Benefits of Mindfulness for Trauma and Anxiety
The concept of mindfulness entails being present and more aware of life, your here- and- now moments, as it unfolds.
Focusing on the present moment with intention and accepting it without passing judgment is the practice of mindfulness. Currently, mindfulness has been discovered to be a crucial component of stress relief and general well-being.
A benefit of mindfulness is the ability to recognize and control your emotions. Your capacity to exert control over your own emotions is referred to as emotional regulation. It will also increase your “window- of- tolerance” (link to post) so you may have an easier time letting difficult thoughts, emotions or situations roll off your shoulder.
Trauma and Mindfulness
Those who have experienced trauma can benefit greatly from mindfulness. A person's ability to self-regulate, cultivate self-compassion, and develop present-moment awareness can be negatively affected by a history of trauma, however, cultivating a mindfulness practice can aid in the recovery from trauma. Hence, your ability to regulate your emotions in the here-and-now due to triggers, for instance, will allow you to enjoy your present moment rather than feeling hostage by the fight, flight, freeze or fawn responses (See our Facebook or Instagram for more information on normal trauma responses).
Anxiety and Mindfulness
Although it may seem impossible to avoid anxiety, mindfulness techniques can dramatically improve psychological, cognitive, and physical health as well as help people deal with their anxiety.. It may help individuals put anxiety in its” proper” perspective and reduce its influence in their lives. When faced with situations that cause anxiety, mindfulness has the power to turn off or control emotional reactivity. It enables people to pause, view the situation for what it is vs. with unhelpful emotions or thoughts which may exacerbate that anxiety.
Mindfulness Practices
Pause. When you walk up in the morning, quiet your busy thoughts and refocus. Pay attention to your surroundings. Take notice of the sunlight piercing through your window, the quietness of the room, or the smell of breakfast coming from downstairs. Start your day with a pause.
Breathe. Focus on your breathing. Remember to breathe deeply. In order to swiftly reduce anxiety, exhale more slowly than you inhale. The 3-4-5 breathing method is effective. Simply inhale for three counts, hold your breath for four, and then exhale for five.
Gratitude. Make a gratitude list or journal as a simple yet effective technique to improve your wellbeing. Simply put, daily log the blessings in your life. Take a moment at the end of each day to think back on what you are grateful for.
Try this: Take a moment to find any object that you can easily hold in your hand (a pen, your phone etc). Now, imagine you are sitting with a friend, but this friend has no senses, they cannot see, hear, smell, taste or feel ANYTHING. Try to describe this object in your hand with as much detail as possible, using all of your senses and all adjectives you could possible think about. Give yourself at least 8min, using a timer. Afterward, ask yourself how this felt, how your body and mind are feeling compared to the beginning of this exercise.
