Habits and Mindfulness

September 13, 2022

“Taking a moment to figure out how you really feel instead of letting old patterns decide for you is one of the most authentic things you can do.”

— young pueblo

Mindfulness means staying in the moment.

Mindfulness means staying in the moment and noticing, without judgement, what is happening. “Mindfulness is so effective because it empowers you,” says Tiffany Cruikshank, LAc, MAOM, a Seattle mindfulness expert. “Rather than blame yourself, it allows you to really suspend all judgement and focus on how you feel at a given moment. It allows you to see breaking a habit as a form of nurturing, rather than deprivation.”

Feeling calm.

A mindfulness practice does more than make you feel calm. It activates the prefrontal cortex of your brain, which controls your actions and helps you make better decisions. Gill Thackray, PhD., a performance psychologist states, “We can look at what’s really going on, gaining clarity without blaming ourselves.”

Mindfulness teaches us to be kinder to ourselves. It slows things down, so we can see patterns, which in turn allows us to see what is happening. Then unhelpful behavior is easier to break.

Four steps to tackling unhelpful behavior.

Recognize the behavior. For example, when you are stressed out you want to eat something to feel better. Realize what you are doing.
Move on to acceptance. Look at your behavior without judging yourself. Notice your emotions.
Investigate. Instead of pushing away your feelings move toward them. Ask yourself, What is happening? What do you notice? Step back and watch yourself as an observer.
Notice your feelings and identify them. Labeling your emotions creates calm.
Gill Thackeray