Page published on 18th June 2024
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On 16 May 2024, IP Inclusive and Jonathan’s Voice co-hosted a webinar “Mindfulness and Anxiety”. The speaker was Dr Sally Rose, a psychotherapist who specialises in applying attachment and trauma-informed theory and mindfulness-based self-awareness practice to working adults.
Sally’s talk was a terrific combination of theory together with a taste of different kinds of mindfulness practice, which allowed us to gain a felt sense of the benefits of mindfulness.
Click here to access a recording of the webinar. Read on for our summary of the highlights.
WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
Mindfulness is an intentional way of paying attention to our mental and physical experience. Modern mindfulness practice draws on a variety of traditional practices, as well as psychological knowledge, to provide a tool for us to engage with our experiences more actively, increase ease and reduce suffering.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, a prominent mindfulness researcher, talks of mindfulness as ‘awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally’.
Mindfulness has also been defined (by Bishop and colleagues) in terms of focussing our attention on the present moment in a way that is curious and open and non-judgemental. This means being interested in our experience without trying to change it.
WHAT IS ANXIETY?
Anxiety refers to the physical and emotional sensations of fear, stress, dread and uneasiness. In an anxious state, our attention tends to become narrow and focussed on unpleasant things. Anxiety is an energised state where our body is getting ready for ‘fight or flight’. It’s closely related to worry, which is the mental expression of fear. Anxiety and worry can work together to create a vicious cycle that can be hard to break.
HOW CAN MINDFULNESS HELP IN MANAGING ANXIETY?
Whilst anxiety is a totally normal response, it comes from primitive parts of our brain and is not always commensurate with the situation. Mindfulness can be helpful to bring a more rational approach to managing anxiety and worry. By acknowledging the presence of fear, we can observe our reactions and guide our attention to safe and stabilising things in the present moment. This in turn can rein in our anxious mind and calm our fear.
MINDFULNESS PRACTICES
Sally guided us through a series of simple practices to introduce us to mindfulness. These practices can be used when we are calm as well as when we are anxious, to help us build confidence in facing and responding to periods of worry, stress and anxiety in our lives.
The aim of the practices is:
- to bring us to the present moment
- to direct our attention
- to notice our experience.
Sally explained how our experience is affected by where our attention is. For example, by paying attention to a small discomfort, we bring it to the foreground and magnify it. By shifting our attention to something neutral or pleasant we might balance this out. Likewise, moving our attention away from worry can turn down the ‘mental motor’. Also, by bringing attention to the physical changes that occur in our bodies with curiosity and interest can help us become more familiar with and less afraid of unpleasant sensations, allowing us to relate to them differently. It can also allow us to notice and know a safe place within ourselves, where all is well and where we can go to at any time.
Do listen to the recording to experience these practices.
Examples of these practices included:
- Directing our attention by focussing on what we see. Imagine shining a torch beam. This could have a narrow focus and zoom in on a specific thing, for example the details of a flower or the texture of an item of clothing. Or it could have a broad focus and zoom out, allowing us to notice more in our surroundings.
- Directing our attention using another sense. Eg. listening to birdsong or the wind, or noticing the texture of something within reach. Simply pausing and taking a moment to notice 3 things. Eg. something you can see; something you can hear; something you can touch.
- Directing our attention by focussing on our body posture, allowing ourselves to be supported by the chair or ground whilst also remaining upright – relaxed and alert.
- Directing our attention by movement – of breath or body:
- Noticing our breathing as a movement that is generated by the body, that we can simply observe. We can notice the stillness in our body and the aliveness in our breathing.
- We can use movement intentionally to encourage the body to a more regulated state, eg. breathing out as a letting go of tension and breathing in as an inviting in nourishment.
Finally, Sally told us about Tara Brach’s RAIN acronym for practising mindfulness and compassion:
- Recognise what’s happening. Eg. thoughts running away, body tensing, etc.
- Allow the experience to be there, just as it is.
- Investigate it with interest and care. What does it feel like? What else is here?
- Nurture with self-compassion. What can I give myself in this moment to help me to be with this?
SUMMARY
Mindfulness practices help us move to a different mind-body state by purposefully directing our attention away from dominating thoughts or feelings and adopting a different attitude to our experience. This can help us move out of vicious cycles of anxiety, worry and stress.
Practices can be done in short form or as longer practices. Like the gym, regular practice is best. Sally suggested starting simply by including some regular pauses or check-ins – moments where you simply stop to notice what’s happening.
PLEASE GET IN TOUCH
Jonathan’s Voice would be delighted to hear from you if you’d like to discuss your own organisation’s needs in more detail. They can provide free advice, seminars, workshops, talks and other forms of support and are happy to visit you in person: contact them via their website or email [email protected].
You can contact IP Inclusive by email [email protected].