Hi Sparkly Family,
I wanted to share the group I’m running on The Mighty called The Pencil Case. Feel free to check it out here! Join the conversation!
Category: Self-Talk
Defying Shadows: The Dangers of Being Fully Isolated and Preventing Negative Mental Health Side Effects
“Because isolation can negatively impact our mental health, influence spirals of negative thoughts, negative self-talk, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and loneliness; understanding power, control, productivity, and expectations can redefine and reshape how we approach each day. How can we recreate, readjust, and adapt to this new form of living? How can we prioritize our mental health?…
Note: Self-care is personal and can change based on our day to day needs. Whatever we find is the best/most helpful way to cope can only be defined by us.”
Link: The Dangers of Being Fully Isolated and Preventing Negative Mental Health Side Effects
How to Practice Active Mindfulness Meditation
Meditation and mindfulness are two complementary practices that can help enrich the relationship and connection we have with ourselves. Although different in subtle ways, meditation and mindfulness can teach self-compassion, self-awareness, peace, relaxation and calmness. When used together, meditation and mindfulness can also help to build and maintain a healthy relationship with the mind and body.
Meditation and Mindfulness
Meditation: Meditation is a practice and skill that welcomes calmness, stillness, focus, and concentration. By allowing the mind to focus and concentrate on the present moment, meditation helps to manage problems and consider solutions by developing the skills to navigate thoughts and ideas. With aiding in concentration, meditation also helps with calming internal turmoil and chatter. Meditation is a discipline and like any discipline takes practice and patience.
Mindfulness: Mindfulness is the skill, technique, and process of cultivating non-judgmental awareness of our thoughts, environment, and feelings. While it’s easy to over-analyze and overthink to gain control of our thoughts and feelings, mindfulness teaches us the power of noticing and observing. Without the urge to critique or change how we approach our thoughts, we are able to realize when and why those thoughts occur. To be mindful is to intentionally interact with our mind and body to welcome peace, relaxation, and rest. Like meditation, mindfulness seeks to draw attention to the present moment with awareness and intention.
Active Mindful Meditation Techniques
Note: Active mindful meditation combines the concentration and calmness of meditation with the non-judgemental awareness of mindfulness by accepting, noticing, and living through the sensations and experiences of the present moment.
Mindfulness Breathing
Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist in The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation states “breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.” Relying on our breath gives us the choice to return our attention to the present moment. While mindful breathing can be practiced in the crossed-legged position sitting upright as traditional meditation persuades, it can also be done at any time and anywhere, especially when feeling stressed or overwhelmed.
Step 1: Focus your attention on your breathing.
Step 2: Practice a rhythm of breathing that works best for you (either with your eyes opened or closed). Some examples of rhythmic breathing include:
- Counting (whether for three, five, or ten seconds) as you inhale slowly, then counting again for the same amount of seconds as you exhale.
- Using the 6-3-6 technique by inhaling for six seconds, pausing for three seconds before exhaling, then exhaling for another six seconds.
- Simply observing the natural sensation of breathing itself.
Step 3: With each inhalation, focus on the inbreath and observe the sensation, warmth and coolness of breathing in. As you exhale, draw attention to your lungs, expanding diaphragm, and tip of your nose.
Step 4: Notice the thoughts that come up while you are breathing. As the thoughts appear imagine them drifting away with every breath.
Step5: Continue in this rhythm of mindful breathing as long as you feel it necessary.
Mindfulness Eating
Mindfulness eating builds awareness and improves the relationship we have with what foods we consume on a daily basis.
Step 1: Focus your attention on what you are eating. How hungry are you? Can you hold it in your hand? How does it feel? How does it smell? Is your mouth watering? Notice your thoughts as you begin to eat.
Step 2: Notice the food in your mouth, the temperature and texture of the food, and how you are chewing. Observe the sensations in your jaw as you are chewing and swallowing your food.
Note: Mindfulness helps with impulse eating by increasing your awareness to make choices concerning your eating habits. Why are you eating? Are you hungry? When was the last time you had a meal?
Mindfulness Walking
Mindfulness walking focuses awareness on both the body and environment.
Step 1: Choose your favorite place to take a walk whether it be a park, your backyard, a beach, garden or other desired place.
Step 2: Start by standing and evenly distributing your weight on both feet. Observe and feel your body balance on the solid ground. Before starting to walk, mentally scan each part of your body for pain, stress or tension.
Note: Body scanning is a mindfulness technique that allows you to navigate bodily sensations. You can practice body scanning at any time while doing multiple activities. Body scanning is increasing awareness of how your body feels at any given moment.
Step 3: Begin to walk! Notice and become mindful of how you are walking. Take note of how your feet are touching the ground as you walk forward. Slowly move your attention to each part of your body from your feet to your ankles all the way up to your hips. What are the sensations in your feet, ankles, shins, calves, joints, and hips?
Step 4: Notice the air blowing against your skin. What are you thinking? How do you feel?
Note: Active meditation and mindfulness increase your focus and awareness of your body movements and thoughts. There is no need to regulate or change how you would regularly perform these actions; simply notice and observe.
Understanding the Power of Making Mindful Choices
Some find meditation, in its traditional sense of restricted practical consciousness, stillness and focus to be difficult to practice especially when experiencing racing thoughts and stress. By utilizing active meditation techniques, it’s possible to not only incorporate meditation during our every day schedule, but also increase awareness and become mindful of our present self. By understanding our body and needs, we are able to appreciate the power of having and making choices on a moment by moment basis. To have choices reminds us of who we are and what we are capable of.
Reminder: Check out my certifications tab to see all I learned and the link to the mindfulness course I took!
Defying Shadows Article: How to Accept Yourself for Who You Are
“Self-acceptance is a process with no time limit or expectation. We are always growing, evolving, and learning. Once we’ve reflected and asked ourselves important questions to grow in self-awareness, we can now put our continuous acceptance into practice.”
Link: How to Accept Yourself for Who You Are
Mindfulness Tip: It’s Okay to Focus on “Being”
Without the hustle and bustle of an everyday routine of “work, ” it can become draining and confusing to figure out what purpose means. Because we’re used to linking who we are to what we “do” we often forget that we aren’t what we do, we simply…are. We exist and that, in itself, is purpose.
Awareness of the present “self” is appreciating all that “we are” in the absence of work. Who are we when we are not working or performing tasks? How can we bask in the simplicity of being?
Note: Focusing our attention on “doing” dictates our actions and goals to define success as accomplishments achieved only by something we can perform through our behaviors and actions. Therefore, when we are not actively “doing” much of anything we lose our sense of self and purpose. Shifting our focus to “being” allows us to appreciate existing when we are not/cannot “do” anything.
Acknowledging that we have worth and value, not because of “what” we do but because of “who” we are (already) helps us to understand our fundamental “being.”
Affirmation Challenge: When waking up every morning, begin by affirming and manifesting the words, “I am.” By understanding that “doing” doesn’t define purpose, we can view our expectations of ourselves with gentleness, approaching each day with gratitude and grace. Existing and living how best we can outweigh the constant assumption of having to do more to fill our sense of self.
Reminder: It’s okay if some days are difficult to even get out of bed. Those days are our “being” days. It’s okay to focus on being.
A Reminder to Continue to Spread Love
If even with a small gesture or quick check-in with the people you cherish, let them know they are loved and not alone.
Therapy Takeaways: Holding Space
Source:Unkown
This image is a #Repost from Facebook.
So this post appeared on my Facebook feed and allowed me to reflect on the previous conversations I’ve had with my therapist. Conversations centered around relationship-building, relationship maintenance, and relationship termination. Relationship in this sense is defined by any bond I make with who I’ve come to encounter.
Relationships (whether platonic or romantic) are complex and whether we choose to remain in such interactions with others is what we have control over. We have control over who we surround ourselves with.
Still, while in my current frustrations, I’ve realized my habit of “holding space” although torn between whether im valued or thus appreciated in such bonds. When do I draw a line between moving past and holding space? In what ways can I hold space while also ensuring my needs are met and I feel the relationship is benefiting both parties?
Holding space is a form of love and acceptance. And while this year, in particular, has shown me my own strength in my “space holding” capacities, I do value this part of me. I hold space because I love my friends, family (actual, internet, from school or in other instances) and I choose to make room for them. Make room in how I love and support those who’ve shown me vulnerable parts of them.
And yes. Making space isn’t easy as everyone is different and I can’t control others’ “space holding” capacities, only my own. To become frustrated and rash is how I’ve come to include my own needs and put myself in the equation too. Holding space doesn’t mean I won’t get frustrated, triggered, or annoyed. Neither does it mean I’ll abandon myself in pursuit of others’ needs, but I still will make space as well as hold space.
To the people that I love and cherish, there is always space for you. I love you and will always have space in my love for you. If we’ve fallen out or hurt one another in some ways I still have space and I’m rooting for you wherever you are. If we’ve just got to meet one another and getting to know the complexities of one another’s character, my space is here and isn’t going anywhere. And as I hold space for others, my only desire is that others will also hold a space for me.
What is in Your Control?
In times of uncertainty, shift your perspective from what you can’t control to what you can. Allow yourself to create a safe space within yourself when what’s outside isn’t serving your needs. There are things you can control and your actions and self-awareness are two of those things.
Are You Holding On To Something? Read This
Often times we stay stuck in the reality of our past. We dwell and ruminate on the what-ifs and maybes. We stand in what we can’t walk away from. But, that doesn’t have to be where we are forever. We can give ourselves permission to move forward. We can dissect and navigate our mistakes, regrets, and pain in order to clear the path of progress for ourselves. The more we become comfortable with our discomfort and adjust our eyes in the darkest parts of ourselves, we learn to forgive what we were and make room for who we can become.
Make room for yourself to walk forward. Clear a path so that you can forgive and lift the weight that’s been keeping you standing instead of moving forward. Manifest something different. Manifest clarity and grace. Manifest wellness and peace. You deserve to feel free. This is your time for freedom.
Cold
-459.6.
Attachment.
Abandonment.
Anger.
Anxiety.
Annoyed.
Attention.
Neglect.
Trauma.
Trigger.
Love.
Lust.
Broken.
Battle.
Pieces.
Pain.
Regret.
Relationship.
Frustration.
Confusion.
Casual.
Connection.
Care.
Come.
Enough.
Worthy.
Important.
Ignore.
Ignite.
On.
Off.
Leave.
Attachment.
Abandonment.
Neglect.
Cold.
My heart feels cold.
I give up.
I let go.
I don’t want you.
I don’t need you.
I come back to myself.
I’m first.
I’m all I have.
I’m all I need.
Cold.
My heart feels cold.
SparklyWarTanks 