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To be mindful simply means to be mentally present and aware of what’s going on, internally and externally. It’s an innate ability that requires no unique talent; most of us simply haven’t worked on developing it as an intentional skill. By practicing mindfulness, you retrain your brain to handle thoughts and emotions more healthily and respond to situations with less of a knee-jerk reaction and more of an intentional, thought-out decision. This is done by separating your inner mind from the stream of thoughts and emotions which rush by at every moment.
Most of us associate ourselves with the thoughts we think and the emotions we feel, but these are primarily temporary by-products of our current situation at any given time. To practice mindfulness is to be rooted in the part of your mind that is consistent and stable and which doesn’t change with the tides. Building a strong mental foundation upon your big-picture sense of self gives you the platform from which to observe, acknowledge, and respond to your thoughts and emotions as you see fit, instead of letting the ebb and flow dictate your actions.
Using Mindfulness to Fight Urges
When cravings hit you hard, the core of the struggle is in controlling your mind. No matter how foolproof a plan you’ve made to prepare for challenging moments, you must still be able to retain the presence of mind to overcome your urges and act in your interests. It’s in preparation for precisely these situations that medical and recovery professionals recommend developing mindfulness. Mindfulness is the ability to step back from the immediacy of rollercoaster thoughts and emotions and make smart, healthy decisions rooted in your unwavering sense of self.
The goal is for you to reclaim power over racing thoughts and calmly assert your presence in your body. Rather than becoming overwhelmed by strong emotions, such as the desire to use drugs or alcohol, or being led to make decisions against your best interest, mindfulness is what it takes to step back to assess who you are and what you want. You now have the chance to make choices that align with your big-picture goals for self-improvement and wellbeing. Once you have this skill, even the strongest urges will become less overpowering.
Taking Control of Your Thoughts and Body
Exercises that combine the presence of mind with bodily awareness can help develop the immediate presence of mind you’ll need to weather challenging situations. Yoga, Pilates, meditation, and stretching are all excellent examples of such exercises. Many find simple breathing exercises to be some of the most beneficial mindfulness practices.
Once you can step back from whatever problems you’re facing, you’ll find that it’s easier to see clearly how best to handle them. The goal of mindfulness is not to ignore your problems but to not let them control you. By developing a mindful approach, you allow yourself to make decisions from a mental calm and clarity, enabling you to act in your own best interests consistently.
Master Your Surroundings
To practice mindfulness is to learn to intentionally shift the focus of your mind away from destructive or distracting thought processes and onto productive, healthy trains of thought. Part of this ability depends on how easily you can separate your mind from your environment. Suppose your mental state and emotions are highly susceptible to influence from your surroundings. In that case, you’ll find yourself buffeted every which way by the ups and downs of daily life and less able to maintain focus on your higher goals, big-picture priorities, and sense of self.
It follows that cultivating mindfulness means having more control over the degree to which your surroundings and external influences affect you. As such, another way to practice mindfulness is to remove yourself from your familiar surroundings, whether physically or psychologically. Detachment from your physical surroundings could mean going on a hike, taking a drive, or even just stepping outside to reset the activity of your mind. Detachment from your psychological surroundings might look like introducing a familiar positive stimulus, like a favorite song or a series of inspirational quotes, or talking with someone who supports you. Do whatever it takes to detach from the immediate source of disruption and return to a mental place of balance, from where you can trust yourself to make healthy choices.
One of the most effective ways to detach from physical and psychological stressors, especially at the beginning of your recovery, is to have a stable and supportive living environment like START UP RECOVERY. We have facilities designed to provide you the chance to press the reset button on your life and develop healthy skills in a stable environment. Speak with a recovery professional about whether such an environment would work for you.
When it comes to developing new skills for masterfully managing your own life, going it alone is only doing yourself a disservice. Invest in your quality of life by reaching out to professional support during this new chapter that you’ve been waiting to begin. START UP RECOVERY is a one-of-a-kind transitional living center that helps people push the reset button on their lives and careers. We offer an expansive variety of holistic, transformational benefits and amenities designed to stabilize your mental health and put you on your best foot forward towards building the best version of your life. From acupuncture and yoga to neurofeedback and deep-sea fishing, we give you the experiences to lean into your new state of being, revitalize your mind, and become the person you want to be. At START UP RECOVERY, we work with you one-on-one to craft a unique, personalized approach to building you up and getting you back on track, with no corners cut and no stones left unturned. Call us at (310) 773-3809 to get started.