Anxiety: 4 Ways I Use Mindfulness to Deal with Stress
Your emotional health is the supporting function from which the rest of your identity takes root.
Those of us with good emotional health are aware of our feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. They know themselves, their limits, and operate comfortably within their capabilities. They feel good about themselves, and have a healthy relationship with the world around them.
They’ve learned healthy ways to cope with the drama and trauma life brings to their front door.
However, obstacles of every sort can disrupt your emotional health and lead to over powering feelings of stress, panic, sadness, or anxiety.
· Moving to a new city
· Financial hardship
· Suffering illness or injury
· Losing a loved one
· Starting a new career
· Unemployment
· Getting divorced or married
Being pushed out of your comfort level can trigger a stressful response.
In an effort to provide us with new ways to deal with stress, cultivate well-being, and capitalize on the way our brains change and develop, an emerging field of science around mindfulness training called Contemplative Science and Education, based on an ancient, Eastern contemplative tradition is being developed taught.
The Buddhists, Ancient Hindus, and Taoists developed the concept of “self-knowledge” through various methods of meditation and what we now know as mindfulness practice.
There are countless texts and historical records that span 2,500+ years on the subject, but they essentially describe self-knowledge as the highest, most coveted form of power and intelligence.
You cannot hope to reach your full potential and foster a healthy relationship with the world without cultivating it within yourself first.
Life is filled with possibility and uncertainty. The project of creating a coherent identity en route to shaping a full and prosperous life is inherently stressful.
This developmental task is even more stressful given the economic, social, and technological changes that characterize our times.
It may seem antiquated in such a global, interconnected age to propose we tackle our internal conflicts by learning ancient training techniques to understand our bodies and our minds better.
And yet, modern science is revealing that the stress inherent of the 21st century requires a commitment to self-care and personal development through the ancient practice we now refer to as mindfulness.
With so much information on the subject, it can be daunting to find a plan of action to get started.
Below, I have four simplified steps for anyone looking to equip themselves with a way to fight stress and anxiety.
The first step in dealing with stress is about stopping, breathing, and calming down before making your next move. Research shows that stopping and taking a few deep breaths while extending your exhale is a trustworthy way of suppressing our anxiety, calming down our fight-flight mechanism, and clearing our minds so we can think more clearly when we’re facing a stressful situation.
A singular focus on natural flow of “inhale-exhale” is a key form of mindfulness, used to build “one-pointed, focused attention.”
The practice of following the breath going in and out at its natural pace is an excellent beginning point for people looking to improve their method of self-care.
The relaxed state focused breathing brings you can allow you to enter the present moment instead of ruminating on the past or worrying about the future. Being in the present moment and absorbing whatever is taking place right then and there is an important means of self-awareness and self-regulation.
Being in the present teaches us not to over engage with an experience or to suppress or avoid certain experiences. Over time, we become hyper aware of our body sensations, feelings, thoughts, and the imagery in our minds.
The importance of being here now, in the present moment cannot be understated, seeing as how life is unfolding right here, right now and will be forever and always.
It is in the now that we make choices that effect the next immediate outcome.
Using our breath as our guide and anchor to ground us in the present moment, we can always bring ourselves back to the present moment.
If we’re feeling under attack from our own feelings and emotions, we can use our breath as to find our way back to the present moment, and ask ourselves, “What is happening now, and how might I respond to this event in my life after I calm down?”
A common insight among those who study anxiety and depression is that much of our stress is caused by unnecessary concern, rumination, and doubt.
We might ask ourselves in a moment of emotional duress, after breathing, what kinds of desires, expectations, or fears might I be able to let go of in this moment to alleviate some of the stress I am putting on myself unnecessarily?
A classic example is getting caught in traffic on your morning commute to work or school. Try applying this practice in this situation and realize to get upset about a situation that you cannot control is unhelpful and unnecessary.
Letting go can be a liberating act.
Practicing mindfulness is not about perfection or performance.
Rather, it is about trying again and again to be present in thought, stay calm, and let go of any emotional or psychological burdens so we can see ourselves and each other with renewed focus.
During mindfulness practice, our minds wander; we become distracted, we get caught up in the feelings and thoughts we are trying to notice and label quietly, in a dispassionate way.
This is practice. We are not trying to block the mind from what it is made to do — indeed we cannot!
This is not the goal. We are trying to befriend and familiarize ourselves with our bodies and minds, to develop a new relationship built on self-compassion and love.
We can achieve this by starting again after distractions during the practice and by assuming a gentle attitude towards ourselves.
The effort put towards self-knowledge and to use that awareness in compassionate ways for growth is the intended path of mindfulness.
The goal is to continually “begin again” no matter what happens — without self-judgements or emotional reactions.
Over time, our expertise in understanding, accepting, and regulating our own minds and bodies will improve and become our greatest asset.
