Mindfulness

mind·ful·ness

ˈmīn(d)f(ə)lnəs/

noun: mindfulness

​1.the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.

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2. a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

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See: A Beginner's Guide To Starting A Mindfulness Practice  (Excellent resource)

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Feel At Ease/Create Balance/Be Present/Take Time For You/Accept Life As It Is

Although I am not a therapist trained specifically in mindfulness, I believe strongly in many of the

concepts and techniques used in the mindfulness philosophy. These concepts are and can be are

integrated in therapy.  Mindfulness has it’s roots in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as it relates to

working in counseling. Mindfulness techniques can be found throughout the internet giving you

suggestions about simple things you may be able to do during your day to help bring yourself to a

better place.

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Some people find commitment or involvement in structured meditation or groups to be helpful or

become involved in yoga as a weekly or even daily activity. These activities have been proven quite

successful. Mindfulness meditation, for example involves the process of developing the skill of bringing

one’s attention to whatever is happening in the present moment. When engaged in this practice, the

mind will often run off to other thoughts and associations, and if this happens, one passively notices

that the mind has wandered, and in an accepting, non-judgmental way, returns to focusing on their

relaxation technique.

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Mindfulness, like CBT works on the theory that when individuals have feelings of depression or stress they return to their usual though process and feel overwhelmed. The goal is to interrupt the thought before it becomes overwhelming and instead work to accept and observe the thought without judgment. Using such new techniques helps to notice early on what is going on for you and alter the reaction.

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I believe a big part of mindfulness is individually finding ways to escape from the things that are stressful and find something that helps us feel good for short periods during the day or week. Part of the goal is to utilize our time in the office to work on the difficult issues that face us and leave some of that behind for the next time. That includes focused mindfulness activities like meditation and yoga, but can be art, music, exercise or in my case photography.