Mindfulness... Make the Time or Mock It?

Does it ever feel like you struggle to find another person that’s heading down a similar path as yourself?

Or that sometimes you just can’t connect on the same viewpoints, whether that be personally or professionally?

Well, lemme tell ya! That happens SO much, and even in a field where we’re all supposed to be non-judgmental and compassionate!!

I was wonderfully surprised when I met our Featured Guest for this month’s blog posts nearly a year ago as I continued on my quest for networking and looking for another therapist that held like minded views to share office space with. As I slowly build my therapist network and find others who come from an open-minded, wellness centered space I want this to be a place that isn’t just about my thoughts and views but also continued exposure to the views others.

I'm really delighted to continue to add guest bloggers into our space and provide an opportunity for you all to gain other outlooks that allow you to Create Your Life!! Let me introduce Niti Wade, a talented licensed social worker based in the Triangle. Niti will be guest posting for me for the month of April and probably from time to time after that and this week will be sharing her first thoughts with us on a subject that we both find SUPER important in the busy rush of day to day living.

Mindfulness.

Does it seem like Mindfulness is the current “buzz word?” It’s everywhere you look right down to the magazines at the grocery store checkout lines. Well, it turns out all those yogis were on to something after all.

Mindfulness seems like a pretty straightforward word. It suggests that the mind is fully attending to what’s happening, to what you’re doing and where we are RIGHT NOW, at this present moment and not overly reactive or become overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. Sounds simple, right? Mindfulness may seem trivial, except for the annoying fact that we so often veer from the matter at hand. Our mind takes flight. We wander. We lose touch with our body and pretty soon we’re engrossed in obsessive thoughts about something that just happened or fretting about the future. And that makes us anxious. There’s actually more that goes into it and we will discuss that in this blog series, but first why is Mindfulness important?

Since the invention of the amazing iPhone/smartphone (come on, you know you would be lost without yours) it appears we’ve all been able to be more connected… connected to our families, friends, and work. Just for a second let's explore a little more on this work thing as an example. The door doesn’t close like it used to on work. Our bosses know that we have our phone by our side at all times so sending a late-night text or email with a quick question doesn’t feel like a burden or an over-step for them or us anymore.

As we’ve become more connected to our outside world, we’ve also become less connected within ourselves. Think about that for a moment. What happens to your body when you hear the swoosh of an email alert? Do you feel a tinge of anxiety or excitement? Then what happens? Do you feel your emotions anymore or are you just reacting to whatever that notification relates to?

This cycle repeats itself and before we know it, we’re just reacting to our surroundings instead of experiencing them.

Practicing Mindfulness will allow you to become more aware of your body and your reactions to the things going on around you and therefore help to inform how you respond to that. If you’re already a sensitive person you may be more aware of you how you react to the outside world and sometimes that may cause you to feel completely overwhelmed.

Mindfulness will teach you to recognize when you’re responding to events and occurrences and then you have the power/ability to control how you react.

Here's just a FEW of the Benefits of a Mindfulness Practice:

• Reduces Rumination and Depressive Symptoms

• Helps with Stress Reduction by decreasing anxiety and negative affect

• Boosts your working Memory

• Increases your focus

• Provides improved relationship satisfaction by helping you to be less emotionally reactive

And these are just a few at the top of the list!

Want to know more? Stay tuned for future blog posts on learning how to incorporate this practice in your daily life.

Until then, be well.

​​

Niti Wade, LCSW is the Owner/Therapist at Gracefully Balanced Counseling, PLLC. With over 18 years of experience, she provides counseling services to individuals, couples, and families using an emphasis in her practice towards a mindful, solution-focused, and empathetic approach to therapy. Niti specializes in the areas of Anxiety, Depression, Familial and Intimate Relationship Issues, Grief, Life Transitions, Self Care, & Trauma.

Niti is a North Carolina native and graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a minor in Spanish. From there, she went on to graduate school at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she obtained a Master's Degree in Social Work.​

You can learn more about Niti or set up a consultation or appointment over at www.gracefullybalancedcounseling.com,

find her on Facebook Here. Or reach out to her via email at Niti@gracefullybalancedcounseling.com

Resources:

https://www.mindful.org/what-is-mindfulness/

http://www.traumacenter.org/products/pdf_files/Benefits_of_Mindfulness.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hugo_Alberts/publication/234018520_Benefits_of_Mindfulness_at_Work_The_Role_of_Mindfulness_in_Emotion_Regulation_Emotional_Exhaustion_and_Job_Satisfaction/links/56d96ecd08aee73df6cf52c3.pdf

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/07-08/ce-corner.aspx

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