A few weeks back, I took the weekend off from my therapy practice in Los Alamitos and went on a trip to Yosemite National Park. While I was there, I got to thinking about my last post on mindfulness. As I mentioned then, using mindfulness during a vacation or even an afternoon excursion can help you fully soak in the feelings of the present moment. Although I’m a therapist by trade, I am also a human by nature with normal feelings, emotions, and–most critically, normal modern attachment to my digital devices. All that is to say, I find it very difficult sometimes to go somewhere and unplug.

At the beginning of my trip, I found it very difficult to disconnect from the outside world. First of all, I usually make it a habit of staying connected to my work by answering calls and emails in a timely manner; and second of all, I just like my phone, my media, and being able to be in connection with friends and family at all times. At the same time, I also try to practice what I preach, and so I made it my intention during this trip to set aside my phone for most of the day, everyday (except for the occasional picture) and soak in the therapeutic feeling of nature.

The good news for me was that the cell reception was very poor in most of the park, outside of the village and a few select spots. As I went about my weekend, I found myself fully immersing myself in the awe of the nature in which I was immersed. I took in the scents of all the different greenery and wildlife. I stared up for probably hours in total looking at the majestic mountains and cliffs above me; and I occasionally found myself staring deep down into the valley when I was hiking up high. I took in the feelings of the dirt, grass, and branches beneath my feet, and the rocks and trees that I leaned on with my hands. I listened to the calls of different bird species flying above. Through the full immersion of my senses, I felt myself at one with myself, with nature, and with my spirit. 

As I headed back home, I realized that for most of my trip, I barely even thought about plugging back into the world during my stay. On top of that, for once I didn’t find myself counting down the hours until I had to go back to the real world. I let myself fully be in the present moment. It was then that I decided to make a commitment to unplug more frequently.

I admit that I’m in a privileged position to be able to take a trip like this once in a while. However, as I’ve discussed before, you don’t have to go far away to be able to bring yourself into mindfulness. It can be as simple as finding a local park to visit. Whether you live in Los Alamitos, Cerritos, Long Beach, Seal Beach, or somewhere else nearby, there are parks, beaches, and other patches of nature you can find yourself connected to just to spend a few short minutes or hours of peace. The most important thing is to take a little time out of your day or week and give yourself the gift of mindfulness.

Get Help Today

Whether you have depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, or another mental health condition, there is hope for you. If you’re looking for therapy in Orange County, I encourage you to Contact Me today and schedule a free 15-minute consultation.