Dylan Inserra - LPC

Five easy mindfulness practices:

1. Set your intention for the day when you wake up.

2. Exercise - pay attention to how your body feels.

3. Pay attention to your breathing. In for four, out for four. In for four, out for five, in for four, out for six, in for four, out for seven, in for four, out for eight. Repeat.

4. List off five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.

5. Do a body scan. Mentally start at your feet and work your way up, paying attention to how each part feels.

Five benefits of gratitude:

1. Reduces depression:
A review of 70 studies including 26,000 participants found an association between higher levels of gratitude and lower levels of depression.

2. Reduces anxiety:
Regularly practicing gratitude combats negative thinking patterns by keeping thoughts focused on the present.

3. Supports heart health:
A 2021 review of research found that keeping a gratitude journal can cause a significant drop in diastolic blood pressure.

4. Reduces stress:
Taking a moment to be grateful helps initiate the parasympathetic nervous system - the part of your nervous system that helps you rest and digest.

5. Improves sleep:
As practicing gratitude helps reduce anxiety, depression, and stress, this contributes to healthier and better sleep.

Source: UCLA Health