Practising mindfulness does not need to be a complicated or intense process, it could be something as simple as noticing the smells in the air, the sounds around you or even the sensation of sitting where you are.
It could also be a focus on you and how you are feeling, notice things about yourself such as how you are feeling, what you are thinking.
Click here to find out more about the links between autism and mindfulness.
When practicing mindfulness, you accept what and how you are feeling and thinking in that moment without judging yourself, your behaviour, your thoughts, or emotions.
A simple five-minute mindfulness session added to your daily or weekly routine can have a number of positive effects on your mental and physical wellbeing.
Some of these can include:
Emotional health
The practice of mindfulness helps you to become more aware of our feelings and thoughts. This can help you to identify your feelings and their triggers which can help you to learn to manage your emotions better.
Managing emotions and reactions
Being more self-aware can help you to identify what causes you to feel a certain way. Understanding this, can help you to be better prepared to manage your reactions and, if needed, create strategies to help you cope better.
Calmness
Mindfulness can help to calm your mind and reduce feelings of panic and anxiety. This can be particularly helpful if you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed.
The ‘happy hormone’
Being aware of how you are feeling, and accepting these feelings, helps to promote a sense of calmness. This signals the brain to release Dopamine, a chemical that makes you feel happy.
Improved sleep
Feeling calm and relaxed allows the body and mind to go into a deeper sleep faster, giving you a more peaceful and restorative sleep.
Take some time to focus on yourself and try a quick mindfulness session.
Click here to try a quick mindfulness session from Headspace.
If you are having thoughts about harming yourself or suicide, it is important to speak to someone, and if you cant speak to your family or friends contact one of the services in the link below to get some help.
For a directory of support services for emergency, urgent and non-urgent emotional health support – including resources related to self harm – please click the following link:
Autism Space emotional health resources directory
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If you or someone else is at immediate risk of serious harm or danger, for any reason, including their mental health, you must contact the emergency services
You can either phone 999 or get the person at risk to an accident and emergency (A&E) department at a hospital
- Not all hospitals have A&E, so check first if you are not sure
- If you can’t do this by yourself, ask someone to help you
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If it’s not an immediate emergency but you have urgent mental health concerns, you can call NHS 111 and press option 2
- You will be put through to a qualified call handler, who will be able to give you the advice and support you need.
- This service is totally free and confidential and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- It is for all ages – so you can call this number if you are a parent or carer and need urgent mental health advice and support for a child or young person.
- Alternatively, you can visit https://111.nhs.uk/and follow the on screen instructions. This service is also staffed by the same qualified call handlers. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is free and confidential
Please note however that the NHS 111 service does not deal with emergencies.
Where there is an immediate, serious and life-threatening emergency, you must call 999 or attend A and E
