Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Moment to moment awareness of one’s experience without judgement

How is mindfulness developed?

by practicing mindful meditation

3 elements of cultivating mindfulness

• Focus on breath 

• Notice the wanderings of the mind 

• Non-judgmentally return your attention to your breath 

Key: what we do when we notice that our minds are wandering

Parasympathetic Nervous System

• Responsible for putting on the breaks on physiological responses

• if stuck, can cause depression

Sympathetic nervous system

• Responsible for accelerating the physiological response

• if stuck, can cause chronic anxiet

Limbic System

• responsible for emotions and memory

• emotions can be over or under regulated

Affective Benefits of Mindfulness

• Improves emotional regulation

• Decreases anxiety/depression 

• Enhances attention

Therapist Benefits of Mindfulness

• Decreases

  • Rumination 

  • Emotional reactivity to stress 

  • Difficulties in emotion regulation 

• Increases

  • Mindfulness (awareness)

  • Self-compassion 

  • Executive control 

    • Prioritize competing thoughts, feelings, responses

  • Cognitive flexibility