The Mindfulness Response

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Blog 7 3 30/24

Mindfulness

“Mindfulness is the awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally,” says Jon Kabat-Zinn (1994). “It’s about knowing what is on your mind.”

Mindfulness builds concentration skills by teaching the brain to pay attention to what is on the mind. This helps build inner knowledge by becoming open to exploring thoughts, feelings, and actions. It teaches people about their usual behaviors. Mindfulness teaches how to understand old behaviors, choose different behaviors when confronted with stress, and respond to distress in a manageable way.

The participants were told to practice mindfulness and notice and observe thoughts, feelings, images, and sensations. They were told not to judge symptoms, but just let them be there since eventually they will leave the mind. The participants practice staying grounded and present. There were problems with participants who didn’t feel like they were in their bodies, and grounding exercises were discussed. Realizing that others also have similar distressing symptoms helped them feel relief.

While learning about self-compassion, the participants practiced being patient and acknowledging symptoms that arise. The participants reminded others to be non-judgmental, and not to criticize or swear at themselves. Accepting these symptoms without judging them helped create a distance between the participant and the strong symptoms. This distance helps to disengage from the intense emotions, thoughts, or delusions and choose another way to respond to them.

Participants told the group how they became aware of what was on their mind after weeks and months in the program, and that they tried an alternative response. When they feel distressed by symptoms, they said they did deep breathing to ground themselves and then they felt calmer.

Participants’ Statements About How Mindfulness Helps

It clears the mind to provide options and choices.

It grounds me.

I can listen and hear the negative thoughts that enter my mind.

I stay in the present moment, and not stuck in the past.

I learned to be kind and patient today and not worry about the past or the future.

I realize that there is no way to change the past.

I can identify and recognize triggers, negative thoughts, and emotions.

I understand that triggers are developed from past events and can be changed.

I became aware of warning signs in your body.

I can acknowledge the past, and then move away from it.

I can accept the negative thoughts and feelings, and not judge them or act on them.

I learned to suspend judgment and imagine negative thoughts floating away like bubbles.

I learned to respond using different coping skills, not old patterns.

I gained distance from strong moods and past traumatic memories.

I learned to disengage from negative thoughts.

I recognized that the negative thoughts would not stay here permanently without my choice.

I developed a new attitude and mindset.

Mindfulness has been studied for decades. Jon Kabat-Zinn (1994, 2005, 2013) wrote about his work with mindfulness and reducing stress in those with physical health conditions at his stress reduction clinic. He noticed positive effects in those who regularly practiced mindfulness.

Mindfulness has been shown to relieve these:

Headaches and migraines

Blood pressure

Anxiety and depression levels

Chronic pain

sleep troubles

stomach and digestion problems

Attention span and concentration.

Benefits of Mindfulness

The benefits of mindfulness were investigated in participants who had severe mental health symptoms, took medications, and had individual therapy. Practicing mindfulness for up to ten minutes and practicing several times a week for over five weeks decreases anxiety and depression. When symptoms decrease concentration improves. The practice improved the ability to choose how to respond to distressing psychosis (Lund, 2021, Chadwick 2006).

Mindfulness teaches how to observe, notice, and acknowledge issues and symptoms. Through self-reflection and understanding a person has a choice in how to respond to difficult situations (Neff 2011).

Participants in the group therapy program reported:

I feel less controlled by the voices.

I feel less stressed, and I don’t pay attention to intrusive thoughts or delusions.

My anxiety and depression have decreased, and I feel better.

I notice that I have more power to decide how to respond.

I chose a different way to respond to the voices and the paranoia.

Self-compassion concepts were taught to the participants and the group discussed them at each session. The concepts seem easy to apply, but they are not, and they must be practiced. The participants learned that it is important to try to understand how negative thoughts can come so quickly and how emotions can change with mood swings. Being able to disengage from negative thoughts and emotions takes time and patience with oneself.

Ideas for Mindfulness for Psychosis and PTSD

Participants who had problems with paranoia and PTSD flashbacks had difficulty being in the community and outside their homes. They felt overwhelmed and were encouraged to practice mindfulness and try to go places with a trusted support person.

Participants were encouraged to observe nature from their home, such as from a back porch deck, or a window. The participants were also asked about three good things that they observed, which could come from observing nature. The group talked about the sunrise or sunset, stars at night, the moon rising, and how the wind moves through the trees and grass.

Participants reported on Mindfulness Exercises

Listen to music with earbuds.

Watch internet videos with images of nature and quiet music.

Listen to the quiet with deep breathing and no video or music.

Focus on sounds around their environment.

Movement: Yoga, Tai Chi, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, or walks in nature

Mindfulness with eating something

Coloring a mandala, painting, or drawing

Mindfulness Eating and the Five Senses

The participants were taught to use the five senses and focusing on one of them for a period is one way to be mindful. The group chose a food item, a beverage, a snack, or a healthy food choice. The group observed and noticed the item and described it while using the five senses. They were taught to do this slowly to allow time to observe the different senses.

The group answered these questions for each of the five senses.

Food item: _____________________________________________________________

Taste: Describe the taste. Is it fruity, sweet, sour, bitter, salty, savory? ____________________________________________________________

Texture/ touch: Describe the texture: Is it smooth, gritty, rough, wet, slimy, dry, gritty?

Is it hot, warm, or cold? __________________________________________________________

Smell, odor, aroma: What smells do you notice? Does it remind you of memories?

_____________________________________________________________

Sight: What does it look like, color, shape? _____________________________________________________________

Hear: what does it sound like to you? _____________________________________________________________

Mindfulness in Nature

The group observed and discussed the weather as it changes: rain clouds gathering, lightning, thunder, wind, hail, sleet, snow, the sun, and shadows on the snow, or sounds that you can hear when it rains or snows. The participants noticed changes in the weather and described them to others in the group.

One participant told the group about a walk in the park and what animals, sounds, and sensations were felt, what smells were noticeable, and any other things they saw or touched. They described their path and how it was relaxing to do as a mindfulness exercise. The group discussed the feeling and touch of the wind on their skin, the colors in the sky, grass, trees, leaves, water, or winter snow, or ice. The group decided that they could use taste from chewing gum, candy, or a healthy snack while walking.

Participants practiced mindfulness with imagery and while taking deep breaths. Participants imagined distressing thoughts become like autumn leaves blowing off a tree, or clouds blowing across the sky. Everything in life will come and go. The participants imagined their worries blowing away like clouds or leaves.

Date: _____________________ What season of the year ________________

What I saw _____________________________________________________________

What I heard _____________________________________________________________

What I felt or touched _____________________________________________________________

What I smelled _____________________________________________________________

What I tasted _____________________________________________________________

Mindfulness and Doing the Dishes

The group discussed how mindfulness can be applied to chores. The participants were encouraged to focus just on the one chore and observe how their bodies felt. the participants became conscious of their movements, feelings, and use of all the senses.

One group member explained how they engaged in mindfulness while doing the dishes in the sink. The process was similar to doing mindfulness while breathing deeply, observing an object, and walking. The importance was the focus on the activity, and when thoughts raced or worries entered the mind the participant took a deep breath and refocused on the dishes, not the anxious thoughts. This activity is meant to help clear the mind and feel more focused and relaxed.

Fill the sink with warm or hot water and add the dish soap.

Place the dishes in slowly.

Observe, notice, and realize the activity in the present moment.

Slow your breathing down take a deep inhale and then push the air out of your lungs, slowly.

Don’t hold your breath. Continue to breathe slowly and deeply through the activity.

Focus on the present moment. When thoughts or images come into your mind, refocus on your breath, and continue to stay in the present moment.

What does the water feel like on your fingers? _____________________________________________________________

What do you see? Colors? Shapes? Sizes?

_____________________________________________________________

What do you smell? _____________________________________________________________

What do you hear? _____________________________________________________________

What do you taste? _____________________________________________________________

What thoughts did you notice while doing this?

_____________________________________________________________

How does your body feel after doing this activity? _____________________________________________________________

Mindfulness Exercise

Take 5-10 minutes to breathe deeply, slowly. Focus on your breathing. Clear your mind. Go for a short walk. You have to be able to focus and concentrate to solve problems. Mindfulness practice builds concentration and focus.

Mindfulness For Up to Ten Minutes

The group was instructed to find a quiet and private place. Participants could go for a walk, do Yoga, or do Tai Chi, but the focus is to observe, notice, and acknowledge symptoms. and not to have a long conversation with someone. Some participants chose to listen to quiet music or sit outside and observe nature.

Minute One

The first minute is the body scan. Take time to get comfortable and loosen up any tense muscles. This is done in the first minute with a body scan. Observe your body from head to toe and notice where there are aches, pains, or where there is tension. Slow down breaths and focus on each section of the body.

The second through the tenth minutes are focused on slowing the breath down, taking a deep breath from your abdomen, and pushing the air out of your lungs. Observe, notice, and accept any thoughts, feelings, images, or sensations that come to mind and just let them be there.

Body Scan:

Participants were told to notice tension in the body. Start with your head and neck, and move to your arms, hands, fingers, upper back, stomach, lower back, hips, thighs, knees, ankles, feet, and toes. Participants acknowledged any pains, tingling, or numbing sensations and tried to loosen the muscles in that area. Participants were instructed to do shoulder rolls, shoulder shrugs, or neck circles, and to move the legs, or arms if tension was observed. Participants could change positions, could sit in a chair, stand, or move around. They did not have to be sitting still. Participants were told to focus on sending warm, relaxing energy to areas of the body that felt tense.

Minutes Two-Ten

The second through the tenth minutes were focused on slowing down the breath, taking a deep breath from the abdomen, and pushing the air out of the lungs. Participants were reminded to observe, notice, and accept any thoughts, feelings, images, symptoms, or sensations that come to mind and just let them be there.

Participants learned to stay in the present moment. Their anxious thoughts, and worries about the future, or regrets from the past were put aside, and the group focused only on deep breathing and on the present moment.

The Mindfulness Journal

The group discussed what type of mindfulness worked best. Some enjoyed writing in a journal and would make notes of which mindfulness experiences worked best. Some participants discussed the use of mindfulness at different times during the day. Participants that practiced mindfulness over weeks and months found amazing results. They learned to disengage from distressing emotions and choose a different response. The process took weeks and months to become aware of this skill. It was not an automatic response.

Participants were allowed to try alternative activities that helped them focus on the present moment with the mindfulness exercise. Due to their own mood or psychosis symptoms at the time, some participants wore earbuds to quiet their voices. Others focused better when doing crossword, word finds, or word puzzles. There was not one way to do mindfulness.

The group participants used notes in a journal to find what worked best for them.