Therapy often includes exercises and activities you can do outside of therapy to continue to meet your goals every week; mindful exercises helps you focus on the present moment, reducing stress and increasing awareness. Mindfulness also helps breaking the cycle of overthinking and worry about the future. It teaches you to observe anxious thoughts and physical sensations without judgment, reducing their intensity and control over you. Regular practice (even 5 minutes per day) can calm the nervous system, improve emotional regulation, and increase your ability to respond to stress with clarity rather than react with fear, overthinking and/or anxiety.
Exercise to try: Take a deep breath in for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4, and pause for 4. Repeat this “box breathing” cycle 3 times, paying full attention to your breath.
You can learn additional mindfulness exercises through several accessible options:
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Apps – Try apps like Headspace, Calm, or Insight Timer for guided mindfulness sessions.
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YouTube – Channels like The Mindful Movement or Tara Brach offer free guided practices.
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Books – Start with titles like “Wherever You Go, There You Are” by Jon Kabat-Zinn or “The Miracle of Mindfulness” by Thich Nhat Hanh.
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Local or Online Classes – Look for mindfulness or meditation workshops through community centers, mental health providers, or websites like Mindful.org.
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Therapists – At frey & associates, we incorporate mindfulness into treatment and can teach you personalized techniques.
frey & associates: Offering virtual mental health therapy and counseling across Illinois. Specializing in anxiety, depression, couples counseling, and relationship and health-focused therapy. Virtual therapy offers convenient, accessible mental health support from the comfort of your own space. Our approach is engaging, active, and solution-focused to help clients build lasting change and emotional well-being. Learn more here; book a free consult today.
Copyright © Melissa A. Frey, LCSW 2025. All rights reserved.