The first thing I'd like to do is define mindfulness .now the term mindfulness has become so popular these days is to border on becoming a fad there's even a mindfulness coloring book so I'd like to read you a definition that I found that is particularly good. I think and it is that mindfulness is simply being aware of the present moment including one's thoughts feelings and bodily sensations without judging them or pushing them away. mindfulness involves acceptance meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them means without believing for example that there's a right or wrong way to think or to feel in a given moment.
Now how can mindfulness help depression as we know people with depression tend to view things in a negative light and can often be consumed with negative thoughts. These may be thoughts about the past - why didn't do that stupid thing or thoughts about the future. I'll never get well, how will I ever escape this or thoughts about the presents especially negative self-esteem thoughts like I'm a loser. I'll never get it right, I can't believe what a jerk am all. All these self put-downs and by doing this by focusing on these. Never these negative thoughts over and over again you simply dig yourself into a ditch which is almost impossible to escape from.
Now, of course, it's not impossible to escape from negative depression thoughts it's very possible and there are many techniques that can help you do this like cognitive therapy. Well here, we're going to talk about mindfulness so when you are in a mindful state and you notice these negative thoughts coming up what you do is simply notice them and don't grab onto them, don't push them away just notice them without judgment now there are various visual images you can use to help yourself out of this.
I like the idea of imagining their clouds is passing by in the sky and drifting away or some people like the idea of using leaves that are falling into a river from a tree and floating downstream and other people liked the idea of using trains, going by in a train track or thoughts and feelings going by on a conveyor belt any image that you pick like this that helps you is a good thing to do.
Now the idea is to let your thoughts come and go without trying to push them away or grab onto them. you can learn to experience your thoughts and emotions as passing events, not as the truth of who you are or what the future will be as you practice mindfulness over time actual physical changes will occur in your brain.
Indeed some studies show that mindfulness increases the activity and the area of your brain associated with positive emotions while decreasing the negative one another study shows that mindfulness is as effective as antidepressants and helping with depression and controlling relapse and it can help with chronic anxiety because when you're mindful you leave the future that worrisome future and come back into the present now if you really want to strengthen the mindful part of your brain you can practice something called mindfulness meditation this involves practicing mindfulness while sitting, standing or lying down for a predetermined period of time to begin to find a way to get comfortable and relax as I said earlier you could be sitting, standing or lying down.
Then choose an object of focus it can be your breath that's what most people do or it can be a word like peace love letting go or it can be a sacred word like God Jesus Buddha. The idea is to breathe and focus on that sacred word or that word of your choice and just be now you'll notice your mind starts to wander. you may think of something that has feelings come up feel bodily sensation or memory may come up whenever that happens just gently bring your focus back and keep up the meditation and this will happen over and over again you'll focus.
You lose your focus and you bring it back to your word or the breath or whatever you're choosing to focus on and just do this throughout the whole process until the time period is up. you can spend any amount of time practicing mindfulness meditation 5 minutes 10 minutes 20 minutes.
Any way you can fit into your day and overtime mindfulness will become another tool and your depression recovery toolbox and you'll learn to live more and more in the present rather than worrying about the future. you'll be living more in the here and now and remember the president is the only time we have and the only time we can really do anything to change our lives right here.
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