Tara Ryan , Chief Veterinary Nursing Officer at CVS , discusses mindful self-care and how animals could help boost its benefits .

Activities can include journalling , meditation , creative hobbies , walking , meeting up with friends or simply blocking out an afternoon to relax or pamper yourself . For some years , I was aware of the importance of practising self-care , but while doing so I often found my mind wandering back to the daily grind – until I discovered mindful self-care .

What is mindfulness ?

When you ' re mindful you notice what is happening in the present moment , without judgement . Mindfulness can include being aware of your body , mind and surroundings . The mental health charity Mind [ 1 ] lists some of the benefits of mindfulness as increased selfawareness , feeling calmer , being better able to respond to your feelings and being kinder to yourself .

Mindfulness takes time and practice to master , but there are many ways to introduce mindfulness into your life , so you can try various techniques to discover what works best for you .

A couple of examples of techniques are sitting quietly with your eyes closed and focusing on your breathing , or focusing on each part of your body in turn , starting at the top of your head and working down ( or at the soles of your feet and working up ); or walking in nature and focusing on the sights , smells , sounds and sensations – again , taking each one in turn .

What is mindful self-care ?

Mindful self-care introduces mindfulness techniques to self-care activities . By being more aware of your internal needs and external demands , you will be better able to understand the type of self-care you need . In addition , by ensuring you ' re truly present while practising selfcare , you can derive the maximum benefit from it – financially , if you ' ve invested in an activity , and in terms of your ability to better negotiate the world you live in and the demands it places on you .

12 Veterinary Nursing Journal