What is Mindfulness?
It is important to understand the concept of mindfulness. Although mindfulness is rooted in Eastern religion, you do not have to be a Buddhist to reap the benefits of this practice. Mindfulness techniques help you to stay in the present moment and can relieve you from suffering. How? The idea is that the root of suffering or discontent is because of our minds. Our minds are constantly evaluating events (like “is this a good or a bad thing”?). Our minds make meaning of events (i.e., I am a failure because I am divorced; I have anxiety so there is something wrong with me). Additionally, the mind judges events because we are usually thinking about what has happened or what will happen. Think about it, have you ever found when you are full of worry, anxiety, or depression that your mind is thinking about things that happened in the past or what may happen in the future? This is because in these states your mind is rarely in the present. This is a premise of mindfulness. If we simply pay attention to this present moment and truly focus and pay attention with all of our senses, it can help relieve psychological distress. This is a receptive state where one merely observes thoughts and feelings rather than getting swept away by them. It really is that simple. However, like with any new habit, it takes practice. Additionally, research on mindfulness shows it can help us with negative emotions.
Research supports that mindfulness skills can help decrease negative emotions (i.e., worry, anxiety) and improve overall well-being and how you feel about yourself. Some mindfulness based programs such as MBSR created by John Kabat Zinn have been shown to help people decrease physical chronic pain and reduce stress. Further, DBT created by Marsha Linehan uses mindfulness skills to help people who struggle with regulating their emotions. These can include feelings of anger, sadness, or worry, or even PTSD symptoms such as flashbacks. The goal of mindfulness techniques is to help with mental health symptoms by staying present moment. If you train yourself to truly observe the present, this may decrease anxiety or depression because you are not thinking of the past or the future. Many different techniques can help you with your mindfulness practice.
Mindfulness is intentionally staying focused and living with awareness in the present moment.
How to Feel Better: What are some mindfulness techniques?
First, when using these techniques try to practice without judging or rejecting the moment. If you find yourself evaluating yourself (Am I doing this right? See, I can’t concentrate!) notice your self-criticism and simply label it. “That was a thought” and let it go. Another premise of mindfulness is attending to each moment without attachment. Do not evaluate the thought or why you are having it, observe it and let it go. This will allow you to attend to the experience of each new moment in the present rather than clinging to the past or future. Here are some examples of mindfulness techniques that may help you.
Techniques
- When feeling a negative state, ground yourself into the present by naming 5 things you can see, 5 things you can hear, and 5 things you can physically feel. Be very specific with the items. For example, “I can see a tree outside the window”, can turn into “ I can see the different colors of green in the tree, including dark green, light green, and yellow leaves”. “I feel the chair under my legs” or “I feel the coarse fabric under my skin but now it feels smooth”. The more you specify, the more it can help you focus on the present moment with all of your senses.
- Lie on the ground or the sand and watch the clouds in the sky. If it is night, you can look at the stars. Find and describe the cloud patterns you see. For example, what color are they? What shapes do they look like? What else do you notice about the sky?
- Pick up a leaf, a pebble, or a flower. Study it very closely. What do you see? What specific details do you see in the flower?
- Mindful Movement: Yoga, martial arts, tai chi, and even walking can be ways to practice mindfulness. Full immersion in your physical activity can help you stay away from the past and the future and simply live in the moment.
- Meditate: There are many forms of meditation, please see this post for various types. Meditation can help center you in the present moment by repeating a mantra or simply labeling your experience.
Mindfulness sounds simple, right? The key to success is how much you are willing to practice the skills and make them a habit. If you are interested in more mindfulness skills or think that these techniques may be right for you to decrease stress, anxiety, and depression, contact our office today. Many clients come to counseling to practice trauma work or EMDR and I teach mindfulness skills are part of that process because they help you tolerate distress and regulate your emotions.
