Mindfulness Isn’t Just Meditation: A Wakefield Therapist’s Guide to Staying Present
Mindfulness Beyond Meditation
If meditation does not work for you, consider learning about mindfulness from a therapist in Wakefield!
Feeling deeply present is something that many people strive for in their lives. To feel free from distractions, entirely focused and centered. Yet, it is an incredibly tall order in our fast-paced society and amidst American values for hustle, productivity and multitasking.
People are increasingly striving for more “presence” in their lives and often looking to strategies like meditation to get them there, or at least closer. Is meditation the only path though? Not necessarily, as mindfulness is a more broad concept which can help people access the mental clarity they crave, and which is more likely to bring them to a sense of centeredness.
Therapy can include aspects of mindfulness, as well as mindfulness meditations, when it would enhance progress and help someone find the sense of presence they seek. Read on to learn more about how mindfulness might play a role in your life, even if you have not otherwise been inclined to meditation practice. And consider meeting with a therapist in Wakefield to learn how mindfulness can play a role for you personally!
The Science Behind Mindfulness and the Brain
Our brains have an incredibly capacity for focus and attention. Even when we feel subjectively disorganized and like we cannot focus, our brains are still processing incredibly amounts of information. Learning to harness this processing power is the key to feeling more regulated and having the capacity to be intentionally present in moments where we crave that presence.
Similar to learning a new instrument, learning a new sport or adapting to an injury, we need to rehearse movements and activities that we want to improve. Exposure and purposeful repetition help train the pathways in our brains to the desired outcomes. The same is true with mindfulness. Practicing focus and awareness is possible and actually incredibly helpful to increasing a sense of mindful, intentional awareness and focus in daily life.
Learning to shift your body from an alert state where everything around you feels critically important and into a state where you feel relaxed, prepared and aware, without a sense of frenzy, comes with time. Again, it is possible!
Learning to do this even a little bit better can have surprisingly large and positive results on regulating your emotions, making decisions with more clarity and also on sleeping better.
Everyday Mindfulness Practices for Young Adults and Adults
Wondering where you might get started? The good and bad news is that there are a lot of ways! The challenge of there being a lot of pathways is that the first ones you try may not work for you. It can be easy to get discouraged or to feel like mindfulness is not for you. Yet, just like how I talk about relaxation and grounding skills in an earlier blog post, I firmly believe that there is a mindfulness approach out there for everyone. You might be comfortable with a lot or you may be more of a skeptic. Either way, if you trust and expect you will find something that works for you, it is simply a matter of when, not if.
Where might you start?
1. Mindful breathing: this is less of a breathing exercise, and more about bringing more awareness into your existing breath. Try to close your eyes to reduce input and focus on how your breath feels. How does it feel in your nose? In your throat? In your chest? How does the inhale feel different from the exhale? Try setting a time for just thirty seconds and using the time to pay attention to your breath and get to know it. How firmly do you need to breathe to hear your breath? How much do you still exhale even when you can’t hear it any longer?
2. Mindful taste: A classic and enjoyable mindfulness exercise is the chocolate exercise, which you can get a copy of at https://extension.purdue.edu/4-H/_docs/volunteer/resources-and-development/healthy-living/mental_health/mindful-eating-with-chocolate.pdf. This is also often done with a raisin, though, you are welcome for it being about chocolate here😊
3. Mindful listening: If you stand in front of your home and set a timer for just one minute, what do you hear? If you are inside and alone in the quiet, what does the quiet actually sound like? Give yourself enough time to challenge yourself. This helps you practice getting deeply aware of your surroundings in a short period of time.
All of these exercises are ways of teaching your brain to tune into sensations, and in so doing, to tune out other competing interests. If you find it hard to maintain your focus, you are not alone and this is not cause for concern! It actually means you are right where we expect …ready to practice. Shorten the time you spend practicing until it feels manageable, then add 10-30 seconds at a time. Bring your attention back whenever you notice it has drifted. The act of redirecting your attention, again and again, is actually a critical part of teaching your brain the focus you want it to have.
How Mindfulness Supports Better Decision-Making
Allowing yourself time to truly think through decisions can be a bit part of making a decision. Holding all the options in mind while scanning for your visceral reactions is not for the faint of heart and actually demands a great deal of attention. Through mindfulness practice, that attention will be available to you.
By really observing your thoughts and physical reactions, you can use this information to make your decisions with more intention and with greater purpose. It is not as dramatic as a billboard popping up in front of you, and yet you are likely to notice a subtle, yet distinct sense of clarity, if you are present enough to feel it.
Mindfulness for Sleep and Insomnia Relief
Mindfulness practices are not the only part of getting quality sleep but they can be a tremendous help! One of the most common recommendations I make for someone to fall asleep more easily is to focus on something mildly engaging. That means something that is enough to hold your attention so you can’t focus on things that might be emotionally energizing, and yet something that is emotionally neutral and boring so that you don’t mind falling asleep through it. Mindfulness practice during waking hours helps train your ability to stay focused on a task like this at bedtime, helping you clear your mind to welcome sleep more readily.
Overcoming Common Barriers to Mindfulness Practice
In my experience, both personally and professionally, the biggest barrier is starting! There can be a lot of misconceptions about mindfulness, so I encourage you to allow the skepticism, yet also make space for curiousity. Get curious about what might work best for you and get curious about what it will feel like to be able to feel more present more often.
While developing your mindfulness skills, you are likely to feel frustration or impatience along the way, and that is okay. The goal is not to eliminate these feelings, but rather, not to let them stop you. Keep trying and keep practicing amidst the restlessness to reach mastery.
Therapy can be really helpful for maintaining persistence, as a skilled therapist can help you explore your frustrations and determine when to stay the course and when to try a new approach.
Why Work With a Therapist in Wakefield to Deepen Mindfulness
Working with a therapist with experience in mindfulness practices can help you find strategies that work for you and your lifestyle in a personalized and efficient manner. Combining mindfulness with other strategies can create a cohesive way to help you feel more present in your life.
Want to stay more present and calm in your busy life? A therapist in Wakefield can guide you in practical mindfulness techniques that fit your needs. Schedule a free consultation today.
Whether you are entering therapy for the first time or looking to reconnect with the process, I offer a welcoming, supportive space to explore your challenges and goals.
With the flexibility of in-person and online therapy, we can find a space for therapy in your lifestyle and schedule.
Are you ready to take the next step?
Let’s connect over a free, 15-minute phone consultation for therapy in Wakefield