Practicing Self-Care with Mindfulness Pt. 3

Mindfulness, Self-care, and Professional Therapy

Self-care is the practice of taking an active role in your own well-being and happiness. This is a broad, catch-all term that encompasses a lot of ground, such as getting good sleep and stretching throughout the day. Self-care is not the same thing as professional therapy.

Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of what is going on in the current moment with an attitude of curiosity and openness. Mindfulness is one aspect of self-care, just like going to the gym or eating healthfully are other self-care actions.

Professional therapy is the act of working with a trained therapist to achieve personal goals, such as mental health, wellness, education, and career goals. Working with a professional therapist is yet another aspect of self-care, and a professional therapist might choose various mindfulness techniques as part of your care and treatment plan.

Self-care incorporating mindfulness, augmented with professional therapy can work beautifully in tandem with one another. That said, it is important to note that self-care alone won’t heal trauma or acute mental health needs.

Working with a professional therapist is the best way to achieve those more critical mental health needs. However, for less critical (in a “crisis” sense) health and well-being, developing a mindfulness practice and self-care practice can help you work towards a healthier you. Mindfulness and therapy can also work in tandem to support the work you can do in therapy.?

There are many benefits to using mindfulness as part of your self-care, such as the fact that it’s free and can be done anytime, anywhere. Remember that there are limitations to self-care though. Self-care only goes so far, and if you have emotional obstacles, a history of trauma, or are dealing with abnormally large life stress, then it’s a good idea to reach out to a professional therapist for help.

When might you consider working with a professional therapist?

• If you are feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to start doing self-care activities.
• If you have a history of trauma, which might prevent you from identifying what healthy self-care should look like.
• If you are currently experiencing a severely stressful situation that is impacting your day-to-day life.
• If trying to get still and practice mindfulness makes you more anxious and panicky.

There are many resources to help you find a therapist. If you are not sure, talk to your General Physician (GP) to discuss if therapy might be right for you.??

How to Practice Self-care with Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to what’s going on in your body, heart, mind, and life in the present moment. It might involve asking yourself “how do I feel right now?” and looking deeply at the answers. It’s also about being open and curious (not judgmentally) with the answers you find. Mindfulness encourages us to be aware but with a quality of gentleness and compassion. Mindfulness supports us to love ourselves.

How can you practice self-care with mindfulness? Here are some practices we recommend and use in our programs.

Connect with your body

Self love is realizing—with joy!—what a wonder your body is. (Try this great lower body awareness guided meditation.)

Release tension in the body

One excellent way to release tension is to practice tensing and relaxing, which allows us to relax our muscles. This also helps to grow our awareness around how we hold stress. Another soothing practice is 7-11 breathing, slowly extending the outbreath longer than the inbreath.

Slow breathing stimulates your vagus nerve and, with some people, can shift the nervous system towards a more calm and restful state. Slow breathing can also result in lower heart rates and lower blood pressure.

Cultivate compassion and gratitude in your body, mind, and heart

Loving Kindness meditation is one way you can practice feeling grateful and generate compassion. The result of this meditation is often that you can begin to develop love for yourself as well as others.

Practice saying “no”

Notice what brings you joy and fills you up, and, as you are able, say no to those things that drain you. Saying “no” might also mean unplugging from technology for a few hours or for a few days to create space for self-care practices, reflection and rest. Consider doing fewer activities, but doing the ones you keep on your to-do list with focus and care.

Slow down

Slowing down whatever activity you are doing right now and really noticing how it is to be fully present can be a mindfulness practice in and of itself.? Here is an example of how to eat more mindfully.?

Remember: self-care and mindfulness isn’t something that you do just when you are on vacation. It’s something you can do right now, tonight when getting ready for bed, and tomorrow morning when getting ready for work. Mindfulness—and self-care—are both practices that you get better at as you do them over-and-over again.

Daily Self-Care Practice

Here are some ways to build a daily self-care practice.

• Making sure your basic needs are met first.? This might look like packing a healthy lunch or snacks to be sure you eat during the workday, getting plenty of sleep, drinking enough water, seeing a doctor/dentist annually, or applying for assistance if you are in need of support in meeting your basic needs on your own.
• Scheduling it! Add your self-care practices to your calendar so that they are a priority in your day. Create a schedule where self-care items make the list as a priority in your day. Healthy actions will look different for every person, but these might include going for a walk, stretching/yoga, meditation, eating/preparing meals, making an appointment to see a therapist, practicing art, or calling a loved one. Putting these items on your calendar means that you have a better chance of getting them done. Pro tip: Use your lunch break as time for personal nourishment. This is a great time to take a nap, go for a walk, call a friend, or just eat your lunch mindfully.
• Getting outside to connect with nature. Even if it is 5 minutes on your front door stoop. Take a look around and engage your senses. What do you hear? See? Smell? Feel? Touch? Just feeling sunlight on our face can also have a calming effect.?
• Asking for help. It’s okay to ask for help, whether that’s watching the kids for an hour, doing work around the house, talking to a therapist, or getting support at work. In fact, it’s a great way to connect with other people! On the flip side, finding time in your week to help other people is a great way to connect, as well.
• Other ideas to care for yourself include: Reading for pleasure, taking a long bath, getting a massage, dancing or singing to your favorite song, finding an online course to explore a topic or a hobby you’re interested in, scheduling a visit to a museum or other place that inspires you, regularly scheduling time to do something that brings you joy!

Awaken Can Help You Get Started With Mindfulness Self-Care

Awaken Pittsburgh helps organizations and individuals seeking resources for developing healthy self-care habits using evidence-based, scientifically-backed approaches. Please consider us a resource for any of your individual or organizational needs.

Groups and participants we have worked with have reported:

• Reduced stress, at statistically significant levels.
• Reduced secondary trauma and Compassion fatigue.
• Increased resilience and ability to bounce back from difficult times.?????
• Increased workplace satisfaction and perceived increase in quality of life.

We offer these additional resources for free, at-home practice:

• Video series
• Online resources
• Suggested reading
• In-depth research studies

Mindful Connections?

Through our proprietary curriculum, Mindful Connections?, we offer essential, evidence-based mindfulness training designed to meet many needs—from individuals looking to deepen their practice, to educators, to public safety teams and others working in high-stress professions.

Led by experts in their fields and grounded in the latest findings in neuroscience and dialectical behavioral therapy, Mindful Connections? programs are a proven path to powerful and lasting transformation.

Our introductory series is geared towards beginners, introducing a spectrum of practices that can benefit all levels. In addition, we offer programs specific to intermediate and advanced practitioners.

Ready to Get Started or Have Questions?

Message us here on Linkedin or visit us at awakenpittsburgh.org