The Wellness Poet
By Krissy Regan The Wellness Poet
What a start to the year it’s been. So much excitement to be on holidays, see family and friends and travel and then boom… back to crisis mode with uncertainty, frustration and fear.
It’s a good time to think about how mindfulness and presence can support us this year and to set some intentions to practise presence as we go about our day. You may have heard of the Power of Now. It probably doesn’t mean much unless you have read the book, listened to the podcasts and then taken time to cultivate living in the Now. The basic premise is that in this very moment, there is only this moment. You are not thinking about the past and you are not worrying about the future. You acknowledge, accept, and live right in this very moment. As a result, your breathing slows and gets deeper, your muscles relax, your mind becomes more still and you notice your surroundings more acutely. Why is this important?
Our brains are quite naughty really and give us a lot of thoughts, and story lines to follow. We can then spend hours, weeks and years following a story-line in our head or re-living thoughts over and over. We can become addicted to thinking? I was once addicted to thinking.
An over-thinker, is one that thinks and thinks and thinks… all the time!
I also didn’t think there was anything wrong with this thinking all the time. I just thought I was good at thinking and planning. Now I know that my over-thinking held me back, damaged my health and limited my relationships.
With self-awareness, understanding types of thinking, and different mental states, I’ve been able to free myself of over-thinking and become more mindful. Being mindful does not make you a perfect person. I still get irritated, fed up and frustrated from time to time. BUT I recognise these thoughts and the feelings they generate and I then choose to engage them, or drop the story before it runs away with me. Sometimes I need to engage the thoughts to process them and ask, “Why is this bugging me so much!” Chances are a person, or an event, has triggered me, and there’s a lesson to be learned.
As I spend more time in the present and commit myself to not over-thinking, I lead a more peaceful life. I don’t engage in unnecessary drama. I don’t get angry about who is and isn’t doing something… I’m just focused on health, happiness and harmony for myself and my two little girls.
The antidote to anxiety is presence. Just being present right now with what you are doing, who is with you and your immediate environment.
Each time I sense anxiety;
- I dig a bit deeper
- Breathe a bit longer
- Look a little harder
- Go inside myself
- Notice my surroundings with fresh eyes
- Think of something I’m grateful for
- Send a message to someone I care about
- Tell my kids I love them
- And relish this present moment for health, happiness and harmony
Mindfulness is a practise. We don’t just become mindful and stay mindful. We set an intention to live more mindfully, find presence and practise not over-thinking. It’s totally powerful, and now that I’m an expert at NOT thinking, I’m more productive, calmer, I sleep better and I have more time and energy for things I love. You could set an intention to be more mindful this year! It’s a fab present to give yourself as we kick off 2022!
Krissy Regan is The Wellness Poet and Founder of Mindful Mums Queensland. She is author of 4 new books;
- Broken to Unbreakable, 12 Steps to an Unbreakable Mind, Body & Spirit.
- The Koala who Lost his Heart.
- Bobby, a Horse who teaches a young girl how to Love.
- Go Get-em Mumma!
Krissy wrote these books and more than 50 poems, whilst working part-time at home, raising 2 small children and juggling the demands of her household. Krissy offers workshops, retreats and 1-1 coaching and launched her global online wellness school at the start of 2021. You can register right here and have access to 12 months of amazing wellness content for only $99.00 https://krissy-regans-wellness-movement-mindful-mums-3.teachable.com/
You can contact Krissy Regan at mindfulmumsqld@gmail.com or follow Mindful Mums Qld on Facebook and Instagram @mindfulmumsqld and view Krissy’s work here: https://www.thewellnesspoet.com/
