chapter 18: Why is creativity important?
Chapter 19: Hobbies and creative ideas
PART SEVEN Mindful Social Media
Chapter 20: Mindful social media
Chapter 21: Creating meaningful connections through social media
One last word
References and further reading
Acknowledgements
Appendix: Breathing techniques and meditations
About the Author
Copyright
Introduction
How often do you experience the present moment with a sense of openness and
curiosity?
When you picked up this book, did you notice the colours on the cover and
the weight of it in your hands? Did you hear the sound of the paper as you
flicked to this page? Can you see the shapes of the letters, the blank areas, the
perfectly rounded full stops?
Welcome to the world of mindfulness.
It’s not a complicated world, nor a difficult one. Mindfulness is experiencing
the present moment, without labels or judgement. It can be as simple as feeling a
breath move in and out of your body or noticing the solid ground underneath
your feet.
Yet how often do you find yourself ‘out’ of the present moment? Thinking
about an upcoming work deadline while you’re lying in bed at night? Writing a
mental shopping list of the groceries you need to buy while you’re doing a
‘relaxing’ yoga class? Eating dinner on a Sunday night and feeling a growing
sense of dread as you imagine yourself going to work the following morning and
opening up your email inbox?
Mindfulness itself may not be complicated or difficult, but it can still be
challenging to practise. Many of us have been conditioned to worry about the
future and ruminate over the past, so we regularly miss the present moment
because our minds are tied up elsewhere. It can actually take a deliberate choice
and effort to engage in mindfulness, but the more we do, the easier it can
become.
As a teenager, I struggled regularly with stress, anxiety and low self-esteem.
I felt unable to stop myself from thinking about things I regretted, or things I was
worried about. I judged myself for being too shy, too short, too pimply, too
boring, too stupid. Deep down, I knew I was making myself miserable and I also
knew I was the only person who could change it.
In a bid to understand myself better, I decided to study psychology at
university. The more I learned, the more passionate I felt about using my
knowledge and skills to create a better life for myself and to work towards
helping others do the same.
In my second year of study, I started volunteering on a helpline, and during
the training I was taught a mindfulness technique. I felt a sudden moment of
clarity; being mindful genuinely helped my erratic mind to slow down. I
experienced a break from my stress and noticed a sense of calm and ease as I
became more present in the moment.
Since that day, I’ve tried to implement mindfulness into my life in various
ways. I started to practise mindful breathing when I couldn’t sleep at night and
used my senses deliberately during everyday activities, like cooking and
showering. I encouraged myself to observe and explore different emotions,
rather than chase happiness and avoid pain. I began to see the meaning in simple
activities, like walking my dog or watering a plant, because they were
opportunities to cultivate mindfulness when I would normally be lost in my
thoughts.
Gradually, being more mindful changed my life in various, little ways that
ultimately created big changes. I noticed benefits in my relationships, physical
health and wellbeing, work and social media use. I had a greater sense of
enjoyment of creative activities and hobbies. I felt more resilient and better
equipped to manage my stress and anxiety. The nonjudgement I practised during
mindfulness started translating into kinder self-talk, more open-mindedness
towards others and less shame around my mistakes and shortcomings.
When I started talking about mindfulness on my podcast, The Mindful Kind,
I received a multitude of messages from people who were noticing similar
changes in themselves. I heard from a man in the US who began experiencing
peaceful moments of reflection after many years of self-loathing and insecurity.
A young woman sent me a comment via Instagram to explain how some slow
mindful moments helped her experience a sense of calm acceptance after her
partner was deployed in the armed services. I’ve heard from people experiencing
grief, loneliness, physical pain and anxiety, who felt supported by their
mindfulness practices.
I wrote this book because I wanted to share simple and meaningful ways for
you to practise mindfulness that can easily be integrated into your everyday life.
You’ll discover mindfulness and meditation techniques to help relieve stress and
anxiety, and practices to build your sense of overall wellbeing.
When I was studying, one of the strategies I learned was called the Wheel of
Life. It was designed to help you discover which areas of your life need your
attention. Basically, you draw a circle and divide it into sections (like a pizza),
and you label each section with an important area of your life. For example, one
section might be labelled ‘self-care’, another section might be ‘work’, another
section might be ‘hobbies and creativity’, and so on. You then rate each section
out of 10, based on how satisfied you are with it. For example, if you enjoy a
number of fulfilling relationships, you might rate that section an 8 out of 10. If
you feel as though you never have time for hobbies or creativity any more, you
might rate that section a 2 out of 10.
I created this book with the hope that mindfulness can help you improve
each important area of your life. I hope that Part Two about relationships will
help you communicate better (and more mindfully!) and deliberately foster more
love and support. I hope that Part Four about health and wellbeing will help you
practise mindfulness to experience better sleep, more meaningful exercise and
mindful eating. I hope that by the end of this book, the rating for each little slice
of your own Wheel of Life will be higher.
I recommend that you read through this book chapter by chapter, as each one
builds on the last. However, if you find yourself experiencing a particularly
stressful or overwhelming time, you can turn to the Appendix to find a collection
of breathing techniques, mindfulness practices and meditations.
There’s just one more thing to remember as you read this book. No
mindfulness journey is exactly the same and I’d love you to try all these
techniques with an open mind. Notice which ones resonate with you, work on
those which challenge you, and allow your mindfulness or meditation practice to
grow and evolve.
I hope you enjoy being part of The Mindful Kind.
With love,
Rach
PART ONE
Learning and Personal Growth