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by Steven Gillman
What's going on in your head? Until you know, there can be all
sorts of problems. Uncorrectable
problems. You can't fix a problem
that you don't see, right? That is where mindfulness comes in.
Mindfulness and mental health are intimately connected.
Your mind is busy in there right now, talking about all sorts of
things. It may be telling you that you are tired of your job, or
that you are a victim of circumstance. It may be running through a
list of all the things you need to be doing. It may be saying all
the wrong things, and yet you may hear none of it. You may just feel
a slight anxiety building as your day goes on.
When I first learned how to do basic mindfulness exercises, I was
amazed. I found that whole conversations were going on just below
consciousness. Not only was it interesting to see, but the most
amazing part was that I could now often end feelings of worry or
anxiety. All I had to do was stop and watch my mind until I found
the cause.
Yes, it actually is often that simple. If you forgot to write
down an appointment, for example, it may be bothering you for hours.
As soon as you see that, you write it down and you feel relaxed
again. If an argument is playing and replaying subconsciously in
your mind and stressing you out, often just bringing it to
consciousness will make you laugh and dismiss it.
Mindfulness And Long Term Mental Health
Don't underestimate the power of short term happiness and good
thoughts to influence the course of your mental health over the
longer term. Resolve anxieties and stresses now, and regularly, and
you'll be healthier, and you'll be developing good habits. Good
feelings now lead to good feelings in the future, and habits are
what we need for any long term results.
As for the big problems, mindfulness is a way to see them more
clearly for what they are. As you get better at tuning into your own
subconscious mind, you will start to see patterns. I found, for
example, that my mind was mulling over and worrying about all the
possible choices in decisions that weren't made. It caused me
endless stress.
Seeing this clearly, finally recognizing how destructive this
habit of indecisiveness was, lead me to change. I started making
decisions more quickly, just to try a new way. I immediately
experienced how stress diminishes once a decision is made. My habits
began to change, and I was getting more done with less anxiety.
The most basic mindfulness exercise is to just sit quietly and
start paying attention to everything going on in your body and mind.
Of course this can be difficult if you've never done it, and this
article isn't a how-to. This is just to make the case that it's
worth learning. There is definitely a connection between mindfulness
and mental health.
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