First lets talk about what mindfulness is...
𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩.
Being mindful helps us control the repetitive, negative, and destructive thoughts caused by grief that lead to stress, depression, and anxiety.
We tend to spend so much of our time thinking about how we could have changed the past or worrying about how our future isn't going to turn out like we expected that we lose track of the present.
We create imaginary scenarios about what we could have, should have, or would have done to change what happened if we had only known or saw the signs.
All while not paying attention to what is happening now.
Being mindful of our thoughts leads to a greater acceptance of what is happening now and helps us to handle the current situation without getting lost in thought.
While we are grieving we spend a lot of time thinking and not enough time being. Being present with our feelings and emotions.
𝘽𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨, 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢.
Neuroscience has proven that practicing mindfulness changes the structure and function of parts of the brain associated with emotional control.
Whenever I feel triggered, the first thing I try to tell myself is to stop. I then follow the STOP technique:
🛑 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏 🛑
𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙋 thinking for a minute. Emotions have a life span of 90 seconds. As long as I do not fuel the emotion, it will pass.
𝙏𝘼𝙆𝙀 a few slow deep breaths. This prevents the fight or flight response in the nervous system and prevents the brain from releasing the stress chemicals.
𝙊𝘽𝙎𝙀𝙍𝙑𝙀 how I am feeling and why I am choosing to react the way I am.
𝙋𝙍𝙊𝘾𝙀𝙎𝙎 my feelings without reacting or creating scenarios or arguments in my head based on fears or what ifs.
𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙭𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨, 𝙣𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚.
This prevents us from allowing our grief to define us and allows us to make the most of the present moment.
💖💫𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 & 𝓛𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽💫💖
