What is‘Mindfulness’?

Mindfulnessis a usefulapproachfor dealingwith unpleasant thoughtsandfeelings.

Mostpeoplewhentheyarepresentedwithunpleasantthoughtsandfeelingsreactinoneoftwoways:

AvoidanceRumination

AttheoneendwetrytoAvoidunpleasantthoughtsandfeelings.Thiscanleadtotheuseofdistractiontechniquessuchas listeningtomusic, stayinginside,over-eating,oravoidingfearedsituations.Whilstthiscanprovetobeagoodstrategyintheshort-term,itoftenendsupleadingtous beingmore afraidofthoseunpleasantthoughtsand feelingsandthethings thattheyare linkedto.

AttheotherendweinvestalotofeffortinworryingorRuminatingaboutourthoughtsandfeelings.Wetry tothinkaboutthemasmuch aswecan,workingouthowbadthingsmightbeorwhatallouroptionsarefordoingsomethingaboutthem.Thisstrategyoftenleadstousfeeling completelyoverwhelmedbyour problems.It canseemlikethere is noescape ornothingwe can dotostopour unpleasantthoughtsandfeelings.

AvoidanceMindfulnessRumination

ThestrategyofMindfulnesssuggeststhatanothertacticmightbemorebeneficial.Thistactic lies inthemiddleofthe tactics ofAvoidanceandRumination.

Howdo Ido ‘Mindfulness’?

Inmindfulnessthepersondoesnotavoidthesituation,norgetoverwhelmedbyit.Theytackletheirunpleasantthoughtsandfeelingsbynoticingwhattheyarefeelingtothemselvesandacceptingthatthisisthecaseatthatmomentintime(e.g.thinking“atthismomentintimeIamfeelingupset”).Nextratherthanruminatingovertheirunpleasantthoughtsandfeelings,theythenletgoofthem.Thismeansthattheydonotholdontotheirunpleasantthoughtsandfeelingsoncetheyhavenoticedandacceptedthem,theysimplylet them‘washover’.

NoticeAcceptLet Go

What if it doesn’twork?

Inpracticewhenpeoplefirsttryusingmindfulness,assoonastheyhavenoticed,acceptedandletgoofonesetofunpleasantthoughtsandfeelings,thesearereplacedbyanothersetofunpleasantthoughtsandfeelings,sometimesimmediatelyafter.Mindfulnessacceptsthattherewillbetimeswhenthishappens.Howeverthestrategyremainsthesame.Eachtimeapersonnoticestheyareexperiencingunpleasantthoughts

andfeelings theycontinue to simplyaccept themand let themgo (like ariverwashing overyou,oraconveyorbelt). Whenusingmindfulnesspeoplenoticethateventuallythefrequencyandintensityofunpleasantthoughtsandfeelingsreducesandeventuallythepersonno longernoticesthattheyarefeelingunpleasant.

Do I need to practice?

Mindfulnessisnotaseasyasitsounds.Inordertobecomeanexpertatusingityouwillneedtopracticeit.Mindfulnessdoesn’thavetobeusedonlywhenexperiencingunpleasantthoughtsandfeelings,itcanbeusefultopracticeitasoftenaspossible,bysimplynoticingwhatyouarethinkingandfeeling,acceptingtheseexperiences,andlettingthemgo.Tryusingmindfulnessbeforeyougotosleep.Concentrateonyourbreathandusemindfulnesswiththethoughtsthatpopintoyourhead.Eachtimeyounoticeathoughtdistractingyoufromyourbreath,noticeit,acceptit,andletitgo.Thenfocusonyourbreath onceagain.Continue thisprocessuntilyouhavefallenasleep…

What Mindfulnessisand isNot

A simple way ofrelating toour experience,which canhave a profoundimpact onpainful,negativeexperiencesthatweencounter

Mindfulnessisausefulskillforusall.Itisnotabouttryingtogetsomewhere–buttobe

somewhere,righthere,rightnow.

Characteristics of mindfulness
  • Payingattentioninaparticularway,onpurpose,inthepresentmoment.JonKabat-Zinn
  • Takingcontrolofyourmind,ratherthanallowingyourmindtobeincontrolofyou.

Marcia Linehan

  • Theknackofnoticing…whateverishappeninginyourpresentexperience.GuyClaxton
  • Itisanacceptanceprocess,notachangeprocess.MaggieStantonChristineDunkley
It involves:
  • ‘Stopping’
  • Noticing
  • Accepting
  • Not judging
  • Keepingthingssimple
  • Letting go
  • Not living lifeonautopilot
Mindfulness isnot meantto:
  • Relaxyou
  • Stop yourmindfromwandering
  • Turnnegativeexperiences into positiveones
  • Enableyou toavoid difficulty
What mindfulnesscanprovide:
  • It steadiesandgrounds us
  • It gives us asafeplatformfromwhich toobserve
  • Itbringsusclosertodifficultiesbutwithoutgettingcaughtupinourreactionstothem
  • It is a meansofbeingpresenttoourexperience,howeverupsettingit might be
  • It allows us to slowlyand gentlycome togripswithwhowe are
MindfulnessPracticeDiary
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