Mindfulness in positive psychology

44 - 50

What is mindfulness

it is “maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens'“

Mindfulness and mindfulness mediation refer to

the same concept: staying open and aware of your own inner workings and allowing your thoughts and feelings to happen without judgment

The awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose enables the individual to access

more adaptive response or a state of mind

The state of being mindful increases one’s ability to step out of !!!

more adaptive response or a state of mind

The state of being mindful is a flexible state of mind which is open to !!!

open to novelty, sensitive to context and perspective

The state of being mindful VS. mindlessness !!!

trapped in rigid mind-sets, automatic pilot

• never think of changing even though it may be better for us to do so

Is mindfulness a state or a trait?

• if it is a trait or strength that is more inherent, permanent, and less changeable

• if it is closer to a state than a trait then it is more temporary, fleeting, and easier to influence

What did Carlson (2013) argue

studies have shown that we can enhance our mindfulness through concerted effort and training

• however, Masicampo & Baurmeister (2007) argued mindfulness is correlated with our strengths, so more towards a trait

What do psychologists teach their clients in mindfulness in psychology

• Mindful breathing

• Body scan medication

• Raisin meditation

• Walking meditation

• Loving-kindness meditation

Studies have shown that 1.5 hours of mindfulness practice can lead to

positive structural changes in the brain

Give examples of how mindfulness is used in positive psychology

• As a self-care tool for anyone who is interested – mindfulness can be practice by anyone, anywhere, anytime

• As a stress reduction technique for students, people in high-stress jobs, and anyone dealing with anxiety

• As a way to boost employee wellness

• As a therapeutic tool for people struggling with depression or other mood disorders

• As a coping method and relaxation strategy

What are the benefits of mindfulness in positive psychology

• Being mindful of your thoughts and emotions promotes well-being characterised by introspection, openness, reflection, and self-acceptance

• Being mindful can improve working memory

• Acts as a buffer against depressive symptoms associated with discrimination

What part of your brain is activated when we are mindful

significant increases left-sided activation in the brain - increases happiness set-point

• reduces the amygdala and increase our stress reactivity

• can make us more resilient

Mindfulness training has been associated with the following benefits: !!!

• 50% reduction in depression relapse rates over 12 months

• 50% reduction in general psychiatric symptoms

• 70% reduction in anxiety

• 44% reduction in medical symptoms

• 17% reduction in daily hassles,

• 31% reduction in general psychological distress among employees trained in mindfulness the workplace (Flaxman, 2010)

What did Wilson et al. (2015) find !!!

• mindfulness can decrease the ability to discern between similar events, potentially leading to false memories.

How was Wilson et al. (2015) study carried out !!!

• Participants listened to a series of similar stories and then being tested on their memory of the stories.

What are the results of Wilson et al. (2015) and what did they suggest !!!

• The results showed that participants who engaged in a brief mindfulness exercise prior to listening to the stories were more likely to falsely remember details from one story that were actually presented in a different story.

• The researchers suggested that this effect may be due to mindfulness reducing the level of cognitive differentiation between similar events, which can make it harder to distinguish between them and increase the likelihood of memory errors.

What is mindfulness is associated with !!!

an increase in the ability to discern and a decrease in the possibility of false memories

Research has suggested that practicing mindfulness can !!!

improve memory and increase the ability to accurately recall past events

• also help individuals become more aware of their cognitive biases and reduce the influence of these biases on their memory

What are some of the criticisms of mindfulness

• It’s not clear whether it’s a trait mindfulness or state mindfulness that is being measured by the self-report measures

• Benefits may have been overstated, and the disadvantages have been overlooked

• Decrease in the ability to discern – leading to the possibility of false memories

• Discarding thoughts that are helpful, positive, or important in some other way

• Avoidance of challenging problems and critical thinking, turning to mindfulness meditation instead of working out a solution

Rare negative side effects of mindfulness

• Depersonalisation

• Psychosis

• Delusions

• Hallucinations

• Disorganised speech

• Anxiety

• Increased risk of seizures

• Loss of appetite

• Insomnia

What are the benefits of mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT)

• Increased feelings of happiness and contentment,

• Longer and healthier life,

• Reduction in anxiety, depression and irritability,

• Improvement in memory and reaction times,

• Increase in physical stamina,

• Improved relationships,

• Reduction in chronic stress and hypertension,

• Reduction in chronic pain, strengthening of the immune system. (Williams & Penman, 2013)

Mindfulness based relapse prevention (MBRP) is used to

prevent relapses