#mindful moments

[elysiumxflowers]

A gentle soul; a fierce heart

[harmonyhealinghub]

Reduce Anxiety in 10 Seconds: Engage Your Senses for Instant Calm

Shaina Tranquilino

January 16, 2024

We all experience moments of anxiety and stress in our lives. Whether it's due to work pressures, personal challenges, or the constant barrage of information we receive daily, finding quick and effective ways to reduce anxiety is essential for our overall well-being. In this blog post, we will explore a simple yet powerful technique that can help you find instant calm within just 10 seconds - engaging your senses. By focusing on what you see, hear, feel, smell, and taste around you, you can quickly shift your attention away from anxious thoughts and ground yourself in the present moment.

To practice this exercise effectively, find a quiet space where you can sit comfortably or stand if you prefer. Take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth. Now let's begin:

1. Five Things You See: Look around your surroundings deliberately and identify five things that catch your attention visually. It could be anything from objects in the room to nature outside your window. Focus on these visual elements with curiosity and interest, allowing them to distract you momentarily from any anxious thoughts. Example: A painting hanging on the wall, a potted plant on the windowsill, a family photo on your desk, sunlight streaming through the curtains, and a cozy blanket draped over the couch.

2. Four Things You Hear: Shift your focus now to what you can hear around you. Tune into various sounds present in your environment with an open mind. Pay attention to both external noises and internal sounds like your own breathing or heartbeat. Example: Birds chirping outside, distant traffic noise, the hum of electronics running nearby, gentle background music playing softly, and the sound of your own steady breaths.

3. Three Things You Feel: Next, direct your attention towards physical sensations within your body. These could include feelings of warmth or coolness, pressure, tingling, or the texture of objects you are touching. Notice these sensations and let them anchor you in the present moment. Example: The softness of the cushion beneath you, the warmth of sunlight on your skin, and the gentle breeze brushing against your face.

4. Two Things You Smell: Engaging our sense of smell can be a powerful tool to shift our focus and reduce anxiety. Take a deep breath in through your nose and try to identify two distinct smells around you. It could be the scent of flowers, freshly brewed coffee, or even the aroma of scented candles. Example: The subtle fragrance of lavender essential oil and the rich aroma of freshly baked cookies from the kitchen.

5. One Thing You Taste: Finally, bring your attention to your sense of taste by identifying one thing you can taste at that moment. This might require a bit more creativity depending on where you are but try focusing on any residual flavors in your mouth or imagine something delicious like mint or citrus. Example: The lingering sweetness of a piece of chocolate you enjoyed earlier or the refreshing burst of flavor from chewing gum.

By engaging your senses for just 10 seconds using this simple exercise, you can effectively redirect your attention away from anxious thoughts and ground yourself in the present moment. Remember that practice makes perfect! Regularly incorporating this technique into your daily routine will help it become an automatic response whenever anxiety arises.

Remember, reducing anxiety is a journey that requires patience and self-compassion. While this exercise may not eliminate all sources of stress from your life, it can serve as a valuable tool in managing anxiety when used consistently over time. So take a deep breath, engage your senses, and find solace in knowing that calm is always within reach - even if just for 10 seconds at a time.

[alexandrameida]

this would make the sweetest housewarming gift.

[sunnylolli]

THE SCENARIO IF STANLEY DID HAVE THE COURAGE TO ASK FORD FOR HELP THAT TIME BEFORE HE GOES TO GRAVITY FALLS AND FORD IS SOMEHOW CONVINCED TO COME DOWN AND MAKE AMENDS????????????

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Knowledge Revenge.

[jayyluhday]

[drsilasaslan]

Contemplation in Minimalism A reflective moment captured indoors, where a person in black gazes out a multi-paned window, framed by soft natural light and modern architecture. The white and gray palette enhances the contemplative mood.

[when-sanpape-arts]

shuro's terrible, horrible, no good very bad lunch.

restaurant au: 1 / 2

[tessaannedesigns]

💚🧡🤎

[elysiumxflowers]

Life's a b!tch, and then some 😜

[sunnymindinspo]

Transform Your Life with Sadhguru’s Wisdom: Why Being Alive is the Greatest Gift In this profound video, Sadhguru shares powerful wisdom on one crucial aspect of life that many overlook: the sheer gift of being alive right now. Through his inspirational speech, Sadhguru emphasizes the importance of living mindfully and appreciating each moment. 🌟Life Lessons: Learn invaluable lessons on how to stay grounded in the present and find deep gratitude in every breath. 🌱Mindfulness: Explore practical ways to incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine and cultivate a sense of peace and awareness. 🧘‍♂️Gratitude: Understand how embracing gratitude can transform your outlook on life and enhance your overall well-being. 🙏Join Sadhguru as he guides you through a journey of self-discovery and mindful living. This video is a must-watch for anyone looking to infuse their life with inspiration, wisdom, and a renewed appreciation for the present moment.Watch Now and embrace the power of now! 💫

[justicewasserved]

tma is a show which spends the first 100 episodes going "look at these monsters. aren't they fucked up. yeah and they're all so happy being monsters who hurt people monstrously" and then the protagonist who you've spent hours listening to at this point becomes one of those fucked up monsters, forcing you to either dismiss him as evil or you have to fully change how you view all the previous monsters. and then they spend the next 100 episodes dealing with that

[diadraws]

so, theres a cartoon. but, get this: i've drawn the characters as weird animals. i bet youve never seen me do that before

[endusviolence]

Rowling isn't denying holocaust. She just pointed out that burning of transgender health books is a lie as that form of cosmetic surgery didn't exist. But of course you knew that already, didn't you?

I was thinking I'd probably see one of you! You're wrong :) Let's review the history a bit, shall we?

In this case, what we're talking about is the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft, or in English, The Institute of Sexology. This Institute was founded and headed by a gay Jewish sexologist named Magnus Hirschfeld. It was founded in July of 1919 as the first sexology research clinic in the world, and was run as a private, non-profit clinic. Hirschfeld and the researchers who worked there would give out consultations, medical advice, and even treatments for free to their poorer clientele, as well as give thousands of lectures and build a unique library full of books on gender, sexuality, and eroticism. Of course, being a gay man, Hirschfeld focused a lot on the gay community and proving that homosexuality was natural and could not be "cured".

Hirschfeld was unique in his time because he believed that nobody's gender was either one or the other. Rather, he contended that everyone is a mixture of both male and female, with every individual having their own unique mix of traits.

This leads into the Institute's work with transgender patients. Hirschfeld was actually the one to coin the term "transsexual" in 1923, though this word didn't become popular phrasing until 30 years later when Harry Benjamin began expanding his research (I'll just be shortening it to trans for this brief overview.) For the Institute, their revolutionary work with gay men eventually began to attract other members of the LGBTA+, including of course trans people.

Contrary to what Anon says, sex reassignment surgery was first tested in 1912. It'd already being used on humans throughout Europe during the 1920's by the time a doctor at the Institute named Ludwig Levy-Lenz began performing it on patients in 1931. Hirschfeld was at first opposed, but he came around quickly because it lowered the rate of suicide among their trans patients. Not only was reassignment performed at the Institute, but both facial feminization and facial masculization surgery were also done.

The Institute employed some of these patients, gave them therapy to help with other issues, even gave some of the mentioned surgeries for free to this who could not afford it! They spoke out on their behalf to the public, even getting Berlin police to help them create "transvestite passes" to allow people to dress however they wanted without the threat of being arrested. They worked together to fight the law, including trying to strike down Paragraph 175, which made it illegal to be homosexual. The picture below is from their holiday party, Magnus Hirschfeld being the gentleman on the right with the fabulous mustache. Many of the other people in this photo are transgender.

[Image ID: A black and white photo of a group of people. Some are smiling at the camera, others have serious expressions. Either way, they all seem to be happy. On the right side, an older gentleman in glasses- Magnus Hirschfeld- is sitting. He has short hair and a bushy mustache. He is resting one hand on the shoulder of the person in front of him. His other hand is being held by a person to his left. Another person to his right is holding his shoulder.]

There was always push back against the Institute, especially from conservatives who saw all of this as a bad thing. But conservatism can't stop progress without destroying it. They weren't willing to go that far for a good while. It all ended in March of 1933, when a new Chancellor was elected. The Nazis did not like homosexuals for several reasons. Chief among them, we break the boundaries of "normal" society. Shortly after the election, on May 6th, the book burnings began. The Jewish, gay, and obviously liberal Magnus Hirschfeld and his library of boundary-breaking literature was one of the very first targets. Thankfully, Hirschfeld was spared by virtue of being in Paris at the time (he would die in 1935, before the Nazis were able to invade France). His library wasn't so lucky.

This famous picture of the book burnings was taken after the Institute of Sexology had been raided. That's their books. Literature on so much about sexuality, eroticism, and gender, yes including their new work on trans people. This is the trans community's Alexandria. We're incredibly lucky that enough of it survived for Harry Benjamin and everyone who came after him was able to build on the Institute's work.

[Image ID: A black and white photo of the May Nazi book burning of the Institute of Sexology's library. A soldier, back facing the camera, is throwing a stack of books into the fire. In the background of the right side, a crowd is watching.]

As the Holocaust went on, the homosexuals of Germany became a targeted group. This did include transgender people, no matter what you say. To deny this reality is Holocaust denial. JK Rowling and everyone else who tries to pretend like this isn't reality is participating in that evil. You're agreeing with the Nazis.

But of course, you knew that already, didn't you?

Edit: Added image IDs. I apologize to those using screen readers for forgetting them. Please reblog this version instead.

[star6olt]

redraw of the scene

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Must be a Sugondese joke.