Since last decade we have heard the word (CBT) Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. In Psychology subject of “Cognition” has researched many more aspects regarding human thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Cognitive Psychology has explored many theories on learning and memory, recall of memory, the amount of data we gather and how we retrieve it as and when required.
But today I am sharing very important information about Mindfulness. However, this term also has been aligned with Yoga, meditation and other religious aspects. But here it is a scientific discussion of how mindfulness helps one to overcome anxiety, stress, depression, overthinking, OCD(Obsessive Compulsive Disorders), Post Traumatic Disorder(PTSD) etc.
Also, here I am sharing a few techniques as well so you may apply them to just check your mindset and emotional state. So, let’s start a journey.
What is Mindfulness Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?
Here, first understand the terminology of Mindfulness. As you search for the meaning of being mindful you get the definition immediately. Mindfulness is simply being in the present. Neither in the past nor the future. Cognitive means your understanding of anything at any given point in time. Cognition includes a lot of things but here you take your understanding about any information.
Behaviours where we get some information and we analyse it understand it and react on the same. This simple terminology helps you a lot to understand if you are currently facing any issues with your emotionality and mental state. Mindfulness Cognitive Behaviour Therapy has been scientifically proven to overcome distress and other disturbances.
We have heard many spiritual gurus talk in their lectures and explain to be in the present moment. As we all know this also but in reality we can not follow the same. We cannot apply this technique and hence we fall into the trap of the past-future cycle. To have faith we need to understand this concept very well.
How does Mindfulness Cognitive Behaviour Therapy work?
Being mindful means you need to observe yourself differently from your thoughts and feelings. What do you think and feel currently? Just observe it. It is something like you are hungry. As soon as we are hungry we run to eat food. But if you can sit with the mindfulness and see your hunger. If you can see your body’s sensation. If you can feel your emotions and just observe the same. This technique will help you to be aware of your present state and your actions.
Once your behaviours are self-aware. Then you take slow charge of your feelings and thoughts. This is very simple in reading but when you try to apply it you may again fall into the trap of thoughts. Here, it is important to understand self-negative thoughts which stop you. If you are not mindful then you find yourself anxious by thinking future Or distress by thinking about past events.
You lose the current chance to be in the present. When you are putting your thoughts on autopilot mode slowly your behaviours are also on auto mode. You react differently when something happens good or bad. You drive by your outer environment but not inner peace.
How to become mindful?
There are a few important exercises you may follow right now as you are reading this blog. These exercises may not give you result right away but practice makes man perfect. You have to practice it. Daily for a few minutes.
Pay attention to yourself:
It is difficult on busy days to pay attention because we majorly run according to the demands of situations, people and experiences. We forget many times what we think and what we do. Because we are not in alignment. We get distressed because of that. Our internal story and outer environment have big deviations. Now, sit in a relaxing position and feel all the information through your senses. (Visual, Audio, Taste, Smell and Touch). Apply your senses and receive all information. Now pay attention to self what you think and feel.
Treat yourself as a friend:
We are generally very harsh on ourselves. Especially when we have expected from ourselves so much. But if we do not achieve then we become harsh. We start talking negative. We feel a lack of confidence and self-esteem. Self-doubt creates lots of mess up. So treat yourself as your friend. You accept yourself beyond your limitations, weaknesses and achievements. Feel yourself by deep breathing. When you treat yourself gently you automatically treat others the same way.
Focus on Breathing:
Breathings are just not breathable. But it is a tool to let you know that you are only present. You are not your past nor your future. When you feel your inhalation counter with your nostril there is a gap between inhalation and exhalation. You slowly come to the present moment. Your focus empowers you. As our thoughts empower us same way mindfulness empowers you to be into the present.
Meditation:
There are various meditation techniques. Like as walking or sitting meditation. Even mindfulness yoga also helps a lot to be into the present. When you close your eyes you can just feel all your muscles, body moments and pain with relief you are in the present. Hence we feel good after exercise. Our body is a tool that brings us to the higher self.
Is Mindfulness Cognitive Behaviour Therapy effective?
Of course, it is. But we need results fast in this quick-fix-fast world. If you have tried the above exercises for a few minutes you may feel the difference. But without practice, we cannot reap the results. Follow your mindfulness activities daily. I suggest writing in a journal to many people.
When we take a few things in our mind from the situations that happened then we can’t get a real view of the scenarios. Hence we all become judgmental and correlate the past with the present. This leads to future anxiety. But when you follow your present state and give attention to only those which are important to you then you empower yourself. Our focus is everything.
Wherever we give attention and the way we see things we perceive it in the same way. One of the clients has decided after a traumatic event to transform his implicit memory into explicit memory. He has given attention to the best he can do.
Whenever is dreadful memory comes back he always replaces the same with opportunities. He told me that I had changed the channel on my television. After a rigorous practice of 90 days, he felt himself back from the trauma.
As I mentioned earlier Mindfulness is a matter of practice. But once you know how to live in present you never would like to live in the past nor in the future.