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Mindfulness Practices for Stress Reduction and Mental Health
- Silvia Pineda Ríos
- Aug 6
- 7 min read
Updated: Aug 11
Grounding Techniques to Reconnect With Yourself
Discover how intentional presence and sensory awareness can help you calm your nervous system, even when life feels overwhelming.
The overwhelming noise we learn to ignore
In a world where speed is rewarded and hyper-productivity is worshiped, it is hard to keep up. The accumulation of demands, expectations, and unspoken emotional weight started to pile up on me, day after day.
Like many of us, I was on a treadmill without even realizing it, caught in an endless cycle of feeling mentally drained, emotionally numb, and physically exhausted. Even the smallest event triggered deep anxiety, like an internal storm that never quite passed.
I didn’t notice how loud my thoughts were, and how tense my body had become. There was not enough amount of sleep, refined to-do lists, or “self-care Sundays” that could fix that. I was slowly disconnecting from myself.
At the time, I thought I just needed a break.
But what I didn’t realize was that stress became my default setting. I had normalized it.
The invisible toll of constant stress
Chronic stress isn’t just uncomfortable, but also a genius at rewiring our brains.
The way we regulate our emotions, our sleep, and even how we digest our food is affected by.
When we live in a "fight-or-flight mode", that means in this physiological response and survival mechanism, to either confront the threat or escape from it, for way too long, everything around us becomes harder to access and process: our mental clarity, energy, and even our joy.
We stop noticing how we feel. We become emotionally deadened. This disconnection between our mind and body often starts subtly, more like a soft breeze that doesn’t refresh us but chokes us. We live from the neck up, solving problems, sending emails, and checking boxes… but forgetting how to simply be in our own skin.
We live from the neck up, solving problems, sending emails, and checking boxes… but forgetting how to simply be in our own skin.
We become strangers to ourselves.
And the real danger is, we normalize it. We don’t even question it.
Until something, sooner or later, breaks.
An unexpected turning point
Of course, the easiest way we think to feel recharged again is to plan a trip.
I’ve used travel before to release tension, to get away from the daily responsibilities for a couple of days, and to pause the routine, thinking and hoping I’d feel well, renewed, and happy again. And I did get that, but just for a moment. Because getting back home meant getting back to the same weight. The stress and anxiety were waiting for me. They never really left, and that lightness that I found while traveling vanished faster than unpacking.
But, it wasn’t a wellness retreat or months away in solitude that shifted things for me. It happened on a quiet morning during a smooth walk through the Andean Highlands.
Like usual, I was at a point where I needed a break. A reset. So, yes, the easiest way out was to plan a trip. Once again, I imagined myself going back to reality feeling recharged, refreshed. Ready to get back to business with more clarity and excitement, hoping this time the sparkle would last a bit longer.
But it didn’t quite work like that.
In those early days of the trip, I carried with me the same buzzing, heaviness, and intrusive thoughts. Overanalyzing things, questioning myself, and grasping for relief.
And something happened. I paused during a hike, wind cutting across my face, boots sinking slightly into soft earth, and… I felt the shift.
I stood still. I closed my eyes.
And for the first time in months, my thoughts were quiet, I didn’t think… I felt.
The cool air on my cheeks. The scent of trees. The faint sound of birds and my own breath.
It was a moment of full presence.
No urgency. No fixing. Just being.
Finally safe in my skin.
That moment didn’t solve everything. But I learned something that day that changed my life forever: mindfulness. But not as a trendy practice, more as a simple way to go back home... to myself.
Mindfulness practices for stress reduction and mental health
We have thought for too long that traveling to the ends of the world would make us feel grounded again. But the truth is, it doesn’t quite work that way.
We can be standing on top of the Himalayas, lying down on a calm beach in Bali, or watching a beautiful sunset in Cinque Terre, but if we don’t learn how to listen and return to our senses, in the most literal way, we miss every possibility of restoring our mental health.
What truly matters is the mindset with which we approach those moments, not how far we travel.
There are many tactics to reduce stress, but let’s face it, with all the noise out there, it’s hard to keep up with trends and 30-day challenges.
So here are three impactful, research-backed mindfulness techniques that you can use anywhere, while you drive to work, while sipping coffee in your living room, even in a crowded airport before your next flight.
Because our mental health is always being tested, especially in difficult times, we need to be well prepared.
...our mental health is always being tested, especially in difficult times, we need to be well prepared.
1. Grounding with the five senses
Calming our nervous system can be simple if we know how. It might sound “too easy to be true”, but one of the most effective techniques to anchor ourselves in the present moment is through our senses.
Try it. Anywhere, anytime: at home, at work, on a walk.
Sight: Name five things you can see right now. Look for colors, shapes, patterns, or light.
Touch: What are four things you can physically feel? Your clothes, the air, the chair beneath you.
Sound: What are three sounds you hear? Notice both background noise and subtle tones.
Smell: What are two scents you can identify, even faintly?
Taste: Can you notice any lingering taste? Can you sip something slowly to engage this sense?
Engaging our five senses is a practice that pulls us out of spiraling thoughts. It interrupts the rapid escalation of negative emotions difficult to control. It’s a technique that brings us back into our body, reducing anxiety and reestablishing a sense of safety.
Start one step at a time. The goal is to train the mind, so focus on just two senses, whichever feels easiest. Try to engage with them. Then add a third. Work up to all five. Let it grow naturally.
2. Mindful Framing
(Inspired by Dr. Oscar Segurado)
Mindful Framing goes beyond traditional mindfulness by inviting us to mentally reframe our inner narrative.
Here’s how to practice it:
Identify the stressor: What’s triggering your anxiety? Where do you feel overwhelmed: at work, at home? Is someone else involved? By naming the source, we materialize the emotion, making it easier to process.
Shift perspective: Instead of fighting the feeling, it’s time to observe it. Overwhelm is often our body’s way of telling us something, maybe we need rest or to set boundaries.
Reframe with compassion: This part is tough. Say to yourself:
“I’m learning to listen to myself better.”“I’m giving myself time and space to feel.”“I’m listening now, and I’m here for me.”
By replacing self-judgment with awareness and curiosity, we begin to soothe the very patterns that keep our nervous system on edge.
By replacing self-judgment with awareness and curiosity, we begin to soothe the very patterns that keep our nervous system on edge.
3. Sensory immersion in nature
Nature has a powerful calming effect on the mind. On a mountain trail, we feel it. In a city park, or even through forest sounds on our commute, we can feel it.
The Japanese practice Shinrin-yoku (“forest bathing”), well known for promoting our well-being, invites us to immerse slowly and intentionally in natural environments, without distraction.
Here’s how to try it:
Walk slowly, with no destination set. Let your mind rest without the need to do or achieve anything.
Use all your senses: feel the texture of grass, the smell of moss, the color of leaves, the sound of the wind. Stay present.
Let the landscape embrace you. Feel you belong.
Even five minutes a day in nature can make a difference. You can also create a nature-inspired corner at home. This can reduce cortisol levels and improve your mood. Also, this is a reminder that stillness is not a luxury; it’s a necessity.
You don’t have to escape your life to reconnect with yourself
The problem isn’t our jobs, our families, or our cities. It’s the pace and pressure we’ve internalized.
Mindfulness is not a magic cure. It is a compass. It helps us slow down, be present, and respond instead of react.
Sometimes, it happens during a retreat. But more often, it happens in the five minutes before your next meeting. It happens in the pause before replying to a message. In the way you sip your coffee. The way you notice the sun through the window. The way you allow yourself to feel, without needing to fix.
Coming back home, wherever you are
In our world, where productivity and constant motion are praised, mindfulness is a quiet rebellion.
It’s not about escaping our lives. It’s about being fully alive within them. It’s about being present.Through mindful framing, grounding, and sensory awareness, we can rewire how we respond to stress and anxiety.
We can build a mental home that feels safe, even during chaos.What matters most is our willingness to embrace new habits and let go of the old ones that no longer serve us.
Because ultimately, mindfulness isn’t a destination.
It’s a way back to yourself.
Meet the expert:
Silvia Pineda Ríos is a Travel Coach for Emotional Healing and the founder of The Reflective Way. She supports seekers who feel emotionally disconnected or drained to use travel as a path to clarity, reconnection, and inner transformation. Drawing from her background in tourism, emotional wellness, and lived experience, her method blends mindfulness, deep listening, and intentional journeys that help people remember who they are.
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