Play Dough
Using play dough be mindful for five minutes whilst playing with the play dough.
Observe how the texture feels, the smell etc.
If your mind wanders bring it back to the moment – focusing on the activity at hand.
Eating Sweets
Bring awareness to seeing your food, smelling your food, tasting your food and swallowing your food.
Be mindful for five minutes whilst eating your sweet.
Breathing Exercise
Bring yourself into the present moment by adopting an erect and dignified posture.
If possible close your eyes.
Direct attention to breathing, to each in breath and to each out breath as they follow one another.
Be aware of your abdomen rising and falling.
The breathing space provides a way to step out of automatic pilot mode and reconnect with the present moment.
Throwing a Ball
Throwing a ball to one another.
Mindfully and non-judgementally for five minutes.
Notice your body whilst you are standing; notice the throwing movements being mindful of the activity at hand.
Balloon
Keeping a balloon in the air whilst walking, non-judgementally and mindfully for five minutes.
Notice your body whilst you walk, take a moment to notice your posture.
Pay attention to the contact of the ground under your feet.
Observe the balloon how it lands, the sound and look of the balloon.
Finger Exercuise
Place your finger at arms length in front of you.
Close one eye and be mindful of your finger.
Observe how it looks and feels, bringing it slowly closer to your eye – study it close.
Observe and describe mindfully.
Then open the closed eye and see a wider picture?
Be mindful of how this relates to problems in your life for two minutes.
Hand Cream
Mindfully self-soothe with hand cream.
Notice the feeling of the hand cream, the smell, and observe how the texture feels for three minutes.
Poem
Listen non-judgementally to a poem.
Bring awareness to listening.
Try to listen mindfully without agreeing, liking or disliking.
Can you notice how your mind and body feel?
Colouring
Focus your attention wholly on colouring.
If your mind wanders off bring it back to the task in hand.
Colouring non-judgementally – just observe, participate and describe for ten minutes.
Step into that place of conscious awareness where you become the impartial observer.
If you catch yourself making assumptions throughout the next 30 minutes – ask yourself what information you need before you can truly form a fair and healthy opinion regarding this issue.
Then act accordingly, rather than reacting based on what appears to be.
Watch and see how the trauma-drama becomes authentically mellow.