mindful

By Christy Maeder

Everyday life can be stressful at times.  And when you add in additional stressors, such as polarization in your community and the holidays, everything can start to feel overwhelming.  Try some of these ideas to help you acknowledge and honor your feelings while also being able to cope in difficult times.

Acknowledge Your Emotions: It’s okay to feel sadness, anger, disappointment, or even fear. Giving yourself permission to feel these emotions, without judgment, is the first step in processing them.

Focus on Self-Care: Engaging in activities that make you feel grounded can be helpful. This could mean taking breaks from the news, limiting social media, or spending time outdoors.

Find Community: Sharing your feelings with trusted friends or family members can be very healing. Knowing others feel similarly can ease feelings of isolation and bring you support.

Stay Engaged: If part of your grief is a sense of powerlessness, channeling your energy into constructive action can help. Consider volunteering, joining organizations, or supporting causes that align with your values.

Practice Mindfulness or Meditative Practices: Breathing exercises, meditation, or yoga can calm the nervous system and help you process emotions without becoming overwhelmed by them.

Allow Time: Just like any grief process, healing takes time. Remind yourself that your feelings are valid and that it’s okay to take the time you need to process them.

There are countless ways to make a small, sustainable, and positive impact in your community and these ideas are specifically for the Eugene community. One way to make a difference is by volunteering with local organizations that support vulnerable populations. 

For example, you could assist at Food for Lane County or Burrito Brigade which provides meals to those in need, or volunteer with shelters like St. Vincent de Paul to support unhoused individuals. Engaging with these organizations not only meets immediate needs but also fosters a sense of connection and compassion in the community.

Environmental stewardship is another area where you can create lasting change in Eugene, a city known for its commitment to sustainability. Participating in neighborhood clean-ups, planting trees with Friends of Trees, or joining advocacy efforts for climate action are all meaningful ways to protect the region’s natural beauty. Eugene’s proximity to outdoor recreation areas also means that preserving trails and waterways through organizations like the McKenzie River Trust can significantly impact local ecosystems and residents’ quality of life.

Lastly, fostering a sense of community through civic engagement and education is a powerful way to contribute. Attending city council meetings, advocating for policies that reflect community values, or starting grassroots initiatives can help shape Eugene’s future. You might also mentor youth through programs like the Boys & Girls Club, Ophelia’s Place and Transponder. 

These efforts strengthen the social fabric and empower others to join in making Eugene a more inclusive and vibrant place to live.

We’re constantly overwhelmed by thoughts, judgments, and distractions. This mental clutter often pulls us away from the present moment. But according to mindfulness expert Andrew Olendzki, embracing simplicity through mindfulness can help us reconnect with a peaceful, clear state of awareness.

Why Our Minds Overcomplicate

The human mind has a natural tendency to overcomplicate even simple experiences. In Buddhist teachings, this is called papanca—when we layer thoughts, judgments, and stories over basic feelings or sensations. For example, a simple feeling of discomfort can spiral into an anxious narrative, adding more mental stress.

The Power of Subtraction: Mindfulness Simplifies the Mind

Meditation and mindfulness practice help us strip away unnecessary thoughts, bringing us back to the present moment. By focusing on simple things like our breath, we create space between thoughts and allow ourselves to experience life directly, without overthinking or analyzing.

Mindfulness Through the Six Senses

One way to break free from mental clutter is through the six senses: sight, sound, taste, touch, smell, and thought. Most of the time, we’re focused on thinking, but mindfulness helps us engage with our senses in a more meaningful way, whether by noticing the texture of something we’re holding or the sound of birds singing.

A Radical Simplicity

By practicing mindfulness, we find that the simplicity of just being aware is incredibly powerful. It’s not about achieving some mystical state—it’s about returning to a state of clear, undistracted awareness that’s always available to us.

How to Get Started

You don’t need complicated rituals to practice mindfulness. Start by noticing moments of stillness throughout your day, like the space between thoughts or the sensation of your breath. This simple awareness brings peace and clarity, helping you reconnect with the present moment.

Start today – embrace the gift of simplicity and enjoy a more transparent, more mindful life.

Burnout feels all too common. But what if there was a simple, meaningful way to get some relief? That’s where mindfulness comes in—a powerful tool to help manage stress and prevent burnout.

What is Mindfulness?

At its heart, mindfulness is about being present. It’s the practice of paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings without judgment. Rooted in ancient meditation, mindfulness has found its way into modern life, helping us cope with stress and improve our well-being.

Why Mindfulness Matters

When you practice mindfulness, you’re fully engaged in what you’re doing, whether it’s a routine task or a complex project. This level of focus can create a sense of calm, making it easier to manage stress and avoid feeling overwhelmed. Staying present helps you stay grounded, making your workload more manageable and protecting your mental health.

Bringing Mindfulness to Life: A Simple Example

Think about eating a meal mindfully. You notice the colors, textures, and flavors of the food, savoring each bite while tuning in to how your body feels. This way, you’re not just enjoying your meal more—you’re also more aware of when you feel full.

Now imagine the opposite: eating distracted, maybe scrolling through your phone or watching TV. You miss out on the sensory experience, might eat too quickly, and could overlook signs that you’re full. It’s a disconnected experience that often leads to overeating and less satisfaction.

How Mindfulness Helps with Burnout

Picture this: you’re working on a deadline and feeling the pressure. If you take a moment to breathe deeply and acknowledge the stress without judgment, you can refocus on one task at a time. Adding in short breaks, some stretches, or fresh air can make all the difference, keeping your mind and body in check.

Now, compare that to powering through without breaks, ignoring the stress, and trying to juggle multiple tasks at once. It’s easy to feel depleted and even more stressed, inching closer to burnout.

The Bigger Picture

Mindfulness isn’t just a technique; it’s a mindset that can shift how you approach both work and life. By weaving mindfulness into your everyday routine, you build resilience, finding more balance and calm even in challenging moments.

Do you feel like you’re constantly worrying, and it’s taking a toll on your life? 

The good news is that you’re not alone. Worrying is a natural part of life, and it’s completely normal. 

But with that said, there are techniques that can help you better manage it. 

Living a worry-free life can bring numerous advantages, from mental clarity to a healthier lifestyle. In this blog post, we’ll explore how you can do that! 

1. Take a Step Back and Assess the Situation

When you start to worry, it can be easy to get caught up in the details and lose sight of the bigger picture. Take a few moments to pause and assess the situation objectively. 

Ask yourself: Is this event as bad as it seems? Is there anything I can do to address the problem? Is worrying helping or just making things worse?

Challenging these assumptions that you have about worrying can help to keep your worries in check.

2. Practice Mindfulness and Quiet the Mind

When we are worried, thinking clearly and making decisions can be difficult. So, taking a few moments each day to focus on your breathing and being mindful of the present moment can effectively reduce anxiety and worry. 

You can learn to become more aware of your thoughts and feelings when you practice relaxation techniques. This can help you to recognize when you start to worry too much and take steps to manage your anxiety more effectively.

 3. Accept the Possibility of the Worst Outcome 

Instead of trying to combat or ignore your worries, acknowledge them. 

Remind yourself that the thing you fear might happen.

But you have the strength and courage to handle it if it does.  

Accepting the possibility of what you fear doesn’t mean that it will happen. It does mean that you’re preparing yourself for whatever happens. 

You’ve got this!