{"622126":{"#nid":"622126","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Beginners Guide to Mindfulness ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMindfulness is an essential tool for everyone to practice, however, many may not be familiar with what it means! Mindfulness is the \u0026quot;state of being aware of your mind, body, and feelings in the present moment,\u0026quot; said\u0026nbsp;Dr. Tiffiny Hughes-Troutman, Director of Health Behavior in Health Initiatives.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMindfulness provides many benefits for academic success!\u0026nbsp; Practicing this can lead to greater resilience, better sleep, heightened focus, and increased confidence.\u0026nbsp; Likewise, it is beneficial for health and well-being.\u0026nbsp; If practiced consistently, it can lower levels of stress, depression, or anxiety, lift moods, boost the immune system, and make you happier! We sat down with Dr. Hughes-Troutman and put together a guide for those unfamiliar with the term and how to start practicing it.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow you can start practicing mindfulness:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, it is not uncommon for students to believe they don\u0026rsquo;t have enough time to implement new routines, however, this is one that can really benefit you!\u0026nbsp; Dr. Hughes-Troutman explained, \u0026ldquo;For many, starting a mindfulness practice is challenging due to a perceived lack of time, impatience over a need to feel different immediately, and doubts or perfectionism about \u0026lsquo;practicing it in the right way.\u0026rsquo; It\u0026rsquo;s important to realize that it\u0026rsquo;s natural to initially feel restless when practicing mindfulness and it may be difficult to focus due to wandering thoughts and our a tendency to focus on \u0026lsquo;doing and not thinking.\u0026rsquo;\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESo, what are the steps in practicing this?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Col\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EStart being more aware of your breathing.\u0026nbsp; Take the time to focus on the ins and outs of your breath--like in yoga!\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003ETake a minute in between the activities you are doing to pause and think.\u0026nbsp; An example of this would be taking a few moments in between bites when eating or pausing before picking up the phone (this one is definitely an impulse, but try to control it!).\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EFind a time in your day when you can devote 10-15 minutes to be completely mindful.\u0026nbsp; Try to reduce distractions including TV and phones.\u0026nbsp; For instance, if you have scheduled a 15-minute walk, take the time to decide what your route will be, what time you will be least distracted, and the things you can do to stay focused.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EOnce you have started practicing, make this something you do consistently so that it becomes a part of your routine. If you need extra help with routine, mindfulness apps and podcasts are extremely helpful!\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat resources are available on campus to exercise mindfulness?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EHealth Initiatives- Every Wednesday, May 15\u003Csup\u003Eth\u003C\/sup\u003E-July 26\u003Csup\u003Eth \u003C\/sup\u003Efrom 3:30-4:00, Health Initiatives hosts \u0026ldquo;Mindful Moments: Drop in and Relax\u0026rdquo; in the Student Center Juniper Room.\u0026nbsp; Drop in to relax and de-stress with short guided mindfulness exercises and coloring!\u0026nbsp; Join this relaxation space to learn and practice simple mindfulness techniques and stress management skills that can be easily incorporated into your daily routine.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EHonors Program- Meditation, Mindfulness and Mental Acuity program\u0026rsquo;s GT 1000 course\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EMeditation Club- A community of students interested in learning about and practicing meditation as a way of improving mental well-being. They meet\u0026nbsp;during the summer on Wednesday and Thursdays, DM Smith 015, 6:00 p.m.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003ESKY at Georgia Tech- Promotes a stress-free campus at GT.\u0026nbsp; There are weekly activities including meditation, workshops, and yoga.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMindfulness is a process and it\u0026rsquo;s never too late to start. For more information about mindfulness and events on campus go to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/healthinitiatives.gatech.edu\/well-being\/mental\/mindfulness\u0022\u003Ehealthinitiatives.gatech.edu\/mindfulness\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWe sat down with Dr.Tiffiny\u0026nbsp; Hughes-Troutman, Director of Health Behavior in Health Initiatives, and put together a guide for those unfamiliar with mindfulness and how to get started.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"We sat down with Dr.Tiffiny\u00a0 Hughes-Troutman, Director of Health Behavior in Health Initiatives, and put together a guide for those unfamiliar with mindfulness and how to get started.\u00a0"}],"uid":"27649","created_gmt":"2019-05-31 18:12:13","changed_gmt":"2019-06-03 16:44:33","author":"Christine Kapurch","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-05-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-05-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"612236":{"id":"612236","type":"image","title":"Mindful Moments","body":null,"created":"1538502314","gmt_created":"2018-10-02 17:45:14","changed":"1538502314","gmt_changed":"2018-10-02 17:45:14","alt":"cherry blossoms with tect Mindful Moments","file":{"fid":"233053","name":"mindfulmoments.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mindfulmoments.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mindfulmoments.png","mime":"image\/png","size":735583,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mindfulmoments.png?itok=GMBrTkdR"}}},"media_ids":["612236"],"groups":[{"id":"428961","name":"Health and Well-Being"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"12533","name":"health promotion"},{"id":"118891","name":"mindfulness"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELibby Bocko\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Intern | Health and Wellbeing\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}