Mindfulness Therapy and Uncertainty
It is no secret that 2020 and 2021 were hard years. Now beginning in 2022, we are followed by a lot of the same uncertainty with new variants, new political agendas, jobs, and families, all on top of the struggles we faced before COVID. How do we navigate the continued fear in a time of collective and individual trauma? Mindfulness therapy is an option to consider.
I have a lot of clients that come to me with new anxiety that they have never experienced before. Anxiety around driving, going out in public, and anxiety about job performance. Some even struggle with a lack of motivation, feeling like they have no purpose or are searching for new meaning in their lives. Some clients have even lost loved ones, and regardless of the cause of death, COVID has not made the grieving process any easier. While this is a scary and not a fun place to be, working through this fear, anxiety, and depression can be a very freeing experience for people.
In today’s age, we are constantly looking for a way to escape the reality of our lives. We escape through technology, re-watching the Office for the 100th time, or spending hours on Tik Tok. Some escape through drugs, alcohol, eating too much, or not enough. As much as distraction can be useful at times, escaping often makes it more difficult to deal with new events that happen, and our fears and anxieties worsen.
Mindfulness Therapy
I work with clients on identifying what specifically they are trying to distract themselves from and then practicing mindfulness to sit through it. Tyrese Gibson once said, “We grow through what we go through.” I find this quote relatable because we can’t work through our struggles if we don’t face them.
Mindfulness therapy is one of the best ways to face uncertainty without being overwhelmed. Mindfulness also helps regulate our nervous system to help deal with stress better. The first step in mindfulness therapy is just admitting that you are a normal human that experiences a variety of different emotions and reactions to different events. You have total permission to feel the way you feel. Sometimes just admitting that you are scared or anxious without judging yourself for it can provide some relief.
There are a lot of myths about mindfulness therapy, such as mindfulness being a religious practice or just taking deep breaths. There is scientific evidence to support mindfulness therapy being a way to calm our bodies through different types of breathwork. I teach clients different ways of being mindful through breathing but also through daily activities.
Examples of Mindfulness Practices
One of those ways is to brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand. It forces you to focus on what you are doing and stay present in the moment when brushing your teeth is often when people think about the day ahead or the day they had. Another mindfulness activity is being able just to put our phones down, turn the tv off and spend some time enjoying hobbies. I like to bake, so sometimes I will make some cookies. It gets me moving, thinking about what I am doing now, and who doesn’t like a good cookie?
Even though mindfulness therapy is a great way to reduce anxiety and depression, and help us become more aware of ourselves, sometimes we need someone to talk it out with. I suggest that if you are struggling that you reach out to a therapist, you connect with. This is a difficult time for many people, but the good news is that you don’t have to struggle alone. Feeling like you are lost at sea with no land in sight is a very scary place to be. You don’t have to be lost at sea by yourself. You can think of a therapist being the captain of the ship. They can help navigate the scary waters so you can get to a better place. A more peaceful place in a world filled with chaos.