Mindfulness can help!

Mindfulness is a tool that anyone can use at any time. It encourages us to slow down, accept things as they are, cope well with problems or difficulties, and simply appreciate what’s in our life right now.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the simple act of recognizing what’s going on inside of ourselves and what’s going on around us, in the present moment and without judgement. Mindfulness is a tool that helps us manage thoughts and emotions, notice more of what’s happening in a situation, and immerse ourselves in the present moment as it unfolds. We can think of mindfulness as two parts: attention and curiosity.

Attention means that we take time to focus our attention and awareness on physical sensations, thoughts that come up, or the environment around us. For example, we remind ourselves to focus on things that we usually ignore such as breathing or the sensations involved in sitting. Other thoughts or sensations may appear, but they come and go.

Curiosity means that we notice things that come to our attention without judging. We are interested in the experience without trying to change it. Think of how easy it is to feel upset when a particular thought or situation comes up. Curiosity means noticing the thought or situation that is happening, but not reacting to it. Another aspect to curiosity is approaching different situations with no expectation of how it will make us feel. For example, if we set ourselves up to think of a daily task as a chore, we might miss a different aspect of the task that adds meaning to our day. When we are curious, we are open and genuinely interested in the thought or situation.

Mindfulness is not:

Emptying the mind of thoughts or feelings

Ignoring thoughts, feelings, or experiences

Forcing yourself to relax or feel a certain way.

Mindfulness is about recognizing and accepting what you feel, whether good or bad

Here’s an example of mindfulness.

Pretend that you have a very important deadline coming up at school or at work. Someone who is just starting to learn about mindfulness might say, “I started to think about that deadline. What if I can’t get everything done? I wish this thought would just go away. I can’t handle this!” They will likely notice many different reactions to these thoughts, too. They might feel tense, upset and maybe even a little hopeless. They might find it difficult to concentrate or sleep that night.

Someone who regularly practices mindfulness might use their attention skills to recognize the same thought: “What if I can’t get everything done?” They might respond by saying, “Oh look, it’s that thought. I notice how the thought is making me feel: I can sense my shoulders tensing up and my breath changing. This thought makes me feel a bit overwhelmed at this moment, and that’s okay.”

Of course the situation has importance—both people need to meet the same deadline. The difference is in the way our two examples dealt with the situation. The second person was more aware of the thought and how it was making them feel, and could likely use different tools or strategies to help them manage the feeling of being overwhelmed.

It can take a bit of work to be kind to yourself

A few things to keep in mind …

Start slowly—you don’t have to jump into a one-hour session! Even five minutes can make a big difference.

It’s natural for your mind to wander off. Every time your mind wanders and you return to the present, you are building your mindfulness skills.

Remember that mindfulness is called a practice for a reason—it’s an important tool that takes a bit of care and nurturing to work at its best. It may be a bit challenging at times to focus on the breath for five minutes or eat dinner mindfully. It may take persistence to practice mindfulness when it feels unpleasant, but it’s also an opportunity to be curious about those feelings and reactions.

Contact Lopez Counselling if you would like to learn more.

Courtesy www.heretohelp.bc.ca