PHOENIX — Regaining control when you feel out of it.
"People's... mindsets and emotions have really been effected by this pandemic," said Terra Schaad with Hunkapi Programs"... And what you need to realize is we are in extraordinary circumstances right now."
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and given the current crisis the coronavirus has created, it is understandable that you may be feeling fear, anxiety, and depression. The Rebound Arizona is dedicated to helping you find resources and ways to cope.
"When you walk into something that is so unknown, the uncertainty of it - it immediately begins to put the body in a state of fear," Schaad described. "Because we don't know what's going to happen."
Schaad's Scottsdale 10-acre property focuses on treatment for a variety of mental health issues and disorders with therapists and equine therapy.
She said mindfulness is something we can all practice right now to help our mental health.
"I think a lot of people have this idea that mindfulness consists of pulling out a yoga mat or pulling out a meditation cushion and it's not," Schaad said. "Mindfulness is simply paying attention on purpose."
"Is everyone at optimal balance now," Schaad asked a group in an Instagram video, which you can view here.
It shows her walking slowly and methodically by placing one foot in front of the other.
"I want you to go... heel... then roll to toe," Schaad said to the group in the video.
This is one way to practice mindfulness where each step you take has a purpose.
"What you want to do is be drawing attention to specific spaces in your body," Schaad explained,"And that will allow it to decrease the amount of time need to get to the present moment."
She explained that focusing in on specific parts of your body can help deescalate those feelings of uncertainty. It is a reminder to your body and your brain that you are safe.
"If you're not in the emergency room right now, you have a moment of safety," Schaad said. "And it's important for the body to feel the deactivation, otherwise it's going to wear us out, right?"
She said, it does not have to take up a lot of time in your day. You can even do it while doing your everyday activities. You just need to be intentional about it.
"It can be a practice that can go five seconds if that's what you have, if you feel like you need longer ... but, what you want to do is be drawing attention to specific spaces in your body and that will allow it to decrease the amount of time need to get to the present moment," Schaad said.
If you are looking for more mindfulness resources, click here.
