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Cultivating Mental Health in a Busy World -Mindfulness Practices
- Serena Mastin
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Mindfulness Practices:
I encourage you to view your journey like the ocean—the waves of emotion rise and fall,
sometimes gentle, sometimes overwhelming. One moment, you may feel a sense of peace; the next, fear may grip you. But this isn’t a sign that you’re failing—quite the opposite. It means you’re showing up, doing the work, and facing what needs to be healed. Growth isn’t about avoiding the tough moments; it’s about learning to move through them with curiosity and compassion.
Growth isn’t about avoiding the tough moments; it’s about learning to move through them with curiosity and compassion.
When I began my own entrepreneurial journey, I didn’t have many healthy tools to lean on. But as I kept going—seeking guidance, asking for help, and learning from others—I discovered practices that helped me navigate even the toughest days. They didn’t erase the challenges; instead, they gave me clarity, strength, and a sense of control in the storm.
Breathwork:
Our breath is incredibly powerful. There’s evidence that breathing can do everything from calming our nervous system to strengthening our immune system to helping us lose weight! Infact, experts like Wim Hoff have created incredible breathing techniques that allow us to withstand freezing temperatures! Even if plunging into arctic waters isn’t on your list, breathwork still has tons of benefits for those on a healing journey.
Breathing can help you center your focus, release tension, and move through moments of intense emotions in a safe and gentle way that can be done anywhere. If yo are interested in breathwork, Dr. Joe Dispenza has a wealth of knowledge and scientific data on how something as simple as our breath can shift our body from a state of panic to a state of peace. Start small and gradually work your way up to longer and more complex breathing patterns. Even the smallest breathing exercises can bring about dramatic change.
Therapy:
Sometimes, all you need is someone to talk to. It’s hard to navigate business and life’s
challenges alone, and talking to a compassionate person can be the first step. For those who have experienced deep trauma, it’s not uncommon to struggle with trusting yourself or believing in your own experiences. That’s where talking to a mentor, friend or professional can make such a difference—someone who will listen, validate your feelings, and help you process your emotions.
The great thing is that accessing quality mental health support has never been easier. Finding the right person to talk to is more accessible than ever—whether through your place of worship,counseling services, or virtual therapy options. If you're looking for someone to connect with, I highly recommend Tellapy; they’ve been a valuable resource for many. You don’t have to go through this alone.
Bodywork:
Bodywork can mean a ton of different things, but at its core, it just means allowing your
thoughts, feelings, and experiences to move out of you by moving your body. Bodywork can look like getting a massage or a chiropractic adjustment. It can look like taking an ice bath or going for a run. It’s not a way to ignore the physiological aspects of trauma-related healing but rather to allow that energy to move through and out of your body.
Personally, I love practicing yoga or taking a walk outside. A good sweat is perfect for releasing trapped energy and emotions, helping them flow through you!
Meditation:
Meditation has long been my favorite way to reframe my perspective and find zen. But
meditation can be tricky to get into. It feels strange at first, and for many of us, our brains are so full of so many thoughts, projects, calendars, schedules, and agendas that it’s hard even to know how to clear your mind.
Which is why I recommend starting with guided meditations. You can download many apps on your phone with different guided meditations for different scenarios and of different lengths. The Calm App is a great resource to get started.
Reading:
A huge part of my personal journey was reading the wisdom of others who had been through similar experiences or professionals who had led others through the darkest moments. If you are looking for an author to start with, I recommend Brene Brown.
Brene Brown has written several books about releasing shame, all of which are a masterpiece.Reading her books feels like sitting on the couch with a wise friend, drinking tea, and listening to her remind you that you are worthy just as you are. Two books to start with would either be The Gifts of Imperfection or Daring Greatly.
Reading her books feels like sitting on the couch with a wise friend, drinking tea, and listening to her remind you that you are worthy just as you are.
Some additional books that have helped me along the way are included below:
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by the author Don Miguel Ruiz
What Happened To You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Bruce
D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey
Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day by Jay Shetty
Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself by Melody Beattie
Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis’s Bradberry.
There are plenty of tools out there to help you on your path toward healing, but I hope at least one of these helps you along the way. For those who are looking for more in-depth resources, check out the list I created below.
Apps:
● Sanity and Self: Hundreds of healing mindfulness sessions to melt tension away plus self-discovery, relationships, sleep, productivity, sex more.
● Calm: Calm is the #1 app for sleep and meditation.
● Bloom CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy): Bloom is the world's first interactive self guided video app to do therapy yourself.
● Blinkist: Powerful ideas—15 minutes at a time
● Cerebral: Mental health support for your whole being. Effective and affordable.
● Rise: RISE makes it easy to improve your sleep and daily energy to reach your potential.
Therapy:
● Medical Provider Resources (Therapist, Apps, Services)
● TMS Therapy (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)
● Hormone Therapy
● EMDR Therapy
● CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
Self-Care:
● Breathing Exercises (the Wim Hof Method® is my personal favorite)
● Daily Exercise
● Weekly Yoga
● Daily Meditation
● Monthly Massage
● Daily Journaling
Community:
● Peer Groups
● Community Groups
● Support Groups and Associations (Women Empowerment, Suicide Prevention, Mental
Health)
● Volunteering with Nonprofits
Meet the Expert:
Author, healing advocate, and fearless agency leader with a wealth of Post-Traumatic Wisdom to share. Dedicated to inspiring growth and resilience by bringing joy, insight, and meaningful change through work.
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