Frosty Days - Mindful Moments
Article written by: Ross Reilly - SAMH Peer Practitioner
Over wintertime, loneliness can be prominent as curtains close out colder, dark nights. Seeing neighbours was a less frequent occurrence, as people traversed quickly into their warm homes away from the harshness of the winter season. Yet there is beauty in the transition from winter to springtime. The sparkle of glinting frost often still stretches as far as one can see. Cold caressing greenspace and tar clad streets alike. Along with the promise of new growth as shrubs and trees grow again.
Spider webs glimmer in the remaining cold, frosty air. Bird life is still easily spotted as trees and shrubs stand without their coat of leaves. Connection with nature is evidenced through such things as seeing one’s breath dance with the frosty air. This time of year offers the constant reminder of the gift of being.
Often, I am caught up in the busyness of doing, that I can forget about simply being. The pressures and expectations of modern living can be evident in so many aspects of one’s life. I always promised myself I wouldn’t be a person that seeks meaning in life only through work, to then feel exhausted on a holiday every year. I aspired to be mindful of my days and to seek out opportunities to be glad about my lot in life.
More so, that I would be mindful each day and aspire to simply… Be. It’s not easy with so many distractions including the availability of online information, media and news these days. This alongside the challenges of keeping a roof over one’s head, food in the cupboards and not to mention keeping the lights on. A mix of so many considerations.
I was introduced to mindfulness a while back and I would welcome sharing that it took time alongside practice, before I began to understand the potential of being in the moment. It is an interesting concept to be truly in the moment. Distractions don’t disappear as such, rather one sits with an awareness and understanding that it is part of the moment.
A great way to get started with mindfulness is to fully focus on a daily task, such as making a cup of tea. For example, be aware of the noise of spoon on cup, the smells and the way the milk mixes in the cup. Mindfulness art books are also a gentle introduction to being in the moment. A cup of tea with artwork, a welcome alternative to one’s cup overflowing with worry.
Sam’s Fife walk-in offers one-to-one mental health peer support across Fife. www.samscafe.org.uk
SAMH offers information on understanding stress:
https://www.samh.org.uk/about-mental-health/mental-health-problems/stress