Mindfulness: What Is It? (Even if you dont know please post so we can help grow the forums accordingly)

[blondguy]

Hi Everybody

This is only the basic dictionary definition...

"Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. When you're mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment without judgement"

• Please be as blunt you wish....If you dont have an idea about mindfulness it would be great if you could let us know
• If mindfulness hasnt worked/or is too broad a concept for you it would great if you can let us know your thoughts too
• If mindfulness has helped you, please help others to help themselves by posting how you have embraced this mindset

It goes without saying that the forums are a judgement free zone and I really hope that everyone can jump in and have their say

Your input is highly valued no matter how you respond to this topic. There are no experts here...New Posters are Most Welcome!!

My Kindest Thoughts

Paul

[Guest9337]

Todays mindful practice was to notice I have been emotionally abused, in the very moments it was happening.

[The_Bro]

Gidday Missep and thanks for replying!

Yea when my mind wanders I have a little mantra I use - saying the words 'Liquid Smooth' to myself while visualising very calm and inviting water. Calms my mind and makes it easier to focus.

Hey maybe you could try that too with a mantra of your own!

Bye for now. The Bro.

[quirkywords]

I concentrated on my hands and noticed they are looking old yet smooth The way the veins pop out really fascinated me. I was breathing deeply and thought of nothing but my hands.

[The_Bro]

Gidday David n Goliath

Wow that's interesting! Good onya for recognising what was going on at the time.

Do you think that realisation helped you cope with the situation? How did you feel?

I wonder if your realisation helped you to distance yourself a little better and move towards a remedy?

Look forward to your thoughts. The Bro

[The_Bro]

Now that's pretty funky Quirkywords!

Good onya - did that piece of paying attention help you focus on the next task?

Now you have me looking at my hands as well - the look too old I think. Must get some more cream........

[missep123]

Hi everyone!

Awesome work- I love seeing the support on this thread!

A funny thing happened to me the other day- I realised that I was calm and not anxious about anything...it was a strange feeling! I realised that my body was so used to feeling some form of stress or anxiety that when I was calm I felt really different. Perhaps mindfulness is working??? I hope so!

[The_Bro]

Now c'mon Misstep123 - we can't let you get away with that without an explanation! (He He)

Congratulations on feeling calm and more importantly, recognising it.

Any ideas you can share with us on what contributed to your calmness on that occasion?

Love to hear back, and see if any of us can share your secret.....

The Bro

[Jstar49]

Heya,

maybe, misstep was just feeling calm, and tho it's something she has felt in the past, she has not paid much attention to it, becos she's more attuned to the stress and anxiety (like a small child who always whines for attention- they get more attention than the quiet well behaved child...)

Not that I'm comparing you to a small child misstep! hope that makes sense! Anyway, well done I reckon, for noticing those lovely calm feelings. As the saying goes, what you focus on grows, sooo......

I have been paying attntion to lots of uncomfortable feelings lately, and instead of turning to crutches (alcohol, shopping, tv etc) I have been sitting with them. Paying attention. It's been hard work, and it's taken me into some pretty dark feelings about myself, which has been challenging. But I seem to be coming thru it now, and life's getting a bit easier. So I'm thankful.

What do you all do when feelings get overwhelming?

Cheers,

J*

[missep123]

Hi everyone!

I'm sorry for my late reply.

Looking back to that feeling - I really felt empowered. I did still get a few waves of anxiety a few days later but what I did was I thought back to when I was feeling calm and tried to hold on to that feeling. Similar to when you think of specific memories and you feel a certain way, I tried to 'practice' feeling that feeling of calm again. The first time did take me by surprise!

I saw an amazing piece of advice on TikTok from someone who suffered from anxiety for a long time. He said that when we start to ruminate and think about our negative feelings, stop moving your eyes! I thought that was so interesting and lo and behold it was true for me. I want to research more about it but there are some really interesting articles about how eye movements trigger certain memories and vice versa.

Next time you have a ruminating thought or memory, pay attention to your eye movements! I wonder if it is the same for everyone.

We are definitely on this journey together!

[CMF]

Hi missep123 and all reading,

Interesting. Many years ago when my anxiety was quite bad I visited a psychologist. She watched as I spoke and said to me "my goodness your eyes have not stopped moving since you started talking, I can't begin to imagine what's going on in your mind ".

Thank you for that insight, every little thing helps.

Take care

Cmf x