Mindfulness 101
By now we all know the pandemic has had a less-than-stellar effect on our collective mental health. While it’s great that we’re able to lace up the sneakers and look after our bodies by getting back on the court/field, it’s easy to neglect ~the mind~. If running around a basketball court just isn’t curing the lockdown blues, some simple mindfulness exercise might be just what the doctor ordered.
Breathe
This might seem like the obvious, but tension often creeps up without us even realising. The easiest way to release tension is a big long exhale. It might seem a bit hippy-dippy but there’s a reason it’s a classic. Right now, take a deep breath in - you should feel your belly rising, it can even help to put your hands at the base of your ribs to feel your lungs expanding - and let out a slow controlled breath. Feel the tension release!
To take it a step further, the 4-7-8 technique is great for calming nerves and anxiety. If you haven’t heard of it before, this technique works by gently redirecting your focus to the tension you are unconsciously (or consciously) holding in your body. By breathing in and actively holding your breath, you build a small amount of tension, and through the long exhale that follows you let go of not only the conscious tension but also the subconscious.
So how do you do it? Simply inhale through the nose for 4 counts, hold for 7 counts, and exhale through the mouth for 8 counts. Voila!
This technique is similar to mindfulness meditation in that it forces you to focus on the present and what’s happening in your body. 4-7-8 shows you where you are holding tension, and from there you can work to release it - your neck, your calf, your face... And on that note....
Meditate
Yeah you caught me, this whole article has been an elaborate ruse to trick you all into meditating, but dang it people the science speaks for itself on this one!
Meditation has been shown to have real short and long term benefits. It might feel a little wanky but there’s plenty of apps and YouTube videos made by people of all disciplines and backgrounds who are more than happy to walk you through a 5 or 10 minute session. Just putting aside a few minutes at a time in your regular schedule to meditate has been proven to increase grey matter and “preserve” your mind, improve memory, and even help to fight addiction. Perhaps the most obvious (and most immediate) effect of meditation is a reduction in stress and anxiety and OH BOY has this been a stress-inducing year!
When I first started meditation I found myself getting incredibly frustrated that I couldn’t turn my brain off and meditate properly! Over time, I learned that meditation (no matter the style) isn’t about “emptying” your mind, it’s about noticing when your mind has wandered, acknowledging and being okay with that, and gently bringing your attention back to your breath. There’s no such thing as being “good” or “bad” at meditating - the most important thing is to keep coming back.
I recommend: Smiling Mind, Insight Timer, Yoga with Adriene, Nothing Much Happens podcast, or Sea Life Melbourne’s awesome Marine Mindfulness.
Focus on the now!
You’ve probably heard the old saying “depression comes from dwelling on the past while anxiety comes from worrying about the future” - it’s all about finding that sweet spot. Focusing on the future (or the past!) keeps you disconnected from your body. As the great philosopher Rafiki once said “You can’t change the past” (paraphrasing here - I haven’t seen the Lion King in about 10 years and I refuse to watch the live action version). You can’t do anything about the past, and you can’t do anything about the future. What you can do something about? The now.
Learning to harness your focus will actually help you on the court, I swear! Don’t think about that foul from 5 minutes ago, don’t think about the score, don’t think about how disappointed you’ll be if you miss this shot. Just focus on what your body’s doing and your technique, line up the shot, and wham, bam, thank you ma’am.
If you need a little help focusing, I find this grounding exercise very helpful. Take a moment, and notice:
FIVE things you can see
FOUR things you can touch
THREE things you can hear
TWO things you can smell
ONE thing you can taste
While this might not be something you can do during an actual game, it’s a great way to train your mind to stay in the present when you notice it wandering off.
If anything I’ve suggested above seems a bit too new-agey for you, well surprise! - you’re already on the right track. Playing sport regularly is awesome for teaching you about breath control, staying active and being present (you don’t want to get hit in the face with a rogue basketball do ya?!). Self care is the name of the game and while you may not feel like you have it totally sorted yet, keeping active and practicing some of the above is sure to help you get out of that COVID funk.
We’re almost at the end of this shit-show called 2020, so let’s just collectively agree that 2021 will be our year.
You got this.
