In today's Mindful Monday we're doing a simple exercise, which you may carry out basically, anywhere. Step 1: Choose an object to focus on. It may be a leaf, a stone, a flower or plant, if you're outdoors. Or a desk, cup or glass., if you're indoors. Step 2: Have a really good look at it. Notice it's shape, colour, texture, corners, where one surface meets another, how the light reflects of its surface. If a man-made object, or something that has been processed in some way, consider how it was made and what processes might be involved. Find out more Find out more about mindfulness in our previous post where we kicked off Mindful Mondays. … [Read more...] about Mindful Monday: Intensive Observations
self-help
Mindful Monday: mindful walking
In today's Mindful Monday we're looking at a simple task you can do whilst taking a walk. Step 1 Set off on a short walk; preferably somewhere scenic and quiet, but this isn't essential. Step 2 Now, use your ears and listen to the sounds around you, such as the sound of passing cars, birds chirping in the trees, leaves rustling in the wind, or the sound of people mowing their lawn. Really focus on every noise and consider how loud or quiet it is. Step 3 Use your sense of smell and notice what you can smell. Inhale deeply and see if you can notice the more subtle scents too. You might notice the smell of summer flowers, the scent of a freshly mowed lawn, or food being cooked on a BBQ. Notice all the smells, and register how feint or strong they are, or whether they're pleasant or … [Read more...] about Mindful Monday: mindful walking
April is stress awareness month
Did you know that April is stress awareness month? Stress is a major source of mortality and morbidity in the average Western population. We can transplant hearts and grow vital human tissue in a lab, yet people are still dying of stress-related illnesses. It feels like the world has gone mad. We wanted to share some easy ways of dealing with stress. We'd love to hear about your favourite stress-busters in the comments too! So, without further ado, here we go. 1. Listen to music or watch a movie. These are 2 easy ways to distract yourself, and they're often free too. You Tube is my go-to source of music. Sure there are ads, but I'm ok with that. Spotify is another good source of free music. 2. Eat well and take exercise. This is another good stress-buster and does not need to … [Read more...] about April is stress awareness month
Free stress-relieving and relaxation audio
Hi everyone, we've added a free gift to our store. We've been doing some free relaxation sessions for our local community (more on that later), so we've recorded some of the relaxation exercises for them. We figured, we may as well let you have it too. There's 3 or 4 exercises on there, with a total length of around 45 minutes. Enjoy! https://hypnoticuniverse.org/shop/free-stress-relieving-relaxation-audio-tracks/ More: Contact us if you'd like to give us feedback | find out more about the benefits of relaxation … [Read more...] about Free stress-relieving and relaxation audio
Mindful Monday: slow your thoughts
In today's Mindful Monday we're looking at a simple task you can do to slow your thoughts. This task can make it easier to process your thoughts in the longer term, but avoid processing your thoughts during this actual task. Step 1 Set a 20 minute timer for this task. Start by noticing your thoughts, including the speed of them. At first, you might find it difficult to notice them, but you will be able to with some practice. Don't pass judgement on them...just notice that they're there. Step 2 Notice the speed of your thoughts. You will likely find that they're moving quite fast. Again, don't pass any judgement on them. Step 3 Now, imagine those thoughts as little balls bouncing around, bouncing off the walls and each other. Notice how fast they're moving and how chaotic it … [Read more...] about Mindful Monday: slow your thoughts
***READY TO GO***Mindful Monday: starting the day ‘right’
In today's Mindful Monday we're looking at a simple task you can do at the beginning of your day. This task can help lower stress by redirecting thoughts away from your worries about the day. This task may also be carried out in the bath, or as you wash at your sink. Step 1 Step into your shower, bath, or plunge your hands into the water in your sink. Immediately notice the sensation of the water on your skin. You might notice that it feels very warm at first, but then notice that after a few seconds, the water feels cooler on your skin. Notice the surface underneath your feet, or back of your legs, as they rest in the bath. What else can you notice? Step 2 Some people find it easier to close their eyes at this point, as it can make it easier to focus on your other senses. … [Read more...] about ***READY TO GO***Mindful Monday: starting the day ‘right’
Mindful Mondays at Hypnotic Universe
Today, we're kicking off a new self-help programme, Mindful Mondays. This week we're providing some background and next week, we'll start looking at some exercises. What is it? Mindfulness is about living fully in the moment. Noticing things like your breathing, your stomach gurgling, your feet hitting the ground as you walk. These are all sensation-based things which take is out of the hectic thought patterns that bother us in daily life. It takes practice It seems easy to be mindful, on the surface at least. However, succeeding in this task is much more difficult. Practice is required, but it is a skill in which most of us can achieve a level of success. If you think mindfulness isn't working, I encourage you to completely immerse yourself in it, and persist. A recognised form of … [Read more...] about Mindful Mondays at Hypnotic Universe
4 Mental Wellness Activities To Fit Into Your Daily Routine
Living a fulfilled life involves looking after our mental wellbeing. Although this can look different for everyone, there are some common themes, which we can all follow in this endeavour. 1. Take some time to be in the moment Being in the now also known as mindfulness can help with stress, anxiety and depression. Many people have heard of mindfulness, but fewer actually know enough about it to actually practice it, and fewer yet practice it regularly enough to benefit from it. So, where can you start? The first step is to find some mindfulness activities that work for you. Some will find that focusing on different parts of the body at a time works for them, whilst others will find that focusing on their breath works for them. There really isn’t a right or wrong way, so long as … [Read more...] about 4 Mental Wellness Activities To Fit Into Your Daily Routine
New in store – The Little Book of Happiness (free)
Hi all, this is just to let you know that we've added a new self-help book to the store. It's currently free and contains 100 affirmations for happiness, wellness, health and joy. https://hypnoticuniverse.org/shop/the-little-book-of-happiness/ … [Read more...] about New in store – The Little Book of Happiness (free)
How to improve self-esteem
Today we're looking at 5 key ways in which you can improve your self-esteem. 1. Accept yourself Self-acceptance is: The act of accepting yourself and all your personality traits exactly as they are. You accept them no matter whether they are positive or negative. This includes your physical and mental attributes. - Waters 2021 Waters also explains that beyond self-esteem, self-acceptance leads to many benefits, such as: Control of emotions Forgiveness Improvement in self-confidence Helping you be yourself If only we accepted ourselves the way that we openly accept others. I always find it interesting that we often set such high standards for ourselves, compared to others. Don't do it; you owe it to yourself to be kind to yourself. 2. Value yourself If you have good … [Read more...] about How to improve self-esteem
