Taking Note of Mindfulness...what can you do about it?

Taking Notice With Mindfulness...

Many times you may have heard yourself or someone close to you stating ‘Hey I have anger issues’ and maybe that’s that.  But what exactly can be done with anger?  I am sure anger has it’s place and feeling angry about situations is of course acceptable.  But what about the instances that causes anger to bubble over into a reaction.  A reaction that causes upset, further arguments, stress and even physical symptoms within the body. How exactly is this managed or even more so taken care of?

Anger over time if not addressed can become a habit, a habit of mind that grows over years of learned behaviours from childhood to acting out on in adulthood.  And yet there does come a time when you realise that anger is simply not serving you.  Your anger is taking the lead in your life.  Causing upset for you, and those around you.

Life becomes your anger. 

What is it that actually fuels your anger?  And what can you do about it?

Mindfulness may be just the tonic.  Mindfulness is quite the buzz word at present.  It is claimed it can help with a myriad of issues. 

·         Concentration

·         Attention

·         Focus

·         Physical Pain

·         Anxiety

·         Low Moods

·         Sleep

·         Increased self-awareness

·         Letting go of distractions

·         Mind Wandering

·         Anger/Irritability/Frustration

So what exactly is it? 

Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to what is happening for you in this moment, without judging your experience.  Just allowing whatever is happening to be the way it is. Without reacting.  There is a saying:

"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." - Viktor E. Frankl

The space between something happening and the response that is given is so powerful and when given the time to see this space can lead to powerful changes.  Powerful changes to outcomes and also powerful changes in you.

When learing Mindfulness, we learn to take notice of our mind and body.  Then we give it the space it needs without reacting.

For example -  You may notice in this moment that you are feeling tense.  You then pay attention to where in the body the tension is most obvious.  Then maybe where there is softness in the body.  What you will notice is that your mind will try to judge this noticing.  Maybe feeling tense is unpleasant so your mind may want to avert you to something else.  You may have a thought that distracts you from taking notice.

A real solid way to support you to pay attention to how you feel and to your environment is to follow the breath.  We breathe all the time, the body does this without any conscious input.  Yet we rarely pay attention and follow the breath.  Yet it is this very action that supports Mindfulness, the act of paying attention.

By following the breath again and again, you can change the habits that are currently governing you. 

When a difficult emotion is present and the habit of reacting is strong.  Then there needs to be a conscious effort to change this.  Mindfulness of breathing is a great way to change a habit.

Anger is only an issue, until you notice that it is an issue.  Then it is a challenge.  A challenge to take hold of and mould into a way of being that supports your very own well-being.

Here’s a short practice you can weave into your day to step into that space between stimulus and response.

S – Stop.  Stop what you are doing.  Bring yourself into the present moment by deliberately asking:

What is my experience right now? 

Thoughts… (what are you saying to yourself, what images are coming to mind.)

Feelings… (enjoying, neutral, upset, excited, sad, mad, etc.)

Sensations…  (physical sensations, tightness, holding, lightness, etc.)

T – Take a Breath.  Take a few deep breaths. Gently directing your full attention to your breathing, following each inbreath and each outbreath, one after the other. Your breath is like an anchor, that allows you to become balanced and stable within your body.

O - Observe

Observe your experience just as it is—including thoughts, feelings, and emotions. You can reflect about what is on your mind and also notice that thoughts are not facts, and they are not permanent. so that it includes a sense of the body as a whole, your posture, and facial expression, then further outward to what is happening around you: sights, sounds, smells, etc

P - Proceed

Let your attention now move into the world around you, sensing how things are right now.  Rather than reacting habitually, you can be curious about your experience. 

You may even be surprised by what happens next after having created this pause and space in time.

Yours Mindfully

Debbie Redhead

Founder of Sprouting Mindfulness

Blackburn, Lancashire

www.sproutingmindfulness.co.uk