ORIGINALLY RELEASED AS THE SEPTEMBER 2026 EDITION OF THE HERE & NOW NEWSLETTER (CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE)
Written by Jessica Abraham, LMHC (Senior Clinician)
The beginning of Fall can be beautiful. Crisp air and changing leaves bring excitement for cooler weather and autumn activities. But as we all know, Fall also tends to bring with it a surge of unending busyness. School begins, workloads shift, activities pick back up, and daylight hours become more limited. In the rush and busyness of it all, we can quickly lose sight of rest & self-care - and before we know it, we’re heading into winter feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, and exhausted.
As the pace of life quickens, one valuable resource that can help us reset and reduce stress is mindfulness.
When I first broach the topic mindfulness with my clients, I’m often met with hesitancy. Some common responses are, “oh but I don’t want to empty my mind..." or “I’m not sure how this aligns with my faith…” or “ugh, isn’t that just another therapy buzz word?” And something I love to do in sessions is educate my clients on what certain concepts and practices (like mindfulness) truly are. Dear reader, I would love to do that for you as well.
Mindfulness is not an emptying of our mind. Rather, it is the invitation to be fully present and immersed in the here and now without judgment. Mindfulness helps us slow down and teaches us to see, smell, taste, feel, and be fully present where our feet are planted.
We see this modeled in Christ throughout the Gospels as He is fully present with His disciples and others. Jesus was unhurried. He noticed details others missed. He did not rush to the next part of his journey before it was time (cf. John 11:1-7; Mark 5:25-34; Mark 10: 46-52; Luke 19:1-10; John 2:4).
Mindfulness is the unhurried observation and acceptance of our thoughts, feelings and sensations without judging them, getting caught up in what they mean, or trying to “fix” them.
This is not the same thing as resignation. Resignation is a passive form of giving up and succumbing to what is. Mindfulness on the other hand is about acceptance. Mindfulness helps us to accept the reality of our situation through active awareness. This often leads to compassion for ourselves and others and increases our ability to validate our own feelings, recognize our own agency, and seek support as needed.
We see this in the story of Mary Magdalene. With each step Jesus took towards death and resurrection, we see Mary Magdalene immersed in the present moment. As Jesus carried His cross and was crucified, she wept and felt the full weight of all that this meant. As Christ was buried, Mary Magdalene actively brought spices to anoint Him in the tomb. And when hearing of the good news, she rejoiced and sprang into the action of evangelism.
Just like Mary Magdalene, how might God be inviting you to actively participate in His kingdom work today? Is it to be still, to trust and know that He is God? Is it to bring yourself back to the present rather than worrying about tomorrow? Or is it to take a moment to rejoice in the good news? Dear reader, this is mindfulness.