Mindfulness and Manifestation
These are very difficult times for all us and the way we live is changing. the effects are likely to be felt for years, especially economically. We have no idea yet, what all repercussions will be, but there are some positives that can be taken from the current situation and the coronavirus pandemic.
Mindfulness is a practice that has been around for hundreds of years and is a very effective way of improving and maintaining mental health. The power of the mind is endless and we have no idea how much our minds are capable of. We only use a very small percentage of our minds currently. Many people find the idea of seeking therapy as a show of weakness or admitting that they can’t cope with life. Some of the strongest people, myself included, have needed help at some point in our lives. The first step and the biggest one is voicing the need for help. ( I will use the word “help” in place of “therapy”) for now as the word “therapy” seems to be the trigger for stigma in many and insight the “flight or fight ” response in many also! Reactions to the word in many seems to range from indignation, to running a mile. The word “therapy” comes from a Greek word that means “to walk alongside “. Sure we can talk to a friend, however there are some issues and or mental health conditions that are in need of someone unbiased and trained in the art of listening to walk alongside them for a while.
Mindfulness is not a “hippie” practice, it is a daily routine that you can learn and keep for yourself. By it’s very nature, you are merely being mindful of the situations, people and your own state of mind. For example, when you get up in the morning and maybe go for a walk, maybe you have a dog. As you walk, be aware of the nature around you, try not to let the thoughts of where you need to be at a certain time that morning or what you need to get for dinner, cloud your thoughts. Notice the trees and flowers. My Grandmother used to say to me all the time “slow down, stop and smell the roses”. At the time, ( like all teenagers) I thought, “what the hell is she talking about, I have not got the time to mess around sniffing roses”. Over the last 20 or so years of my life and I am now 50, I have come to learn exactly what she meant.
Types of Counselling and Psychotherapy that are based on mindfulness are widely used to treat depression and many anxiety based mental health issues. When you think about it our mental health is far more important than anything else, because our minds control our bodies and therefore if our mind is “under the weather ” then this will effect and manifest physical symptoms. In the last few years the medical profession have been using mindfulness based therapies widely because it is now recognised that it can benefit our general health and well being.
I was once one of those people that made a joke about needing therapy. I was a person that suffered 2 mental breakdowns before I acknowledged the huge need for people to be more “mindful”. Meditation is a routine that is essential for mindfulness. Another word that conjures up an image of a hippie looking like ZZ top, sitting crossed legged and chanting. Not so, although you can if that image suits. The fact is that more than ever, in the current global pandemic and indeed the way society was headed before hand, creates a stressful way of life.
STRESS the silent killer….. we all suffer from it, some of us have learnt not to suffer stress but to carry it! and deflect it onto those around us. Another confession, in fact a lot of the reasons for starting a second career in therapy and this website, come from the experiences of myself and those around me. Having been a qualified driving instructor for the past 26 years, I have met so many different, diverse and incredible people. A couple of years into my teaching career, I decided that it was a good idea to take the basic Counselling diploma in Person Centered Counselling. At the time, when I had completed it, I left it there. It helped a great deal in my capacity as a teacher, teaching people in a moving classroom. These people were generally anxious, terrified and basically this put me in a position of trust and great responsibility. What I failed to see and acknowledge at the time was the need to seek help for myself with shouldering that responsibility.
During the current pandemic and the aftermath has never been a better time to start writing a journal about how it’s effecting you and your family, friends. If you are finding it difficult to sleep, keeping a journal at the end of everyday can help you sleep. It is a bit like closing the chapter on that particular day. Draws a line under it. When we all look back in years to come we will all realise how much 2020 has changed us all.