Living with stress has become so prevalent that it feels like a normal way of life. When we think about all the things that we go through day in and day out, it is easy to want to disconnect through different means like smoking, watching television, exercise, or even using substances. We are all in a hurry to get away from the stressors of life or at least forget about them for a while. There are so many things that humans can’t control, and this in itself can cause a big amount of stress. When people start thinking about their worries and fears, whether that be in their relationships, at work, with friends, or just not wanting to feel all the feelings, things can get out of hand. There are so many things to worry about ranging from getting to work late adding all the way up to acts of terrorism going on around the world. The list of worries seems to never end.  

The answer to dealing with the stressors isn’t to turn away from the situations that cause us stress, but to turn towards them using mindfulness. When you use mindfulness, you can see your concerns and learn to deal with them in a healthy manner.   The important thing is to know what struggles you are dealing with in your life and become more aware of the strategies that work and the strategies that don’t work so you can stop doing them. Mind traps are mental habits that amplify stress and in consequence increase pain. 

Self-talk are the conversations that we often have with ourselves inside our head. Self-talk is the method that we use to communicate with ourselves. Sometimes the conversations with ourselves have a habit of being negative. The things that we tell ourselves can often turn dark and this leaves us feeling empty, depressed, and lonely. When we do something that we regret, some of the thoughts that we might say are “you are so dumb!” “How could you make such a mistake?” “Anyone can do a better job than you.” This can then amplify to “I’m not good enough,” “I’m never going to get this right,” “I am worthless,” “I just want to quit everything.” When you use mindfulness, it can help you to deal with these negative thoughts and see them as just that, thoughts instead of facts. Being aware of your thoughts can be like watching the clouds move on in the sky. The important thing to do is not to entertain those negative thoughts but just watch them pass and move on. Don’t judge yourself for having those thoughts, don’t engage, just observe them and watch them leave.  

We hope you enjoy reading about mindfulness. The more you practice it, the easier and more natural it will become. Remember that you can practice mindfulness informally or formally. See you next time!  

For more information, please check the following resource.  

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2019). A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook. New Harbinger Publications, Inc.