Step 10 - Mindfulness

Mindfulness

https://www.restoredminds.com/5-Rules-For-Recovery

To put simply, Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment, while specifically paying attention to your feelings and your sensations without casting any judgment on them.

And while this sounds like a simple process, you will probably find that it is a little more difficult than you initially thought….

If you are anything like me, you probably spend long periods of the time not paying attention to the present moment. You are lost somewhere in your head either thinking about the past or worrying about the future. And by engaging in this “mindless” wandering day after day… you eventually train your mind to just start wandering to the past or future on autopilot.

But the problem with engaging in this mindless wandering (that you and I both do) is it can lead to several negative consequences. For example, you may start to worry more, you may start to experience more anxiety or feel more nervous, and most importantly you stop enjoying the present moment.

And the problem with that is…the present moment is the only part of your life you can actually fully experience. The past is something that has already happened and while you can recall it…you generally have a minimal recollection of it, at best.  And spending your time worrying about it is taking you away from taking positive action in the present moment.

Conversely, the future is unknown….it is a mystery. You won’t ever know for sure what the future holds for you until it unfolds. You can try to plan everything out to the best of your ability, but life always seems to have a way of throwing you curve balls now and again.

Now please don’t mistake me as saying you shouldn’t ever think about the past or future….There is a much to gain  from the occasional reminiscing about past times…or planning for your future.

What I am simply saying is that you shouldn’t do this obsessively.

You see people with OCD/obsessive thoughts seem to get locked in the past or future. In fact, I would argue that OCD & Obsessive Thoughts are virtually the bi-polar opposite of a Mindfulness practice.. People that engage in obsessive thinking constantly worry about things that happened in the past or  things that may happen in the future. Their focus is always directed towards something besides the present.

And obsessive thoughts can also lead to a lot of judgment over one’s thoughts and feelings. A person may feel guilt and shame over the things they think, for example, when a person experiences obsessive thoughts about accidentally harming someone. They usually experience negative judgments about their past and future as well.

So what does this have to do with Mindfulness?

Well the real problem with OCD/Obsessive Thoughts is that they take you away from your life. Obsessive thoughts literally suck the enjoyment and passion from a person’s life. And the fact is that if we are constantly maintaining our focus in the past or future we are missing the present. Or to put another way we are missing out on our life.

And Mindfulness offers a way to help people Get out of Obsessive Thoughts and Get Back In Their Life. Which is generally a goal of anyone who experiences obsessive thoughts.

By incorporating a Mindfulness practice into our life…. we can become more aware of our thoughts, feelings and sensations. And by choosing what we pay attention to, we become more in control of our inner life. We start to pay more and more attention to the present, and our mind starts to wander  less and less to past or future worries.

Now, let me be very clear, by practicing mindfulness You Will Not Eliminate Obsessive Thoughts. Mindfulness involves paying attention to every thought without judging it. When practicing mindfulness you do not classify your feelings and thoughts as good or bad, rather you recognize and accept them for what they are…thoughts and feelings.

And While this practice may not seem directly connected to obsessive thoughts, it is a useful tactic for managing the issue. It decreases stress and negative emotions in general and it allows us to respond in a healthier manner as opposed to engaging in compulsions.

In general, mindfulness can be a powerful tool against the symptoms of OCD & Obsessive Thinking, because it helps you focus on the present and become less judgmental towards your inner states and emotions. Mindfulness helps us establish more control over our minds and choose where to focus consciously. It gives us more satisfaction and positive emotions, helping with anxiety and other negative emotional states.

In my opinion, Mindfulness is the perfect practice to incorporate in your life after you have completed your ERP. Mindfulness is truly what has helped me maintain my freedom from my obsessive thoughts.

References

http://psychcentral.com/lib/ocd-and-mindfulness/00020097

http://mindfulnet.org/page2.htm

http://www.wildmind.org/applied/daily-life/what-is-mindfulness

http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness/definition