THOUGHTS AND COMMENTARY
A Book Excerpt From
The Road to Neuroplasticity and Change to Heal Trauma, Improve Cognitive Capacity and Maximize Performance
ABOUT THE BOOK
MASTERING MINDFULNESS FOR STRESS AND ANXIETY
More on Mindfulness:
This article references PTSD specifically but the information presented pertains to anxiety and panic disorder as well.
People with PTSD may sometimes feel as though they have a hard time getting away from unpleasant thoughts and memories. They may feel preoccupied with and distracted by these thoughts. They may be triggered by stimulating sights, sounds, smells or touches. Because of these factors many people with PTSD find that they have a hard time focusing their attention on what matters the most in life, like relationships with family and friends, their professions and hobbies or the activities that they used to enjoy.
Mindfulness meditation may help people get back in touch with the present moment, as well as reduce the influence and sense of control held by unpleasant, scary or intrusive thoughts and memories. This helps with panic and anxiety driven by the chemical norepinephrine or the flight or fight instinct.
PRACTICING MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is made up of a number of factors and they all require daily practice to prove effective. See Easy Mindfulness and Meditation Techniques for more exercises.
AWARENESS
One part of mindfulness is learning how to focus your attention on one thing at a time. This means being aware of and able to recognize the things that are happening around you (for example, sights and sounds), as well as all the things that are happening inside you (for example, thoughts and feelings).
NON-JUDGMENTAL/NON-EVALUATIVE OBSERVATION
This part is centered on evaluating your experiences in a nonjudgmental way. You simply look at things objectively instead of putting labels like "good" or "bad” on them. An important thing to remember to employ in this part is self-compassion. Feel compassion for yourself and recognize that you are not your negative thoughts.
BEING IN THE PRESENT MOMENT
Part of mindfulness is being in touch with the present moment and shutting out thoughts of the past (also called rumination) or the future (especially the feelings of worry and anxiety ). Be an active participant in the experiences instead of just going through the motions or being stuck on auto-pilot.
THE BEGINNER’S MIND
This part focuses on being open to new ideas or possibilities. It features the observation or view of things as they really are and not what we think they are or have predetermined them to be. For example, having a preconceived notion of how a situation or event will turn out can greatly impact your experience. Your mind has already determined the outcome either positively or negatively and preconception prevents you from fully absorbing the true experience.
MINDFULNESS EXERCISE FOR BEGINNERS
Before you try this exercise, it may be helpful to first practice breathing. Most people don’t realize that the act of breathing is more than an unconscious and natural physical action. It is also a conscious one. Inhale deeply and feel the air full your lungs. Hold it there a few seconds and then exhale fully until all air is released. Repeat until you master conscious breathing and then begin the exercise.
PREPARE YOUR ENVIRONMENT
SETTLE YOUR BODY
START THE EXERCISE
MASTERING THIS EXERCISE
Anytime that you notice your attention drifting away simply identify the distraction, accept that it happened so that you don’t feel guilty or like you did something wrong, then let it go. Gently refocus your attention back to the present moment and back to your breathing. Do this every single time your mind wanders. Do not be critical of yourself if it keeps happening. It is normal and to be expected. Just always return back to your breathing.
Make this exercise a daily habit. Practice this exercise at least once a day (either in the morning before you start the day or in bed before sleep.) Whatever time you choose commit to it and make it routine. You will come to look forward to this moment because it’s peaceful and calming and you start to notice the benefits as being good for you. If it’s in the morning you will start your day calm and focused for the events to come. If it’s before sleep then you will find yourself calmly lulled into almost a trance that will ensure an easy drift off to sleep and a peaceful night.
Try not to practice this exercise when you are overly stressed-out, anxious, in a hurry, or feeling angry or resentful. These overwhelming negative feelings will intrude and disturb your focus and possibly ruin the experience for you so much that you give it up all together.
As you continue your daily practice you will come to associate the time as your private moment of peace and and serenity and come to guard it protectively. Try to leave the negativity at the door and enter your sanctuary free of negativity. If that’s impossible then prepare yourself to work hard at tuning them out. As you practice this you will find it easier to let them go and you may find it easier to leave them at the door without letting them tag along.
It is normal for your mind to wander and you should initially expect this. Don't get discouraged. Just accept that it will happen and bring your attention back to your breath every time. Do not let your mind run out of control or you will lose your focus and get frustrated and then give up. Just refocus, recenter and continue breathing after each stray thought. Repeat as often as you need to. Gradually you will learn to shut down intruding thoughts easily and keep your mind focused only on your breath.
The most important thing to remember is that it is a slow process that will take time and effort and you shouldn’t get discouraged if you can’t master it fast enough. Don’t criticize yourself and don’t give up because you think you just can’t do it. You can do it but like anything you seek to master you must work at it and never give up.
This exercise is transferable and not limited to this one specific time and place. Use it any time you need it. Use it when you are overwhelmed, anxious or panicky. It will help you self-soothe and can end an anxiety attack. It will reduce the possibility of problems that could arise from losing control of yourself. You can calm down, minimize anger and eliminate nervous energy. You can use it anywhere - at your desk, in a crowded room, outdoors, or when surrounded by nerve triggers. All you are doing is breathing and you can breathe anywhere. Just remember what you need to do and then do it.
Mastering this mindfulness exercise is just the start to mindful mediation. Research other exercises online and start trying them out. You will notice that breathing is a key element in most practices so that is why it is important that you start here and build up your skills until you master it.
Remember the key to mindfulness is being in the present moment and focusing only on that. Being present means you focus only on the time (right now) and space (right here) that you currently occupy.
People with PTSD may sometimes feel as though they have a hard time getting away from unpleasant thoughts and memories. They may feel preoccupied with and distracted by these thoughts. They may be triggered by stimulating sights, sounds, smells or touches. Because of these factors many people with PTSD find that they have a hard time focusing their attention on what matters the most in life, like relationships with family and friends, their professions and hobbies or the activities that they used to enjoy.
Mindfulness meditation may help people get back in touch with the present moment, as well as reduce the influence and sense of control held by unpleasant, scary or intrusive thoughts and memories. This helps with panic and anxiety driven by the chemical norepinephrine or the flight or fight instinct.
- Recent research suggests that mindfulness may help to mitigate the relationship between maladaptive thinking and post traumatic distress.
- Current research also suggests that mindfulness plays a role in the physical restructuring or rewiring of the brain.
PRACTICING MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is made up of a number of factors and they all require daily practice to prove effective. See Easy Mindfulness and Meditation Techniques for more exercises.
AWARENESS
One part of mindfulness is learning how to focus your attention on one thing at a time. This means being aware of and able to recognize the things that are happening around you (for example, sights and sounds), as well as all the things that are happening inside you (for example, thoughts and feelings).
NON-JUDGMENTAL/NON-EVALUATIVE OBSERVATION
This part is centered on evaluating your experiences in a nonjudgmental way. You simply look at things objectively instead of putting labels like "good" or "bad” on them. An important thing to remember to employ in this part is self-compassion. Feel compassion for yourself and recognize that you are not your negative thoughts.
BEING IN THE PRESENT MOMENT
Part of mindfulness is being in touch with the present moment and shutting out thoughts of the past (also called rumination) or the future (especially the feelings of worry and anxiety ). Be an active participant in the experiences instead of just going through the motions or being stuck on auto-pilot.
THE BEGINNER’S MIND
This part focuses on being open to new ideas or possibilities. It features the observation or view of things as they really are and not what we think they are or have predetermined them to be. For example, having a preconceived notion of how a situation or event will turn out can greatly impact your experience. Your mind has already determined the outcome either positively or negatively and preconception prevents you from fully absorbing the true experience.
MINDFULNESS EXERCISE FOR BEGINNERS
Before you try this exercise, it may be helpful to first practice breathing. Most people don’t realize that the act of breathing is more than an unconscious and natural physical action. It is also a conscious one. Inhale deeply and feel the air full your lungs. Hold it there a few seconds and then exhale fully until all air is released. Repeat until you master conscious breathing and then begin the exercise.
PREPARE YOUR ENVIRONMENT
- Wear something loose fitting and comfortable. Nothing tight or restrictive and nothing that will distract from your purpose.
- Determine where you will practice. Find a location that gives you privacy and silence and that is comfortable and safe. It may be helpful to dim the lights so you don’t feel the need to look around the room and get distracted.
- If there are people around, especially children, inform them this is your private time and ask them to respect it by not disturbing you. If it is loud outside the room ask if they can reduce the noise level for just twenty minutes. If that is impossible then use the noise as part of the exercise by training yourself to tune it out.
- Find the ideal position either lying on your back on a bed, a lounge chair or the couch. If you prefer sitting upright then find a comfortable chair. Whatever you choose ensure your comfort so you do not come to resent the exercise because the chair is too hard or the bed is too lumpy. Both are distractions and risk your success at making it routine.
SETTLE YOUR BODY
- Find the ideal position either lying on your back on a bed, a lounge chair or the couch. If you prefer sitting upright then find a comfortable chair. Whatever you choose ensure your comfort so you do not come to resent the exercise because the chair is too hard or the bed is too lumpy. Both are distractions and risk your success at making it routine.
- Notice your posture if sitting up and ensure your back is straight. Slouching may make it uncomfortable by putting stress on your back. Pain and discomfort will interfere with your ability to focus and risks your motivation to continue. Release the tension in your shoulders and feel them drop. Now you are ready to begin.
START THE EXERCISE
- Close your eyes.
- Focus your attention on your breathing. Simply pay attention to what each inhale and exhale of each breathe feels like. Feel your chest rise and fall and notice the sounds you make. If you find yourself distracted by the slight noise of your breath don’t get discouraged. It will become part of your routine and daily practice will enable you to start tuning it out.
- Now focus your attention on your center or your core. The core is your belly. Put your hand gently on it and feel it rise with each inhaling breath. Feel it fall with every exhale.
- Continue to focus your attention only on breathing. Immerse yourself completely in this experience. Put all the importance solely on it and try to push out all intruding thoughts that threaten your concentration.
- Continue this practice for twenty minutes. Use a timer at first but expect to become so in tune with the passage of time that you instinctually know when to end the exercise.
- When twenty minutes has passed gently open your eyes and readjust to the environment around you. You will feel calm and peaceful when you sit up and move on to the rest of your day.
MASTERING THIS EXERCISE
Anytime that you notice your attention drifting away simply identify the distraction, accept that it happened so that you don’t feel guilty or like you did something wrong, then let it go. Gently refocus your attention back to the present moment and back to your breathing. Do this every single time your mind wanders. Do not be critical of yourself if it keeps happening. It is normal and to be expected. Just always return back to your breathing.
Make this exercise a daily habit. Practice this exercise at least once a day (either in the morning before you start the day or in bed before sleep.) Whatever time you choose commit to it and make it routine. You will come to look forward to this moment because it’s peaceful and calming and you start to notice the benefits as being good for you. If it’s in the morning you will start your day calm and focused for the events to come. If it’s before sleep then you will find yourself calmly lulled into almost a trance that will ensure an easy drift off to sleep and a peaceful night.
Try not to practice this exercise when you are overly stressed-out, anxious, in a hurry, or feeling angry or resentful. These overwhelming negative feelings will intrude and disturb your focus and possibly ruin the experience for you so much that you give it up all together.
As you continue your daily practice you will come to associate the time as your private moment of peace and and serenity and come to guard it protectively. Try to leave the negativity at the door and enter your sanctuary free of negativity. If that’s impossible then prepare yourself to work hard at tuning them out. As you practice this you will find it easier to let them go and you may find it easier to leave them at the door without letting them tag along.
It is normal for your mind to wander and you should initially expect this. Don't get discouraged. Just accept that it will happen and bring your attention back to your breath every time. Do not let your mind run out of control or you will lose your focus and get frustrated and then give up. Just refocus, recenter and continue breathing after each stray thought. Repeat as often as you need to. Gradually you will learn to shut down intruding thoughts easily and keep your mind focused only on your breath.
The most important thing to remember is that it is a slow process that will take time and effort and you shouldn’t get discouraged if you can’t master it fast enough. Don’t criticize yourself and don’t give up because you think you just can’t do it. You can do it but like anything you seek to master you must work at it and never give up.
This exercise is transferable and not limited to this one specific time and place. Use it any time you need it. Use it when you are overwhelmed, anxious or panicky. It will help you self-soothe and can end an anxiety attack. It will reduce the possibility of problems that could arise from losing control of yourself. You can calm down, minimize anger and eliminate nervous energy. You can use it anywhere - at your desk, in a crowded room, outdoors, or when surrounded by nerve triggers. All you are doing is breathing and you can breathe anywhere. Just remember what you need to do and then do it.
Mastering this mindfulness exercise is just the start to mindful mediation. Research other exercises online and start trying them out. You will notice that breathing is a key element in most practices so that is why it is important that you start here and build up your skills until you master it.
- Once you incorporate mindfulness into your daily life you will start influencing change in your mind and thought processes. You will notice a diminishing intensity of the intrusive thoughts at first and then you’ll notice your general anxiety starting to lessen.
- You will start seeing your stress levels change in situations that used to overwhelm you. Each time you encounter a stressful event or environment and choose to handle it mindfully you will start to see the intensity diminish until you can handle it without any problem.
- For example, walking across a dark parking garage terrifies you because it triggers the memory of an assault. As you fine tune your mindfulness techniques you will find it easier with every step you safely take until you find yourself bravely walking all the way to your car without having a panic attack. This will make you feel braver and more in control. And by mastering that parking lot you have diminished a trigger in your PTSD and have made significant progress in healing and recovering from your trauma.
Remember the key to mindfulness is being in the present moment and focusing only on that. Being present means you focus only on the time (right now) and space (right here) that you currently occupy.
STARLIGHT POETRY BY KAI
View Me on Twitter @kairosoflife
See Creativity Chaos - a Creativity Blog by Kai
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© 2019-2020 Copyright Starlight Poetry
VIEW FULL SITE DIRECTORY
View Me on Twitter @kairosoflife
See Creativity Chaos - a Creativity Blog by Kai
About | Reprints & Copyrights | Home
© 2019-2020 Copyright Starlight Poetry
VIEW FULL SITE DIRECTORY