The gift of “kindfulness”

Ask, “How can I bring kindness to this moment?”

When we’re caught up in a stress cycle—or a news cycle that causes stress—our world starts to constrict. The more we worry, the smaller and smaller everything feels. Possibilities seem fewer. It’s like the walls of our mental world are caving in on us. Whether we’re caught in what Dr. Cousineau calls a “headspin” (recycling the same worry or conversation over and over again) or simply feeling cranky, down or out of sorts, she recommends pausing and asking yourself, How can I bring kindness to this moment?

“It’s a simple shift in thinking, a caring pause,” explains Dr. Cousineau. “It could be that you need to remove yourself from a situation or turn off the news or jump off social media, get out of your own mind and just be, just breathe.”

“It can help to put your hand gently on your heart and take a few deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth,” suggests Dr. Ferretti. “Just three to five breaths is enough to give you the reset you need to get out of your head and step back from the whirl of your thoughts into what’s happening right now. Pay attention to your senses—take it all in.”

Once you’ve grounded yourself in the now through your senses, it’s time to delight them. “Just as you decide to do things that are beneficial to you, like go to the gym, you can purposely prescribe yourself things that bring you joy, like playing with your dog or going to the movies with your friend,” observes Dr. Cousineau. “When we purposely engage in activities that cause a positive emotion, we literally have a heart-opening, an expansion, we see the world in a bigger way.”

Keeping your awareness rooted in the present moment (mindfulness) while being kind to yourself, is the most beautiful daily gift. “It’s like a little shot of self-care,” says Dr. Cousineau. “We all need to give ourselves these little inoculations against negativity.”