Mindfulness | A Rainy Autumn Day

Sometimes life gets hectic. Sometimes, it all becomes a bit too much. I get it. All too well. I'm not ashamed to admit that I've suffered from anxiety many times. And I still do. When things get overwhelming, I'm just not good at handling it. My brain goes into panic mode, my body shuts down and doesn't cooperate. I grab for the nearest paper bag to control my breathing. It's not pretty. And as much as anxiety has somehow become a glorified topic, it really shouldn't be.

I think everybody has had experience with anxiety, in some way, shape, or form. The extent of it that you experience, however, differs between people. But I've come to learn that there are ways to help calm you down, whether it's just a bit of stress you've been feeling or full on panic attacks. Ways to keep your mind, your body, your being, in check. As a Psychology graduate, I've learned theories on theories of the human mind, many that I probably won't ever touch on again. But there's one thing that I'll take with me forever. And that's Mindfulness.

Mindfulness. A meditative practice, a state of being, in which one fully immerses themself in the current moment. To be fully present in that time and place. To not let anything else distract you. To fully exist in that second, in that moment.

Mindfulness isn't easy. It takes a bit of mental training to fully dissociate yourself from everything going on in your life, and to only take in your immediate surrounding. But once you get the hang of it, it does wonders. Although mindfulness can happen anywhere, I find it most effective on rainy days. I tend to complain about the rain, but sometimes rain is the perfect remedy. In between those busy, chaotic days, it's nice to take a break and enjoy the rain. Take a moment to stand still. Take a deep breath. Forget about what you have next on your schedule. Forget about that deadline. Just listen to the rhythmic pitter-patter of droplets hitting your umbrella, look at the glistening concrete, taste the cold damp air, smell the earthy scent of wet soil (did you know that there's a word for that? That "smell of rain" is called petrichor). Everything about it is just so calming and therapeutic. If you can manage to allocate even just a couple minutes of mindfulness everyday, I promise you will see and feel changes. Or, just do it when you're feeling a little stressed. You'll feel so much more calm and relaxed and feel ready to tackle what it is you need to do with a refreshed mind.

The great thing about rain is that even if you don't like physically being outside, you can just sit by a window, slip into comfy clothes, watch the drops trickle down the glass as it paints a maze of mini rivers. Maybe put on some quiet tunes. Pay attention to each and every note. It's amazing how relaxing this can be.

Hopefully, you'll also come to see the beauty in rain.

Do you have any practices that you swear by when stress is piling up? I'd love to hear.