Mindfulness

[Traveller73]

A common thread on here is that mindfulness has not worked for them. But am wondering if its because the symptoms persist and the thoughts keep coming back? This will happen. The trick is to notice the thought. "I notice i'm thinking about X', then go back to concentrating on your mindfulness exercise. It might happen several times. It takes practice as you retrain your brain to focus. I hope this post encourages others to try mindfulnrss as it really helped me. The book 'The Happiness Trap' really goes into it more andtotally recommendd. Good luck.

[Vince_Noir]

I agree Traveller, I've been using an app, headspace, for the last 6 months or so and have found it very beneficial. I've had a bad 18 months or so with anxiety but have found mindfulness is certainly helping me in the right direction. I wouldn't say its a cure as such, but when practiced regularly (I try to do a 15 minute session each day) it helps you to ease past those difficult, unhealthy thought patterns.

[Starwolf]

Hi Traveller,

Thank you for this helpful observation. I agree...a common mistake is to fight (push forcefully away) intrusive thoughts. Calm acknowledgment before focusing the mind elsewhere is the key. Something like "yes, I am feeling scared, angry, hopeless etc..at the moment" but now I want to be elsewhere, do something else.

Other reasons why people reject mindfulness as "not for them" is because they only give it a go when the going gets tough. As I often point out, a competition, exam, sport match are not the time to practice our moves...Regular training when not under pressure does it.

Also, mindfulness doesn't come easy, because of the mind being allowed to run uncontrolled over a lifetime. Instead of being our mind, it becomes the tyrant that rules us. Old entrenched patterns do not disappear overnight...so many people give up, deciding it doesn't work.

When it becomes effortless habit, mindfulness has long-term, positive effects over all areas of Life.

Happy, peaceful trails to you, Traveller.

[Quiettall]

These posts sound really interesting. I have been trying to practise mindfulness recently in dealing with reconnecting with my older siblings, some of whom suffer from serious mental health conditions, which they do not want to acknowledge. I also find journalling (writing a paragraph or two each day on how I feel, what I'm thinking, what are the challenges I face, and what opportunities there are) really helps to sort out my thinking over the short to medium term

[demonblaster]

Very pleased to see this Traveller just tagging for now

[smallwolf]

Not sure if this should go here on on the ground threading, but here goes. My psych asked me whether I had read "the happiness trap". I replied mostly. In the 2nd part of the book I read sections that I considered relevant. So I started to re-read starting at section 2 and the following stuck out (my cap locks)...

THOUGHTS ARE JUST WORDS

(More on this later.... maybe)

Tim