 Do you have too many regrets about your past and/or anxiety about your future? Mindfulness
may be for you! It can be defined, “...as meaning to remember to pay attention to what is occurring in one’s immediate experience with care and discernment (Wallace & Bodhi, 2006). Without research a person often finds themselves thinking that mindfulness means emptying your thoughts or never thinking about your past or present. It is not those things, but several thoughts put together to enhance the current activity and experiences of people. Mindfulness includes both mindful awareness followed by mindful practice. Mindful awareness is a way of being in the moment with everything included in that moment such as smells, sounds, how your body feels, your emotions, and your perceptions without adding to it or pushing away what we do not want to acknowledge. Have you ever had a thought in your head that led to an emotion that you did not understand or like so you distract yourself somehow instead of experiencing it? Mindfulness teaches how to sit with it instead. There are three core elements used in mindfulness and they are intention, attention, and attitude. Intention is the why of the situation. Why is this important to you? Why are you giving the item time in your life? Attention is, “... discerning and non-reactive, sustained and concentrated, so that we can see clearly what is arising in the present moment”. That includes thoughts, feelings and emotions that may be coming to the surface. Attitude has more to do with the approach in that we should use our heart when using mindfulness so that, “ with practice and right effort, individuals can learn to attend to their own internal and external experiences without evaluation or interpretation, and practice acceptance, kindness, and openness...”. In conclusion, mindfulness techniques can be used to stay in the present while slowing down our thoughts and intentionally staying in the situation as it is and experiencing all that comes with it. It takes time to master these techniques but thirty years of research has proven its usefulness, relevance, and benefits. References Shapiro, S. L., Carlson, L. E. (2006). Mechanisms of mindfulness. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62, 373-386. Shapiro, S. L., Carlson, L. E. (2017). What is mindfulness and how does it work in clinical settings?. The Art and Science of Mindfulness. 10-28. Shapiro, S. L., & Schwartz, G. E. (2000a). Intentional systemic mindfulness: An integrative model for self-regulation and health, Advances in Mind-Body Medicine, 16, 128-134. By April Fitchett, LCSWA #Mindfulness #PresentMoment #SelfAwareness #EmotionalWellbeing #MentalHealth #MindfulPractice #MindfulAwareness #Acceptance #Kindness #Openness #StressManagement #AnxietyRelief #PositiveChange #EmbraceThePresent #MindfulLiving #MentalWellness #Meditation #StayInTheMoment #MindfulAttitude #MindfulApproach #InnerPeace #SelfDiscovery #MindfulThinking #EmotionalHealth #LiveInTheNow #MindfulnessBenefits #ResearchBacked #MindfulnessTechniques #MindfulnessMatters
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