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Part 3 of 5: Power of Positive Affirmations - Mindfulness

Wendy Bennett
Apr 24, 2015
3 min read

So this is part 3 in a 5 part series looking at Positive Affirmations. Part 1 was a general article on how positive affirmations can have positive outcomes when dealing with Automatice Negative Thoughts. Part 2 dealt with positive affirmations and how they can work for you. In this third part of the series we are examining mindfulness.

So what exactly is mindfulness? It seems to be a word that is tossed around a lot at the moment so I thought I would have a closer look at this practice and what it is meant to achieve.

I think it first needs to be said that although mindfulness can help with a variety of mental health issues it needs to be practiced in conjunction with other therapies. The whole purpose of mindfulness is to be present, to live in the here and now. Sounds easy right? While it is good to not let thoughts or feelings from the past or worries about the future take over our lives I feel that it is also important to deal with past issues. Simply putting them out of your mind and saying “No. I’m not going to think about that, I am living in the present” is only going to mask the issue for a short time. Delaying in dealing with recurring thoughts, past issues and worries about the future may lead to a build up of feelings that may become too much to deal with and exacerbate mental health issues. At some point we need to acknowledge these recurring thoughts, investigate why they keep coming back and deal with them so they are no longer an issue.

This is why I believe that a thought journal can be invaluable. In conjunction with the practice of mindfulness writing down thoughts and/or feelings which are becoming overwhelming or happening frequently allows you to separate yourself from the thought. You no longer have to carry it around in your head, thus enabling you to be fully present. Then at therapy sessions this thought journal can be used to identify recurring troublesome thoughts and/or feelings and to explore them fully and develop strategies of how to deal with them in a healthy way.

So, back to mindfulness – how do you actually do it?

For me it is a conscious effort to not let past memories, or worries about future events with what if scenarios, take over. To fully connect with what I am doing right here, right now. Thinking about nothing but the task at hand, whether that be eating lunch or just sitting in the garden for five minutes of peace. As I said, to begin with this has to be a conscious effort. Personally I found doing something I enjoyed really helped me to focus on the present, sewing a skirt for my daughter or a pencil case or a birthday gift for a friend – that is what helped me to focus, to stop the thoughts and worries from intruding and taking over.

I believe that mindfulness is part of a process of getting to know your mind. Being able to recognise when those unhelpful thoughts are becoming a problem and implementing a strategy to manage them straightaway, but also not burying them so they keep popping back up.

So, to practice mindfulness:

Learn to recognise when your thoughts are running away or feel out of control.
Make a note of the thoughts, feelings, and concerns with as little or as much detail as you like.
Consciously say to yourself, I acknowledge these thoughts, feelings, concerns etc, but now is not a good time for me to address them.
Engage in an activity you enjoy that allows you to just focus on the task at hand.As previously mentioned it can just be making and enjoying a cup of tea.
By repeating this process on a regular basis you can actually retrain your brain so it automatically focuses on what you are doing NOW leading to a calmer, more peaceful existence.

I hope you have found this article useful, as always, would love to hear your thoughts and feedback.

If you would like to discuss this topic further or want some assistance on how you can implement these strategies please call me to make an appointment (fees apply) on 0491 154 588.