Mindfulness and Resilience
FROM MINDFULNESS TO RESILIENCE
My journey from near-breakdown to emotionally and mentally flourishing began, grew from and continues to be based on mindfulness. Not the colouring-in-book/nice slogan sign/cup-of-tea kind of mindfulness – although all of those things have a place. Mindfulness as in allowing myself to be where I am, here in the present, not wishing I were somewhere better or easier.
Being in the present is being in a place without stress. Letting our minds go back to previous hurts or lost dreams can lead to depression, thinking about future concerns leads to anxiety. Right here and now there is only me, my breath, my body. Calm.
From this place of calm, it is possible to gain perspective, to appreciate the world around us, to come out from under the control of our negative thoughts and general ‘busyness’. From there we are able to develop skills to manage emotions, accept and let go of thoughts as we choose, to respond rather than react and to use other resilient thinking skills to gain control over our own thoughts rather than let them control us.
Just as tension and worry become habits, so can mindfulness, reframing our thoughts, and planning instead of worrying.