Are you mindful or is your mind full?

Credit to Author: Canadian Immigrant| Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2023 23:20:25 +0000

Learning to live in the moment can reduce anxiety, stress and pain.

We live in a society that has succumbed to the belief that if you are somehow not “busy” then you are not being productive. We wear fatigue like a badge of honour and complain about how busy and tired we are while others nod in agreement.

But how sustainable is this? Not very, if you read the research.

In 2022, Statistics Canada reported that over five million Canadians (18 per cent) aged 15 to 24, met the diagnostic criteria for a mood, anxiety or substance disorder within the previous 12 months. Additionally, 36 per cent of people living with a mood, anxiety or substance use disorder reported having unmet or only partially met health and mental health care needs.

One of the encouraging responses to this mental health crisis has been the rise of mindfulness.

Mindfulness has gained tremendous popularity during the last 30 years in large part to people like Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and author of Full Catastrophe Living. Kabat-Zinn began applying the foundational principles of mindfulness meditation to patients within medical settings, which produced notable results including helping to manage debilitating conditions like chronic pain.

Since then, thousands of people have completed his multi-week MBSR program and increased their ability to manage their responses to stress, pain and other conditions including epilepsy.

“When we practice mindfulness, we are more aware of our thoughts, emotions and actions as they occur,” says Rosie Smith, a registered
psychotherapist and director of adult services with Epilepsy Toronto. “It allows us to notice changes in our mood and feelings moment by moment. In this way, rather than push away negative thoughts and emotions, we can learn to accept them as is, with compassion rather than the judgements we often attach. In this way we can be more at peace with ourselves.”

Smith goes on to say that as more research is being done in the field of mindfulness, it is showing benefits for both emotional and physical wellbeing: improving the health of those with high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep issues and even weight loss.

“I have worked with many clients with anxiety and depression and over the years have incorporated mindfulness in my Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) practice as well as taught mindfulness-based stress reduction strategies to those who need it,” says Smith. “I utilize mindfulness practices in my individual therapy sessions as well as in group settings. I also try to live my life mindfully.”

There’s no question that moving from one country to another and starting an entirely new life can be disruptive and overwhelming. Whether it is people fleeing violence in their homeland or dealing with the crushing feelings of trying to adapt to the rhythms of a whole new culture. Thus, it becomes easy for newcomers and immigrants to fall prey to the anxiety of an uncertain future or the haunting refrains of a depressive past. The result is that these feelings take you out of the present moment.

When applying mindfulness, try to remember that your thoughts, emotions and sensations change from moment to moment. Try to focus on what you are observing or feeling now and accept without judgment attached. When your mind wanders try to bring yourself back to the present moment.

Most importantly, be kind to yourself. You are no doubt going to experience disruptive thoughts and feelings, but these are just visitors. They come and go. A compassionate attitude towards yourself can go a long way.

This is really just the first step in your mindfulness journey. There are many Canadian resources available to help get you started. One of these is the Canadian Mindfulness Centre (canadianmindfullness.ca).

“One of the areas of mindfulness that people often don’t realize is that it is not necessarily the same as meditation, which means you don’t always have to set aside 20 minutes of your day to practice mindfulness even though you can,” says Smith.

Smith says that mindfulness can be practiced through everyday activities such as mindful walking, mindful eating or mindful breathing. “I believe our stress levels will be greatly reduced if we learn to do one thing at a time thus enjoying the pleasant activities in a more meaningful way while at the same time being more aware of our emotions so we can address them earlier. After all, we cannot change what we don’t notice.”

Carter Hammett is a freelance writer with two decades of experience in social work, employment counselling and adult education.

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