How to Make Your Own Mindfulness Jar

As we learned in a previous blog, mindfulness is a practice that is beneficial to all of us. However, many of us have a hard time committing to mindfulness and finding a way to incorporate mindfulness practice into our everyday lives. Below is a guide for creating a mindfulness jar, which is a great tool for people of all ages to improve their mindfulness skills. Keep reading to learn how to make your own!

What is a Mindfulness Jar?

Mindfulness jars are containers filled with primarily water a glitter. They are tools to help all of us improve our mindfulness, and are also very effective in helping us calm down when we feel ourselves getting worked up. They are simple, portable, and can be used by anyone. Mindfulness jars are not only great for children as an introduction to mindfulness, but also for teens and adults!

How to Make a Mindfulness Jar

You will need the following supplies:

A container (you can use a mason jar or opt for a plastic container, such as a Voss water bottle)
Warm or hot water
Glitter (preferably three different colors)
Clear glue
Hot glue (optional)

Getting Started

1. Add clear glue to the container

The more glue you use, the longer it will take for the glitter to settle down. The standard amount is enough glue to fill the bottom of the container.

2. Add in your glitter

Ideally, you will have three different colors of glitter to add. The three colors symbolize our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. We’ll talk about this more a little later.

3. Fill it up with water

Fill the container to the very top with water. Warm or hot water works best to incorporate the glue.

4. Seal the top with hot glue

This is optional, but it is usually a safe bet to ensure that the contents of the jar stay in the jar (especially with children). Place hot glue around the brim of the container, put on the top, and tighten it closed.

5. Add on any special instructions or sayings

Also optional, but now you can decorate your mindfulness jar with anything that may be special to you. This can include instructions to remind you of what the mindfulness jar represents, or it can include your favorite quote, or a picture of something that you enjoy. Have fun with making this your own! (Just make sure that the decorations don’t cover the entire bottle)

6. Enjoy!

You have successfully made a mindfulness jar!

How Do You Use a Mindfulness Jar?

So now you have a mindfulness jar, here’s how to use it.

Look at the container when it is still. All of the glitter is at the bottom and the remainder of the container is clear. That is like our mind when we are calm, we are able to think clearly and we aren’t weighed down.
Now give the container a big shake and see the glitter swirl around. This is like our mind when we get worked up. Whether it be when we become stressed, anxious, angry, or anything else, our mind gets cloudy and things feel chaotic.
Look at the glitter. The three colors symbolically represent our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. These three are intertwined and all affect one another. When we start to feel bad, these three are out of whack. Take this time to think about each.

Ask yourself the following:

What kind of thoughts are going through my head?

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What emotion(s) am I feeling right now?
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How am I behaving?
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What am I doing physically? (Tense? Clenching fists? Shaking? Crying?)

Now take deep breaths and watch as the glitter settles back to the bottom. Once everything settles down, ask yourself those questions again. Are you feeling any different than when you began?

Hudson Therapy is a Westchester county counseling practice located in White Plains, NY. Our team of therapists provide individual therapy for children, teens and adults.

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