Mindfulness is so powerful. I feel that this is almost like the “gateway” concept to so many other coping strategies and tools. I see mindfulness as a foundation to meditating.
What is mindfulness? This was the big question that was asked at the beginning of my very first group session. Here are some of the answers:
being in the present moment. This takes practice since our minds tend to drift between the present, to the past, to the future.
being aware of our feelings and surroundings
After many mindfulness sessions, I have memorized the definition: “mindfulness is intentionally being in the present moment without judgement and attachment”
An example of being in the present could be focusing on your breathing, taking 5 deep breaths and notice how your body feels as you do this. It could even be focusing on the texture of the soap on your fingers and the smell of the soap when you’re washing your hands. There are also some great (free) apps that can walk you through some exercises. I find it easier to have a guide when you’re just starting out. I will include some of my favorite apps at the bottom of this article.
Mindfulness is so much more than just being aware and living in the present moment. It is also:
being open and letting go of any automatic judgments we may have associated to our experiences or feelings.
this will allow us to experience the moment as is
this will reduce triggers to emotional events
experience each moment without attachment. Being able to let go of the past will truly allow us to be in the moment.
this will reduce our suffering (ruminating about negative thoughts or emotions)
I was initially intimidated by the concept of mindfulness because I’m not in tune with my emotions, and I have a hard time keeping my thoughts in check. But it’s been pointed out to me that even just the acknowledgment of this feeling is practicing mindfulness. So even if it’s something like noticing how your body is responding to a stressful situation, or recognizing the emotions you are feeling at the moment is a part of mindfulness. This definitely gave me the confidence that I can learn to practice mindfulness.
There’s such interesting science behind it too. Practicing mindfulness will eventually allow us to analyze the situation and respond in a healthier way, rather than acting on our brain’s automatic response (which may not always be a balanced reaction and may get us in more trouble).
The science I’m referring to is how our brain responds to stress.
Amygdala - this is activated to protect us. When we detect fear or danger, the amygdala is triggered to enable us to react (flight, flight, or freeze mode)
Prefrontal Cortex - this is the problem solving part of our brain. It helps us analyze the situation in order to make decisions, among other functions (our brain is seriously powerful)
The problem is, our prefrontal cortex can struggle when we are faced with traumatic situations. Once the amygdala is activated, it shuts down the connection to our prefrontal cortex. Practicing mindfulness will train our brain to reduce the high amygdala activity so we can use the prefrontal cortex more. We will then be able to go from the emotional fight or flight reactions, to respond in a more balanced way after analyzing a situation more calmly.
Like most skill sets, mindfulness takes time and practice. Please remember to be kind to yourself and take it one day at a time.
Below are some helpful apps that are free to use (you may have to pay if you wish to use additional functions on the app but they are super helpful even without having to pay for a subscription):
Mindshift
Calm
Headspace