Mindfulness has become a buzzword in the self-help sphere of late, but there’s little real understanding of what it means and how it can help us. I work with my clients in multiple ways depending on what they best respond to and mindfulness is a tool that can help many patients overcome feelings of anxiety and other mental health issues. However, you don’t need a counselor or a psychologist to start using mindfulness to help you overcome stress, anxiety, and ruminating thoughts. Get started and see how much it helps you.
What is mindfulness and how can it help?
In its simplest definition, mindfulness means being mentally present to the present moment. The problem is, in this fast-paced world, we spend most of our time thinking about the future – getting through the to-do list, finishing that project at work, saving for retirement – and most of the rest of the time thinking about the past, especially regrets. We leave precious little time in our daily lives to just BE.
Worrying from time to time is normal. But anxiety arises when we ruminate on what could happen, imagine many worst-case scenarios, and get trapped in these thoughts. Mark Twain once famously said, “I’m an old man now. I’ve lived a long and difficult life filled with so many misfortunes, most of which never happened.” Anxiety can be so strong that we actually suffer from the things that might happen, even if they never occur. We “rehearse tragedies” that never happen, and they hurt as if they did.
Mindfulness techniques can help us stop and pay attention to where we are right now, including what we’re feeling. If you’re experiencing anxiety at the moment, that also means examining that anxiety, being present to it, acknowledging it. But at the same time, you’re noticing your breath, the air, the sound of birds, etc. Our attention is directed away from interior thoughts to exterior realities, thus interrupting those automatic, reflexive, fight-flight-or-freeze reactions.
Techniques
There are many different specific techniques for mindfulness. A few include:
- Body scan meditation: Lie comfortably, with your arms and legs relaxed, palms facing up. Focus slowly and deliberately on each part of your body, starting at the top of your head. Take your time and take notice of your physical sensations and your emotions associated with each part of your body. Keep moving until you reach the tips of your toes.
- Sitting meditation: Sit comfortably and breathe slowly through your nose, noticing the air entering your nostrils and going down into your lungs, then exiting. Focus on the breath moving in and out. Allow thoughts or sensations to occur, but always turn back to noticing your breath.
- Walking meditation: Pace quietly and slowly, focusing on the experience of walking, the movement of your body, and the automatic subtle shifts that allow you to keep your balance. Notice the parts of your feet adjusting with each step (without shoes on). Notice your breath.
- Moving meditation: Perform one or more of several different simple stretches, in which you again breathe consciously and notice your sensations.
How to integrate it into your daily life
The ultimate goal is to integrate mindfulness into your general thought process, transforming the way you see the world and the way you respond to things. This comes with time and practice. It’s important to find time daily to practice the techniques that seem to work best for you.
The foundation of a mindfulness mindset is a position of intentionality. Becoming intentional in your awareness of the present moment and the acceptance of your emotions without allowing them to control you will give you the emotional, spiritual, and psychological power to live a more confident, peaceful, and satisfying life.
If you need help reaching this point of mindfulness, we can work on this together, building your toolbox of techniques that work best for you. If you are in the New York City area, give me a call.