CULTIVATING MINDFULNESS IN TODAY’S WORLD
Life has been challenging for many these last few years as we’ve all dealt with a global pandemic, layered on top of other typical life and work stressors, and transitioning to a new normal. I have heard some say they feel a little drained or beat up. Others express a sense of relief as they return to a sense of normalcy. At the same time, there is a sense of trepidation and dread for some, especially if they have suffered significant health or financial ramifications in these past years.
So, if you are one of those who have ongoing anxiety about the future – you may wonder how to navigate what may feel like whiplash …how to move beyond surviving to thriving? In considering these questions, let us first assess what you have done to cope thus far. What are some things that have may have helped you survive and sometimes thrive up to this moment?
As you think about the practices that have supported you, some examples such as exercise and self-care may come to mind or traits such as determination and resilience. Make a mental note of these and continue to intentionally practice them to the point of habit so you can build on your successes. Pay attention to how these practices assist you.
However, suppose you find yourself continuing to struggle. In that case, I invite you to consider incorporating the practice of mindfulness to help you work through your varying emotions and challenges.
What is Mindfulness & How Can It Help?
Mindfulness is a simple, non-judgmental awareness of the present moment. It is a powerful way to connect with our bodies and emotions but in a higher state of awareness and intentionality.
Jon Kabbat-Zinn, a mindfulness expert, explains mindfulness as the “presence of heart.”
There are many ways to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life, including but not limited to – meditation practices, yoga practices, breathing exercises or breathwork, grounding exercises, and being conscious in activities such as eating and even walking. I will even venture to include routine gratitude exercises.
What is the consistent theme in all these experiences? The ability to bring one to the present moment. It is a deliberate way of increasing attentiveness in our lives to our mental space, physical bodies, movements, responses, and understandings without participating in over-analyzing, judging, or story-creating (my term).
Mindfulness helps us regulate our emotions by putting us in a calm and relaxed state of presence. From this state, we can increase the potential for clarity, understanding, peacefulness, and compassion for ourselves and others.
According to the Mayo Clinic benefits of meditation as a mindfulness practice include reducing stress, pain, anxiety, and depression. It can improve sleep and attention and help some medical conditions.
Additionally, mindfulness can help us develop skills that promote emotional intelligence and self-regulation when practiced regularly. These skills include self-awareness and attentional control.
And finally, mindfulness can increase our responsiveness while reducing reactivity by slowing the time between experiencing a trigger and our subsequent action. In this way, mindfulness improves emotional self-monitoring allowing us to problem-solve more effectively.
Getting Started with Mindfulness
There are many online resources for getting started with a mindfulness meditation practice. You can search online resources, engage in a mindfulness-based stress reduction course, join a virtual or in-person mindfulness group, create your own mindfulness practice, utilize meditation apps, or search YouTube for helpful meditations and videos.
If you want to work privately with someone to regulate your emotions, reduce stress, and increase your well-being, please feel free to get in touch with me. I use mindfulness in my practice with clients and would happily answer any questions you may have.
By the way if you have a teen who you would like to introduce to mindfulness mediation or struggles with emotional regulation, attention issues, or self-image challenges, please check out my Meditation Journal For Teens here.
Sources:
https://blog.taylorstudymethod.com/mindfulness-and-emotional-regulation/
https://www.nicabm.com/how-mindfulness-works-to-regulate-emotion-in-your-brain/