The Power of Mindfulness
- Samantha
- Jun 4, 2018
- 5 min read
Often, when I find myself slipping back into a really negative place, burning out at work, or just feeling down, the first thing I check in with myself about is my mindfulness practice. Mindfulness keeps me present in a world that feels often flooded by other peoples' opinions, fears, and perceptions. It provides me with the tool to be aware of my current state while demonstrating non-judgment and self-compassion.
That can take form in many different ways. For some, it can be a formal meditation practice. For others, it can be a regular check-in with yourself of "how am I feeling?" In both cases, mindfulness brings about the awareness we need to then choose how we respond/react to any situation in a way we can feel best about. A couple of years ago, I came about an explanation of mindfulness and our emotional reactivity while I was working to create a mindfulness-based occupational therapy group. Something about it made the purpose of mindfulness click for me in a way that it hadn't before (despite courses, books, and studies.) I want to start this by sharing it with you all:
"Imagine a man who has built a pond in his garden. All that he wants is for the water to be still and peaceful. He sits and watches, a smooth reflection on the surface of the water. A moment later, a single leaf drops into the pond causing ripples. In a moment of panic, he jumps into the water trying to push the ripples down with his hands. Every movement he makes disturbs the surface of the water and no matter how hard he tries, he cannot create stillness.
In this story jumping in to the pond might sound like an over reaction, but this is often our response to difficult thoughts or emotions. We try to do something to fix what is happening. If the man sits a little longer and watches, the ripples settle down on their own. In the same way, thoughts and emotions can and often do pass without us needing to 'jump in' and cause more ripples." - Peter Morgan
For a long time, people scoffed at mindfulness and other similar practices as a means of impacting health and wellbeing. I'm here to tell you that if you really commit to it you can see real changes. The people I have worked with speak of improved control over symptoms from chronic and mental illness, decreased stress, and an increased sense of happiness in their day to day life. Mindfulness has been shown to help many populations and age groups, with and without physical and mental health diagnoses.
A meta-analysis of over 200 studies assessing the use of mindfulness based therapies demonstrated that it is moderately to significantly effective for psychological problems and/or diagnoses (Khoury et al., 2013). Use of one type of mindfulness practice called Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has been demonstrated to create changes in persons' gray matter in areas of the brain that impact memory, learning, and emotional regulation (Holzel et al., 2011).
As someone who lives with Depression, the power in this for me is that checking in with myself helps keep me on track with my own self-care practices. I have often caught myself slipping into unhealthy habits and thought patterns early enough to reach out for help and prevent a downward spiral. As with many diagnoses, there are many aspects of my Depression that are not something I can control. However, my awareness of how those changes feel and check-ins have probably saved my life.
One friend of mine utilized a similar method of mindfulness but applied it to her chronic pain. Her daily check-ins allowed her to be aware of her physical wellbeing and adapt her day-to-day activities enough to keep her pain tolerable. She found she was no longer needing to take as much medication, call out of work as often, and could enjoy her experiences with friends and family more fully.
So now that I have you thinking, "hmmm, I wonder if this would help me feel _____?" (INSERT: less stressed, less anxious, happier, healthier, more energized, more productive, able to relax, better, etc). Hey...it's worth a shot. Here are some ideas:
MINDFULNESS MEDITATION: Set a timer for 5 minutes. Sit comfortably. Notice your body and your breath. Notice as thoughts arise and do not judge yourself for them because they will come. Recognize and let them go. This is challenging at first for many people. Somedays when this is particularly hard for me, I use guided meditations on youtube. There are so many to choose from and they are free. Remember - meditating is hard. Like any other activity though, you shouldn't give up when you are not good at it - you work to get better.
JOURNAL: Sometimes when you write, you'll surprise yourself with what comes out. It's fine if you don't know where you're going. My favorite method to journal is to just start and see where it takes you. If that's not your style, there are journals and worksheets with more guided questions and ideas. This is actually the practice that has been most prevalent in my road with Depression.
FIND AN ACTIVITY YOU ARE 100% PRESENT IN: Being present in an activity allows you to have the fullest experience possible. For me, it is yoga. For others I know, it is running, gardening, walking outside, and cooking. In my yoga practice, my mind and body are present only on my mat. That means that I am listening to my body, what feels good, and what I need. I've tried to apply that to other aspects of my life. I try to be mindful and present while I eat, while I walk from one place to another, while I interact with every client. I am not perfect at it, but learning to not judge myself for that is a huge step in the right direction. Every bit of success allows for a fuller and more fulfilling experience that is in tune with my needs.
BREATHING EXERCISES: Breathe in for a count of 4. Hold it for 4. Exhale for 4. Repeat. It's that simple.
KEEP LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT PRACTICE FOR YOU: None of these practices feel right to you? That's okay! We all have unique needs. If you are interested in learning more about mindfulness and looking for other ideas that may work best for you, I highly recommend this mindfulness website.
If you have a different mindfulness practice or idea, feel free to share it in the comments! We can all learn from each other.
Be present. Be kind to yourself. It will be worth it.
References:
Hölzel, B. K., Carmody, J., Vangel, M., Congleton, C., Yerramsetti, S. M., Gard, T., & Lazar, S. W. (2011). Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry Research, 191(1), 36–43. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.08.006
Khoury B, Lecomte T, Fortin G, Masse M, Therien P, Bouchard V, Chapleau MA, Paquin K, Hofmann SG. (2013). Mindfulness-based therapy: a comprehensive meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review 2013; 33(6): 763-771.
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