An Introduction to Mindfulness
Have you been told to “stay in the present moment”? That is easier said than done! In this blog we will explore what it means to practice mindfulness and some tools to help you practice mindfulness.
First off, what is mindfulness? There are two core factors of mindfulness.
1. Being non-judgemental.
2. Being in the present moment with your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and bodily sensations.
First off, being non-judgemental is a core component of mindfulness and has been noted as the most difficult. Non-judgement can be described as not attaching words such as “good” or “bad” to your thoughts, feelings, emotions, or experiences. Instead of using “good” or “bad” you can use “pleasant” or “unpleasant”, “helpful” or “unhelpful”, “skillful” or “unskillful”, “dark” or “bright”; this helps you describe what you are experiencing in a more objective, clear way rather than labeling in a less descriptive, judgement based way of “good” or “bad”.
Secondly, engaging with the present moment with your thoughts, feelings, emotions, or bodily sensations. What does this fancy language mean? It means engaging the world through your 5 senses (sight, sounds, touch, smell, and taste) and also noticing the thoughts, feelings, and emotions that pop up.
Furthermore, being in the present and not judging what you are experiencing can be powerful. For example, you make a mistake on the field, court, or during a test, and you notice that your fists and jaws are clenched, you notice you are feeling sweat dripping down your forehead, or you notice your thoughts are starting to tell you that you are a terrible player or student. These examples show that you are observing what is happening via the word noticing and describing what is happening within your mind and to your body. What you are experiencing is not “good” or “bad”, it is simply your experience. Why judge something you are going to experience anyway?
Mindfulness Tools:
Headspace or Calm
These are mindfulness based app that have a myriad of different meditations and mindfulness practices to help you exercise your mindfulness muscle
If you are in college, your university or college might have free access or they have discounts for college students
5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Go through your senses
What are 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste
STOP
Slow down, Take a couple breathes, Observe how you are feeling, is there Pleasantness or unpleasantness (trying to be descriptive)
One Mindfully
Practice focusing on one thing in the present moment; let your mind drift and then bring it back to the one thing you were focused on
This blog was written by Joel Hark and originally posted on Unlimited Resilience’s Webpage, Feb. 2025
Values: Choosing What Matters Most and Doing What Matters Most
Values: a person’s belief that guide how they act
In terms of mental performance or sport psychology, our values are infinitely present; unlike goals that typically have an endpoint. You can set a goal of winning the championship or receiving a certain grade on a test; while you might value “the process” or “gaining knowledge/learning”.
It is important to name our values so you can identify what guides the decisions you make. Values list.
With our values you can start to make decisions that align with you; you can start to “choose what matters”.
For example, you value health and wellness. You might “choose” to go to bed early instead of staying up late on your phone because your recovery and sleep are essential to your health and wellness, a core value of yours.
Another example, you value relationships/social connection and learning. You have a lot of studying to do with a test the next day and a friend asks you to hangout. How do you navigate this? The first step is to stop and check in with yourself and your values; what aligns most with you and your circumstance? If you were “choosing” based on your values, learning might speak louder than social connection due to the fact you have a test tomorrow and you could schedule another time to hangout with your friend.
These are just examples and “choosing what matters” to yo can be a complex and difficult task.
Some initial steps for identifying your values:
Click the hyperlink above
Identify 15 values that you feel matter the most to you
Narrow down your list to 10 values, removing 5 of them
Narrow down your list to 5 values, removing 5 of them and leaving the 5 most prevalent values
In the days and weeks to come, check in and notice how the choices you are making align or might not align with your values. We are not judging, we are just noticing.
Awareness is the first step to change
These are your core values that are heavily present in your life and matter the most to you. Choosing what matters most to you can be difficult.
Values might resonate for some and not for others, nevertheless, like any mental skill it takes time to build and strengthen.
This was written by Joel Hark and originally posted on Unlimited Resilience’s Webpage, Feb, 2025.