What is Mindfulness?
Often, we are not truly living in the present moment. We are often in our past, which may cause us to experience shame, regret, defeat, or depression. We also can be in the future, which may cause us to experience anxiety, panic attacks, fear, and uncertainty.
Mindfulness is a term that is becoming more and more popular in our culture today as a means of addressing this tendency in people. But what exactly is it? In short, mindfulness is “the practice of purposely bringing one’s attention to the present moment without judgment” and is a skill one develops through meditation or other training.
Mindfulness can pull us out of our past and future by returning to the present moment. Mindfulness can alleviate unpleasant thoughts and emotions, help focus, and improve sleep hygiene and emotional regulation. Mindfulness skills include grounding techniques that ground us to the present moment.
One common grounding skill is the 5,4,3,2,1 technique. Using your 5 senses:
Identify 5 things you can see…
Identify 4 things you can touch…
Identify 3 things you can hear…
Identify 2 things you can smell…
Identify 1 thing you can taste…
Another common Mindfulness skill is focused breathing exercises. Use the 5 technique. To do this, find a comfortable and quiet place, and then:
Take a deep breath through your nose for 5 seconds
Hold for 5 seconds
Exhale through puckered lips for 5 seconds
Repeat 5 times
At Rise Counseling, we provide additional insights and training in mindfulness skills to help you rise above life’s controlling problems. If you or a loved one is interested in exploring treatment, contact us.
