You will often hear me say, “make the u-turn inward” to explore mental activity. Being mindful starts with noticing your interior landscape as well as the environment around you. But how do you do this?
To start, you can S.I.F.T your mind. This tool from Dr. Dan Siegel invites you to make that u-turn inward and notice the following:
S: tune in to your physical sensations. What do you sense in your body and where in the body do you sense it?
I: what images do you see or connect to when you go inward?
F: notice the feelings/emotions in this moment. Remember, feelings are one word not a sentence
T: finally, what thoughts bubble up?
When you S.I.F.T your mind you change the brain. The mere act of noticing and naming has the potential to tame overactive, imbalanced brain regions. This mindfulness practice takes just three to five minutes. Over time, you will find more balance in your system.
Check out this You Tube video from a training I did for mental health professionals on regulating stress. For a deeper dive into this mindfulness practice and more, read Daniel Siegel’s book, Mindsight.