Practice Mindfulness During Stressful Times
Jill Johnson, LIMHP, Bryan Behavioral Health Services, Bryan Indepence Center
It seems in today’s society, productivity is praised, and we tend to stay actively busy, trying to keep up with work and home life responsibilities. The pressure of these demands make us feel like we have no choice but to multi-task. For most of us, multi-tasking actually makes us less efficient and more likely to make mistakes. This may not be as apparent when doing tasks that are simple and routine, like listening to music while walking, but studies show that when tasks are more complex, we actually take a longer time to complete them when multi-tasking.
Consider the term ‘mono-tasking’ as a synonym for mindfulness practice. Mindfulness can be defined as the practice of purposely bringing our attention to the present moment without judgment or evaluation; a skill we can develop through meditation or other training.
Breath as Your Anchor
Although there are many techniques of mindfulness practice, most typically use some type of "anchor," such as your breath. The anchor is something to come back to when your mind wanders off. It secures your focus and restores your attention when you are repeatedly consumed by distracting thoughts. This is a common occurrence for both experienced and inexperienced meditators. The breath is a simple anchor; it’s always with you and takes almost no effort to notice.
There are several evidence–based benefits of regular meditation and mindfulness practice. Some of these include:
- Stress reduction and a better ability to deal with adverse events
- Improved relationships and deeper connections with others
- Physical benefits, such as reduced blood pressure and chronic pain; improved immune system and sleep; decreased depression and anxiety; better memory and attention span
It is best not to have expectations for your mindfulness practice. Approach your practice with what is referred to as the "beginner's mind," similar to a child's mind that is filled with curiosity and wonder. It is best to resist focusing on an outcome. Just be present with what is happening in the moment during your practice.
No Such Thing as Failure
It’s not uncommon struggle to keep your mind present while meditating. You might feel as though you are failing to meditate "correctly." However, there is no failure in meditation practice. The practice just is; it is neither good nor bad. The goal is to get a little space from our thoughts and allow them to come and go as they please. Each time you practice, you will get lost in the wandering mind. That is what the mind does and will always do. The key is to notice your mind wandering and gently return your focus back to your breath; this is akin to your brain doing a mental push-up. The more mental push-ups you do, the more benefits mindfulness practice will bring.
Mindfulness practice is not a cure-all for problems, nor is it meant to provide a relaxed feeling; however, that can be an added benefit to the experience. The purpose is simply to be present, notice when the mind wanders off with thoughts, feelings or sensations, and do so without judgment or striving to change things. Then, kindly and gently return back to your breath or other anchor chosen. These practices help us to train the mind, not control it.
Patience and Acceptance
Over time and with regular practice, mindfulness meditations teach us patience and acceptance. With acceptance comes growth, and eventually you will find it easier to be more present and aware in your daily life. We slowly train our brains and ourselves to become responders to life stressors rather than reactors.
The benefits of mindfulness practices are best reached when meditations are practiced daily for at least 10–15 minutes. Studies using brain scanning technology have shown that practicing mindfulness daily for just eight weeks in a row can create noticeable changes in the brain, with visible evidence of new and healthier changes in brain matter and neural pathways. In theory, it seems relatively easy to find 10 minutes in our day to practice, but in reality, a simple 10 minutes is the easiest thing to put off until tomorrow. It is more realistic to start with any amount of time in order to create a new habit for practicing mindfulness. One minute, three minutes or five minutes of mindfulness practice is still healthy for your brain and can lead to a routine for longer daily mindfulness practice.
You can start a short mindfulness practice right now by reading the quote below. As you read it, take one SLOW and deep breath in, then out, between each word in the sentence.
"We are human beings, not human doers."
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