Mindfulness

 

Many of us already have the skills used during Mindfulness, these skills can be developed through guidance and practice. Mindfulness practice can help us to learn to live more in the present moment, find different ways to respond to difficult experiences, improving our overall well being and family life.

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When we choose to be mindful, we are becoming aware of what’s going on in our body, gently noticing our thoughts and feelings and what’s going on around us. We become more aware of how our and other's responses affect our interactions and relationships and recognise the way external factors can impact on our experiences. It can create space, allowing us to respond instead of react in difficult situations.

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We can sometimes get caught up in negative thinking- dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, which can affect our mood. Mindfulness can help us redirect or change these negative thinking patterns.

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Mindfulness can be practiced using meditation, guided by a teacher or audio but it can also be easily carried out informally during day to day tasks. It can be useful to experiment and reflect on what methods suit you best, when to practice, for how long and which meditations you relate to at different times. 

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Like any skill, we improve the more we practice, the more we practice mindfulness skills the more naturally they will come to us during times of stress.

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Compassion

 

At Mindfully Connected we incorporate elements of compassion alongside mindfulness throughout all of our sessions. 

 

Life doesn’t always go smoothly, and at times, things can be tough. We may not be very good at looking after ourselves, particularly when we are feeling hurt, stressed, tired or emotional. Bringing compassion to ourselves is about setting limits, recognising and taking care of our needs. It’s about accepting yourself for who you are, the positives and negatives and avoiding self criticism.

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 A combination of mindfulness and compassion can help people acknowledge, tolerate, and deal with difficult emotions such as sadness, loss, disappointment, confusion, anger and fear in healthier ways. Gently noticing, not avoiding, fighting or pushing away difficult feelings but instead responding with kindness to themselves and others. 

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Evidence shows that practicing mindfulness and compassion can improve physical and mental health, develop resilience and the ability to manage stress. It has positive effects on the way we relate to our experiences, helping us to feel more content and supports us to develop positive relationships, deepening our connections with others.