Mindfulness can seem like a concept that is very boutique; that you have to be completely zen and eat whole foods to be mindful. I can tell you this is not me, but I have embraced mindfulness to help me feel emotionally grounded.
Mindfulness is a tool that utilizes skills to bring attention and awareness to all current experiences without judgment. This means paying attention to sensations, thoughts, feelings, sounds, etc. without feeling like you need to do anything more than just observe it and let it go. Turns out, everything is temporary, and when we allow things to be temporary we can allow pains, frustrations, and fears to come and go.
Fun fact: Emotions have a shelf life of about 90 minutes.
Now I know what you’re thinking: “This can’t be true! Sometimes my emotions will last hours…days… weeks… years!”
You’re probably right!
Wait, what?
Picture your emotions being like actors on a stage. They come on stage, play their part, and then they are supposed to exit off stage. However, if you cheer them on (aka, continue to give them attention) they will keep coming back for encores.
Another way to think about this that I will often present to my clients is this: Image emotions being like commercials (they’re about 90 seconds long-ish). Let’s say an ASPCA commercial comes on with images of those poor animals, and Sarah McLaughlin music playing in the background. If you’re like me this creates emotions that include anger and sadness. The commercial ends and then there is a hilarious commercial from Kmart where they are talking about “shipping their drawers.” However, if I don’t allow myself to move on from my experience from the ASPCA commercial I completely miss out on the experience of the Kmart commercial.
When we spend too much time dwelling on our feelings that are coming from events from the past, the futures, and wherever else they decided to pop up from we miss out on what is right in front of us
Mindfulness also includes a meditative practice, however, it is not totally about meditation. The act of meditation does help us learn to just be. Studies have shown that people’s mental well being can improve even with just 5-10 minutes of meditation each day. The trick to meditation and mindfulness is the on
Here are 7 reasons why mindfulness is so awesome:
- You can be mindful at any time you choose!
- You get to experience life through a new set of eyes, daily.
- You get to feel all of your emotions, good and bad.
- You get to let go of those emotions, too (good and bad)
- You learn that when we accept life on life’s terms it is easier to tolerate
- You’re more in tune with your needs and wants
- Your relationships improve because you are more present in those relationships
If you think you are ready to try mindfulness as a way to learn how to cope contact Jolene at Mindful Wellness Counseling to explore Mindful Wellness Stress Reduction or individual counseling.
