It sounds simple enough, and yet, in our fast-paced society, it is easy to keep hurtling ahead with our lives, ignoring the effect our environment and experiences have on us.

according to the NHS website (link at the bottom of this post) mindfulness “involves paying attention to what is going on inside and outside ourselves, moment by moment.”

When I first became aware of mindfulness, I was wary that it was just another “quack” method with the sole aim of extracting money from people. However, I needed to find something to help with the relentless barrage of thoughts racing through my head every minute of the day as other methods had stopped being useful. Quite a few of my methods were also quite destructive. I figured I had little to lose by trying this one.

I have read books on mindfulness, listened to podcasts and had mindfulness sessions with a mindfulness coach, with varying levels of success. I thought I’d share some of my experiences with you.

1. Reading mindfulness books

Reading books on mindfulness was certainly a good way to learn about mindfulness. However, when it came to trying to follow some of the techniques while I was reading (as suggested in quite a few of them), I found I couldn’t do this. Having the book there was just too distracting.

I also found that the books generally only taught the mantra type of mindfulness, which doesn’t work for me.

 

2. Listening to podcasts

My most recent venture into exploring mindfulness and its practices has been listening to podcasts. It has been a fascinating journey where I’ve learnt much more about the different approaches to mindfulness. I like the meditation ones and the mindfulness journaling ones best. My preference for these may be due to my passion for writing and creating images. There are also quite a few that are only a few minutes long, which is great if your time is restricted.

The main downside has been that most of the ones I found couldn’t be downloaded to a computer or mobile phone for offline listening.

 

3. Mindfulness coaching

I have yet to do a 1-1 session with a mindfulness coach, but I have participated in a few group sessions. One of the things that I did struggle a bit with was being vulnerable with a group of strangers who I could hear but could not see.

However, for me, the group model turned out well as the others were supportive, and it was good to discuss afterwards how we’d found the experience.

For me, I find mindfulness most effective when I first become aware of repeated intrusive thoughts or a very sharp increase in my stress/anxiety levels.

I’m glad I chose to explore mindfulness despite my concerns. It is not a cure, but for some, like me, it may help give you perspective, space and some relief from the symptoms of your issues, allowing you to move forward with your recovery.

 

References:

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/tips-and-support/mindfulness

Written By Lorna Smart

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