How to practice mindfulness to reduce depression & anxiety

Originally defined as a programming term, an anti-pattern is a “common response to a recurring problem that is usually ineffective and risks being highly counterproductive”. [Source]

Before we start discussing mindfulness, first we will cover a couple of common anti-patterns that you’re probably familiar with.

The two anti-patterns I outline below – rumination and busyness – are common coping mechanisms we may use to just “get through the day”.

Unfortunately, instead of helping ease our negative feelings, sometimes our most familiar coping methods may in fact be further shutting us off from the present.

And if we’re not watching out for these maladaptive coping methods, our mental health can take a beating, leaving us feeling anxious, or even depressed.

Anti-pattern #1: Rumination

Do you spend a lot of time in the past?

Do you think about interactions you have had, mistakes you have made, things you have lost? Do you find yourself playing the what-if or if-only game?

Or perhaps you spend a lot of time in the future?

Do you worry about what could go wrong, failures you could experience? Are you stressed about dreams that may not come to pass, decisions you think you have to make?

You’re not alone.

And while we certainly can learn from thinking about the past, and may even thrive when we plan for the future, many of us take ruminating to an unhealthy level.

Ruminating is the act of focusing our attention on the symptoms of our distress, and on its possible causes and consequences. To turn a matter over and over in the mind. To reflect on something over and over again.

If you spend a lot of time worrying, trying to figuring things out, and analyzing your thoughts and behaviours, you’re likely to feel out of control, and even full of guilt and shame.

You may feel completely overwhelmed, which in turn leads to feelings of dread and fear. You may even become emotionally paralyzed and stuck in this state.

As you can probably tell, this style of ruminating can cause or exacerbate various mental health problems.



Anti-pattern #2: Busyness

We live in a society that glorifies busyness. We are often valued by how much we are able to produce.

Many of us work multiple jobs, sometimes to make ends meet, or perhaps to meet our future financial goals. We drive on autopilot, unsure of how we even got to our destination.

Have you ever been in a meeting at work where your coworkers or supervisor are speaking, but you’re completely tuned out, not really hearing them? (Of course you have!)

Social media isn’t helping, either. Our feeds encourage us to compare our lives to others, and to be afraid of missing out. We don’t have time to shut off anymore: we’re connected digitally at all times, awash in stimulation.

On top of it all, we drown ourselves in that stimulation – constantly – seemingly to avoid being present.

And if that’s not enough, it’s also common to layer different forms of stimulation on top of one another.

Do you ever find yourself watching Netflix while scrolling through social media and texting friends, all at the same time? (Guilty as charged, right?)

Take a moment to think of some of the other ways you have been so “lost in your head” that you were unaware of the environment around you.

How often do you find yourself in another place? Is that really how you want to go through life, without ever stopping to smell the roses?

Fortunately, it is possible to break this cycle and get better at “being in the moment.” Mindfulness is a great place to start.

Now let’s take a moment to think about the activities or situations you are completely present for.

Maybe you’re a runner. When you take to the road or the trail you’re able to focus on the experience of your body and the environment around you, instinctively tuning out everything else.

Or maybe you experience presence of mind during certain everyday activities. Maybe you have a favourite savory meal, or find yourself engrossed in a creative work project. You’re “in the zone”, experiencing what’s been referred to as a state of flow.

Fortunately, you don’t have to be a runner or engaged in creative tasks to be present! Mindfulness practice is another way to bring you back to reality.

Practicing mindfulness can bring you to the present moment, where you can connect to other people, to your body, to your thoughts, and to emotions that lead to clarity.

Being aware of your current state helps to put you in touch with your true self, bringing focus to your needs, your joys, and even the meaning or purpose in life.

Sounds good, right? In the next section I will provide some easy mindfulness exercises you can use to get started.

Let’s start with a quick practical task. Set aside a few minutes to go through these steps, deliberately, and without judgement.

Take a moment right now to notice your body...

Notice how it feels…
Notice if there is any tension in your body…
Notice the temperature of the air...
How does it feel on your skin?

Notice the natural rhythm of your breathing without altering it…
Where do you sense your breath the most?
Maybe in your nose or your chest?
Pay attention to that sensation…

Notice how your body interacts with the environment...
Feel how your chair supports your body...
Or how your feet feel grounded on the floor…
Are there any scents you can smell?

Notice any sounds you can hear…
Try to tune in to one sound at a time...
Then, tune it out, and shift focus to another…

Notice any objects of interest in your surroundings…
Let your eyes go from object to object without judgement...
Just notice each object’s form or colour…

Feel free to repeat this exercise a few times, noticing different sensations each time. Be easy on yourself – there's no right or wrong here.

Mindful chores

One of the most powerful aspects of mindfulness is that it’s something that we can incorporate into whatever we do.

Heck, we can even practice mindful dishwashing!

All you have to do is wash the dishes while bringing all of your attention to the task.

Immerse yourself in the activity fully by letting your attention focus on each aspect of the task:

Notice the scent of the soap filling the air…
Notice the steam from the water rising up…
Notice the feeling of warm water on your hands…
Notice the sound of the water running or the dishes clanking...

Mindful eating

We can practice mindfulness while we are eating, too. Instead of scrolling social media or watching TV, try to really focus on your next meal.

You can try mindful eating right now. Choose a simple food or drink to focus your attention on. Consider using a Werther’s caramel candy, or a square of chocolate (who said mindfulness can’t be delicious?).

One of my personal favourites is Earl Gray tea with honey. I enjoy the warmth and the steam, the scent of bergamot, the combination of black tea and honey... yum!

Once you’ve chosen your food or drink, take your time to focus on it.

Notice how it activates each of your senses…
Look at the colours, textures, and presentation…
Smell your food…
Touch your food…
Finally, taste your food…
Let your tongue explore the texture…
Let your taste buds come alive…

What did you notice about the flavours? What about the experience of eating it?

Mindful walking

Just like we did with eating, we can also practice mindfulness while walking.

Again, you’ll accomplish this by activating your senses, and focusing on your sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.

When your focus on your senses, you will bring awareness to your body and surroundings.

As you walk, notice how your body feels with each step you take.

With openness and curiosity, notice any sensations, thoughts, or feelings that arise as you walk. Try to avoid lingering on any one thing in particular.

Pay attention to your legs, feet, and arms…
Notice the feeling of your foot as it touches the ground...
Notice the movement of your body as you flow into your next step…
Use your sense of sight to look around and try to notice every detail…
Use your sense of smell to sniff out aromas or scents…
Use your sense of touch and notice how firm the earth is beneath your feet...

If you get caught up in thought(s) as you walk, that’s okay. It happens! Just try to use your next step as an opportunity to start over.

Don’t judge yourself for it. You’re not doing it wrong. This is all part of the practice.

Just as we were able to move our attention from one part of our body to another, or from one object in the room to another, we can ALSO move our attention from one thought to another.

We can choose to observe a thought – and just as importantly – we can choose to let our awareness shift away to something else, without grabbing hold of it.

The same can be said of emotions and urges. We can allow our feelings to come and go, without allowing them to sidetrack us into rumination or action.

We can notice our feelings, and then refocus our attention to the next one that comes along.

Mindfulness is often referred to as a practice, and that’s an apt description. For most people, being mindful and of the moment really does require practice.

Don’t expect to have an immediate epiphany – that’s not how mindfulness works. Keep an open mind, and try not to give up before you really begin.

Practicing mindfulness: leaves on a stream

Fortunately there are many different exercises that we can use to practice being mindful.

One such exercise that resonates with me is referred to as “leaves on a stream”, and is explained in the video just below.

During this simple exercise you will imagine sitting on a riverbank, watching the water flow by. You notice the thoughts that appear in your mind, and then imagine placing each thought upon a leaf in the stream. Let each thought go, watch it float away, until a new thought appears in your mind. Then repeat.

When you have a few minutes, give it a try!

Guided mindfulness: videos for anxiety & depression

If you’ve made it this far, you can probably tell that mindfulness is a cornerstone of my style of practice.

To wrap up this post, I’ve included two more videos that combine mindfulness and meditation. Specifically, these meditations are designed to help with issues of anxiety and depression.

Guided meditation for anxiety:

Guided meditation for depression: