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Article - Presence
This article considers how presence lies at the heart of the caring relationship, ‘listening intensely and indicating that the patient and their story matter.’ The caregiver showing up, ‘ready to witness, ready to respond to suffering’.
Carers are less likely to bring this same essence of a caring presence to themselves resulting in feelings of demoralisation and defeat. An intentional cultivation of self-presence and self-care can help to sustain medical staff during times of crisis, fear, exhaustion and stress.
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Informal Practice - Washing Hands
Practicing mindfulness in an informal manner can be fun and challenging. Any activity can be practiced in a mindful way. It is about bringing extraordinary attention to the ordinary.
As your days are filled with routinely washing your hands, perhaps you would like to try doing this “the mindful way” - simply turning towards the experience of washing your hands as you experience it in the moment. You are welcome to explore and experiment, but most of all, inviting a sense of kindness and care for yourselves as you do so.
INVITING MINDFULNESS
into washing your hands as a SELF-CARE practice
Pausing. Taking a breath.
Noticing that you are breathing in.
Noticing that you are breathing out.
Becoming aware of your intention to wash your hands.
Noticing any thoughts, emotions and sensations in your body that may be present as you stand in front of the basin.
Can you, right now, soften to this action as one of self-care and just for this moment put down any striving: simply orientating your awareness to washing your hands mindfully.
Pausing. Noticing.
Reaching out to touch the soap dispenser. Slowly pushing the nozzle down.
Becoming aware of the colour of the soap, and the texture of the soap, on your hand.
Attuning your sense of smell to the smell of the soap.
Carefully spreading the soap onto both hands moving in between fingers and covering the tops and palms of the hands.
Feeling into the sensation of your hands touching - honouring each other, CARING for each other.
Reaching out to the tap. Feeling the surface of the tap connecting with your hand.
Turning the tap on to allow the water to flow onto your hands.
Tuning into your sense of hearing and listening to the sound of the water falling into the basin.
Feeling the temperature of the water: further exploring your sense of touch.
Reaching out to touch the tap and turning the water off.
Pausing. Noticing.
Taking a breath.
Feeling that you are breathing in.
Feeling that you are breathing out.
Poem - For Courage by John O'Donahue
Formal Practices
Here are short mindfulness practices for you to try: simply bringing your attention to the present moment and seeing if you can meet whatever is here for you with a kind and open heart.
Don’t worry that your mind wanders! This is completely natural – it’s what minds do. Just taking a moment to notice where it has been, and then very gently guiding your attention back to the breath … again and again.
Please read the info here to better understand Movement/Yoga "Snacks"
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