Mindfulness (13/05/20)

You may have heard of mindfulness as a form of therapy or a specific way to meditate and it is both of those things. But you don't have to do a mindfulness therapy course or even meditate to integrate mindfulness practice into your daily life.

In very simple terms, mindfulness is developing an awareness of your thoughts as they enter your mind and developing an ability to recognise them as JUST THOUGHTS and not reality. Our brains are wired to give us a running commentary of our daily lives, and often when we are under pressure or stressed, this commentary can be full of fear, worry, self-criticism and self-doubt. One negative thought can lead to another and before we know it we can be so overwhelmed with our situation that our mood and anxiety levels can be affected.

Guided mindfulness meditations can help us to practice developing an awareness of our thoughts and over time develop an ability to 'catch' negative thoughts before they spiral out of control. Mindfulness meditation has been proven to significantly reduce the recurrence of depression in people with a previous diagnosis by Mark Williams, founder of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre (OMC). It is also great for general wellbeing and improved concentration.

I highly recommend his book if you would like to learn more about mindfulness techniques (reference below). There are lots of mindfulness meditations available on Youtube, and you access the meditations that accompany Mark Williams’ book here: http://franticworld.com/peace/. The OMC are offering a free mindfulness course via Zoom in June, available to anyone who will benefit: https://www.oxfordmindfulness.org/introduction-to-mindfuln…/

Mindfulness is also about LIVING IN THE PRESENT MOMENT. Thoughts about the past and the future are the root causes of anxiety and the more that we can focus our minds on the here and now, the less we are likely to be drawn into a rollercoaster of worry in our heads. Mindfulness activities are anything with purpose that focuses your mind in the present. Some examples could be walking or running, knitting, writing, playing with your kids, reading, baking, yoga, gardening - anything that you enjoy and can engage your mind with. I have a list of six things that tick this box for me and try to do two each day.

A little exercise you could try this week: What could be your six mindful activities? Jot them down and stick them on your fridge to remind you. Next time you are doing one of these activities, be aware of where your mind is. Try and focus on the activity fully and catch your mind out when it wonders off to thinking about what you 'need' to do next or what you 'should' be doing instead. You could also try this with more mundane daily activities such as brushing your teeth and having a shower. A ten minute shower can set your day on a downward path if you have spent it worrying about everything you have to do next. Instead try focusing on the experience of having a shower. It could make a big difference to your day!

If you have tried mindfulness before, or try it out this week - I would love to hear your thoughts and how you get on!

Reference: Williams M & Penman D (2011). Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World. UK, Piatkus.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mindfulness-practical…/…/074995308X