The Utility of Mindfulness
A Brief Introduction to Mindfulness
It is exceptionally easy to lose track of the present moment. How many times have you set out to just watch one 30 minute episode of some new Netflix show, to then “come to” several hours later when that judgmental “Are you [seriously] still watching this?” message pops up? Or how about when you open a bag of peanut butter M&M’s as a little treat, but then end up double fisting those tiny morsels to the point of making yourself sick. Both of these scenarios – and many other similar occurrences that arise throughout the day – are prime examples of mindLESSness.
Mindlessness is the experience of engaging in specific behaviors or thoughts, or having emotional reactions, without having any conscious awareness of them happening. It’s getting so consumed by a thought, feeling, or activity that we lose all awareness of our bodies and surroundings, often resulting in us making mistakes, forgetting something important, or even getting ourselves into dangerous situations (highway hypnosis anyone?). Going through life mindlessly is like walking through a fully furnished room with our eyes closed– we’re going to bump into lots of things and get several bruises along the way.
The alternative to mindLESSness, is mindFULness. To quote one of the most prominent figures of the mindfulness world Jon Kabat-Zinn, mindfulness is “the awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.” In essence, it’s tuning into to what is happening both internally (our thoughts, urges, emotions, and physical sensations, etc) and externally (our surroundings, other people’s facial expressions and body language, etc) without judging it, criticizing it, or analyzing it. It’s simply noticing.
Remember that game we all played as children when we’d look up at the clouds and look for funny shapes and animals? Mindfulness is looking up at the clouds and seeing, well, clouds. Noticing the shapes for what they are, not what they look like; noticing the colors change as the clouds move past the sun; noticing the burning sensation in your eyes when the clouds move faster than expected and now you’re staring at the sun; noticing the thought “huh, staring at the sun in painful, I should probably stop”; etc.
Mindfulness is considered a core component of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) because it helps to provide us with options for how to handle difficult situations! If something upsetting or anxiety provoking happens, you can either react immediately based on your feelings and judgments, OR you can take a moment to stop and notice the metaphorical clouds by asking, “What just happened? What emotion just came up inside me? Are there any sensations in my body? What do they feel like? What do I WANT to do or say?” By gathering all this important information, you can make wise, thoughtful decisions and respond effectively to difficult situations instead of reacting emotionally.
Let’s start small by picking a mindfulness cue. A mindfulness cue is anything that you interact with in your environment that reminds you to stop, check in with yourself emotionally and physically, and ask, “what do I need right now?” Cues can include STOP signs, red lights, opening doors, handwashing, doing dishes, cooking…any time you have the ability to stop and reflect. Like any habit, this may take some time to incorporate regularly, but we guarantee it will be worth the effort!