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Your mind and body are linked. It’s important to take care of both. Practicing mindfulness is a tool you can use in managing your diabetes. It will also increase your overall mental, physical, and emotional health.
Being present
We’ve all had those moments: we’re here physically, but we’re not here mentally.
Anxiety and worry send us into the future and regret pulls us into the past. Our fast-paced world of information and technology can sometimes overload us. Your mind can be a million miles away from where you actually are in the present moment of time.
Practicing mindfulness and tuning in to where you are right now can help you feel secure in the present moment. Kaiser Permanente offers access to mindfulness apps and guided exercises to help get you started.
Benefits of living in the moment
As you practice mindfulness, you may begin to experience the following benefits in your overall health. Try to notice if there’s a shift in your thoughts or awareness around diabetes as well. Do you have a different attitude toward diabetes? Has your response to managing your diabetes changed?
- You become more aware of your thoughts. When you become the observer of your thoughts, you can watch them unfold. You can take a little space from reacting. With a little awareness, you can manage your stress response before it gets too strong.
- You don’t immediately react to a situation. Instead, with mindfulness, you have a moment to pause. From this place you can then come up with the best solution.
- You can allow yourself to BE. Mindfulness switches on your “being” mode of mind, which is linked with relaxation. Your “doing” mode of mind is linked with action and the stress response.
- You are more aware of and sensitive to the needs of your body. You may notice physical pain or discomfort earlier and take action.
- You can create more peace. Mindfulness reduces activity in the part of your brain that switches on your stress response, so your background level of stress is reduced.
- You are better able to focus. You are more likely to get into “the zone” or “flow,” the state where you feel in command of what you do and perform at your best.
- You can switch your attitude toward the stress. Rather than just seeing the bad parts of feeling stressed, mindfulness gives you the space to think differently about the stress itself.
Frequently asked questions
Is mindfulness the same as meditation?
Practicing mindfulness is actually a form of meditation. Meditation is the practice of exploring consciousness and concentration. Mindfulness is simply the act of focusing on being in the present. You do not have to practice it for an extended length of time. You can be mindful anywhere, anytime.
Mindful eating
Do you ever finish a meal and have no idea how it really tasted because you were distracted or eating too fast? One of the best ways to practice mindfulness is while eating. What’s on your mind when you’re eating? Is it the food or the TV? When you connect with your food, you realize it’s more than just fuel.
Bottom line
Practice mindfulness by staying in the present moment. It can help you become more aware of your thoughts and the needs of your body, making you feel more relaxed and better able to respond to the stressors in your life.