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Dealing with Difficult Times Mindfully
There may be difficult times in your life when you feel like things aren’t going your way. No matter how much effort you put in, nothing seems to be falling in place! When you feel low, you may experience low moods often and you may also have noticed that you struggle to eat, sleep or even enjoy a conversation with a friend. This could lead you to start feeling depressed and dejected! Distracting yourself with a movie or scrolling through Instagram is our first go-to method of dealing with difficult times. But no matter how much you try, you just can’t seem to shake off that glum feeling for good. More often than not, the feeling comes back, making you feel worse than before! So how do we then deal with these difficult times mindfully? You may find this particular Zen story helpful in such times. A student went to his meditation teacher and said, “My meditation is horrible! I feel so distracted, or my legs ache, or I’m constantly falling asleep. It’s just horrible!” Begin Your Practice of Self Awareness & Well being With Our Free E-Book ‘First Few Steps To Mindfulness’ Click here “It will pass,” the teacher said matter-of-factly. A week later, the student came back to his teacher. “My meditation is wonderful! I feel so aware, so peaceful, so alive! It’s just wonderful!’ “It will pass,” the teacher replied matter-of-factly. The story points to the truth of life. Impermanence is the only permanent aspect in our lives. Everything you love and hold dear will be gone eventually. We don’t like to think about losing the people and objects we love, but to assume we will have them forever is pointless. Accepting that things change, sometimes not in the way we want, is an important lesson helping us to grow and become mature adults. Remembering impermanence and accepting it helps us to accept that the negative states will pass. Practicing the art of reminding yourself about impermanence frequently helps our mind realize thus and so, aids in dealing with the difficult times mindfully. About the Author SHARE THIS BLOG! READ SIMILAR BLOGS Working Through Body Image Difficulties Mindfully What are Body Image Difficulties? How many times have you… Read More Inner Space TeamSeptember 12, 2022 Recognising Our Feelings What Does it Mean to ‘Feel’? Our feelings are responsible… Read More Inner Space TeamSeptember 12, 2022 Benefits Of Mindfulness The Many Benefits Of Mindfulness Benefits Of Mindfulness Mindfulness helps… Read More Inner Space TeamSeptember 17, 2021 Feeling Stuck? Why is Change Difficult ? Is there a change you’ve been wanting to make since… Read More Sadia SaeedJanuary 20, 2015
Cultivating Gratitude
We experience our life in a collection of moments; some moments are big and impactful whereas some are simple and small. Why is it so difficult for us to appreciate the simple things in our lives? –Something as simple as the aromatic smell of an energizing cup of coffee on a sleepy morning, Or the beauty of nature as the trees sway in a light breeze on a sunny day? Most of the time we keep thinking of the things that are not going well for us rather than the ones that are! Have you ever noticed yourself saying things like ‘This is boring!’, ‘She is mean!’, ‘It is hot!’, ‘This is not enough!’, ‘The food is not tasty!’ and so on.If you find yourself doing this, you should know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE! If we look at it logically, we are simply wired to see the negativity and drawbacks, for the sake of survival. We spend more time and attention on unpleasant things around us. They start to occupy quite a bit of our mind,and over a period of time, we start becoming dissatisfied. To prevent us from reaching this stage of emotional being, we have to make a conscious effort and practice Cultivating Gratitude. One simple and beautiful practice of cultivating gratitude can help to change this habitual nature of our mind. It teaches us to notice and appreciate the things that we are blessed with. Come, let us begin our practice of cultivating gratitude the correct way. Most of our anger and harshness comes from our excessive judgment against ourselves and our lack of compassion. This video explains why self-compassion is needed. A Practice for Cultivating Gratitude; In this practice, you will make a conscious attempt to remember the good around you. You will try to appreciate it by feeling thankful for it. Start by closing your eyes and take three deep breaths. All the while try to be mindful of your breathing. It will create some space in your mind and help you to think clearly. Now think about the things that you are glad about. It could be something that happened today or something that is a constant part of your life. It could also be someone in your life; like someone in your family, a pet, a friend or an activity. Whatever it is that makes you happy, take a moment to imagine it. See a picture in your mind’s eye about it. Thank life for giving it to you. Smile gently, and then open your eyes. Do this for 5 minutes everyday, religiously, to cultivate gratitude and experience a positive impact in your life! About the author Begin Your Mindfulness Journey Now Browse Our Mindfulness Programs Click here share this blog! read similar blogs Recognising Our Feelings What Does it Mean to ‘Feel’? Our feelings are responsible… Read More Inner Space TeamSeptember 12, 2022 Managing Difficult Thoughts Mindfully Our mind is a powerhouse; from helping us make new… Read More Inner Space TeamSeptember 12, 2022 Benefits Of Mindfulness The Many Benefits Of Mindfulness Benefits Of Mindfulness Mindfulness helps… Read More Inner Space TeamSeptember 17, 2021 DAY 2: UNDERSTANDING JOY- HAVE YOU STOPPED TO SMELL THE ROSES TODAY? Life is generally viewed as a series of ups and… Read More Inner Space TeamOctober 6, 2014
Dealing with Anger Mindfully
Have you ever gotten angry at your parents for not letting you go out with your friends? Or on your friends itself, for not listening to you? You are not alone! Being angry is natural and we all experience it at some point. It can be a frustrating experience but the good news is you can deal with anger and gain some control over it with love and compassion. Being mindful and kind towards yourself is one of the most important steps to dealing with anger. Shifting focus mindfully, inwards and away from the person or situation, allows you to let go of the constant flood of thoughts that the mind creates. To help you deal with anger mindfully, there are a set of steps you can follow, so you can shift focus, mindfully regulate this anger, calm down and feel more in control. This activity given below can also be remembered as the PNAS practice Read also: Online Therapy for Anxiety Activity To Deal With Anger Mindfully Step 1: Pause When you feel anger, recognize your habitual pattern of dealing with it. Do you want to shut down or do you overthink or you want to react? Instead of giving in to your habitual tendency, try to pause. Take a few deep breaths. Ask yourself and your body how you are feeling. Let the answer come from within you. Step 2: Name it You already have a name for your emotion. Tell yourself, ‘I am angry now. I will simply spend some time knowing my anger.’ Promise yourself that you will decide what to do with the person or situation later. For now, you will simply attend to this feeling of anger. Step 3: Accept it “You are angry” –is the reality of the present moment. It is okay to feel angry for now. There is no question about whether you should or should not feel angry. Instead, just simply accepting it will suffice. Maybe you can say to yourself, ‘I am angry now, and it is okay.’ Step 4: Support it Remind yourself that you need your own affection and support now. Do a quick body scan. Notice where you might feel anger in your body. Your jaws may feel tight or you may feel heat on your face or elsewhere in the body. Anger is usually a high-energy emotion so you may feel like moving to express anger. Accept all the sensations in the body completely. Now that you can sense what the body is going through, you can actively support it. Support means allowing the body to feel the anger and helping it through a difficult time. It does not mean trying to stop being angry. Related Read: Online Meditation Course: 8 Weeks Mindfulness Meditation Begin A Practice Of Self-Awareness & Well-Being With Our Free E-Book ‘First Few Steps To Mindfulness’ Click Here Frequently Asked Questions How can anger impact my daily life? While anger is a normal healthy emotion, it can damage many areas of your life if you experience and express anger in an unhealthy way. Anger can impair social connections, your professional life, and many other areas of your life as it can cause strained relationships and misunderstandings. Can I eliminate anger from my life? Anger is an emotion that is essential for your survival, like the positive emotions of happiness and joy. The goal shouldn’t be to eliminate anger, but to create space for it and be comfortable with the experience of anger, and to find ways to manage it in a healthy way. When should I seek professional help for my anger issues? If you feel like your anger is impacting many areas of your life, and is causing issues in your relationships, and affecting your well-being, it is best to consult a mental health professional like a psychologist/ counselor to understand the concern and learn ways to manage anger. About the Author This article was written by Simran Sharma, Counselor at Inner Space. This post was consulted & approved by professional therapists practicing online therapy and counseling. Ask a Therapist If you are interested to know more about managing anger and other mental health topics, ‘Ask A Therapist’ is a platform for you to ask your questions related to Mental Health, Mindfulness & Emotional Well-Being to our team of qualified Therapists. Ask a Therapist Related Blogs Coping With Anxiety Using Mindfulness How To Practice Mindfulness Meditation? Benefits Of Mindfulness
Recognising Our Feelings
What Does it Mean to ‘Feel’? Our feelings are responsible for making sense of our experiences in life. They help us survive, form and maintain connections with those around us. They are also one of the important factors in motivating us to do things. Since ‘feelings’ have such an important role in understanding our conscious experiences, it is vastly beneficial for us to be Recognising Our Feelings. If I ask you right now “how do you feel?”, you’ll probably say “I am feeling… happy, sad, angry, etc”. Sometimes you may take a minute to observe or recognise how you are feeling about something. If you are still unable to point out an exact feeling towards something, you may finally say “I am feeling okay”. But the real question is, ‘What Does it Mean to Feel “OKAY”?’ Our body tells us what we are feeling through sensations. For example, a hollowness in the stomach could mean you are feeling anxious, or if your face is flushed, it could be because you are feeling embarrassed. There may not always be clear indicators to your feelings, like a ‘heaviness’ in the chest or a ‘weakness’ in the knees. Yet, it is beneficial to recognise our feelings. Simply recognising our feelings and naming our emotions can give us a sense of relief and clarity. Recognising our feelings can sometimes be a bit of a task, but there are methods to help you get there. Let’s take the help of the checklist down below. Read the list of emotions below and ask yourself patiently which feeling you are most likely experiencing now. The word ‘now’ is key. Browse Our Mindfulness Programs Click here Pleasant Feelings Glad Joyful Appreciated Satisfied Loved Enthusiastic Cheerful Grateful Relaxed Peaceful Unpleasant Feelings Ashamed Irritated Hurt Lonely Unloved Angry Confused Embarrassed Jealous Disappointed Download this Activity about the author share this blog!
Managing Difficult Thoughts Mindfully
Our mind is a powerhouse; from helping us make new friends, to getting us ahead in life, our mind does it all. It constantly works to make sense of our experiences. It also has an interesting tendency of creating stories to understand our world. However sometimes, in this pursuit, our mind can end up making false judgments. For example, you may feel like you don’t belong in your friend circle, or you may feel that you are not prepared for your exams. Coming up with scenarios to fill in the gaps of the actual truth can lead our mind to jump to conclusions, many of which are difficult to cope with! So how does one manage difficult thoughts mindfully? The difficult thoughts are self sabotaging to the mind and can cause you to battle with your inner self. Therefore here are three easy steps to managing your difficult thoughts mindfully. To begin with, identify one difficult thought that you struggle with often. Practice Mindfulness Through our ‘Free Mindfulness Videos’ Click here Now describe this difficult thought in some detail. While thinking about it follow the steps given below: Step 1: Remind yourself; This is merely a passing thought. If I don’t engage, it will fade away. This thought is a story that my mind has created. It is not necessarily true. We have a tendency to have more negative thoughts than positive ones. It is not my fault that I am stuck with it. Step 2: Try not to add to the thought; Make a conscious attempt to avoid adding to the thought. Resist other difficult thoughts that add on to create a false story in your mind. Step 3: Return to the present; You can ask yourself: Where am I now? What am I doing now? How can I pay attention to what is happening right now in my life instead of paying attention to the thought? You can take three deep breaths mindfully to bring yourself back to the present. You can also pay attention to sounds or to whatever activity you are involved in. Remember you are trying a new approach to mindfulness. Managing difficult thoughts will take some time and patience. Be kind to yourself ! Download this Activity about the author share this blog! read similar blogs Dealing with Difficult Times Mindfully There may be times in your life when you feel… Read More Inner Space TeamSeptember 12, 2022 Recognising Our Feelings What Does it Mean to ‘Feel’? Our feelings are responsible… Read More Inner Space TeamSeptember 12, 2022 The Neuroscience Behind Mindfulness The Neuroscience Behind Mindfulness Mindfulness as a practice for well-being… Read More Inner Space TeamSeptember 11, 2021 IT’S AN UNPLEASANT THOUGHT, NOT A FACT “My life is pathetic” “Others are so much happier than… Read More Inner Space TeamSeptember 23, 2013
Being Friends with Yourself
We typically focus a lot on building good relationships with others. We are constantly trying to be ‘good enough’ so we can maintain our relationships with them. However we tend to forget that one of the most important relationships is the one we have with ourselves, and the first step to this relationship is becoming friends with yourself. Many times, we are around people who consistently point out our flaws and make us feel like we’re not good enough. While others’ opinions may not always be in our hands, it is important to remember that what we do control how we view ourselves. That is why it is important for us to maintain a healthy relationship with ourselves. You can only cultivate this good, healthy relationship with yourself if you try becoming friends with yourself. This brings us to the question, “What is your relationship with yourself? — Is it one of anxiety, doubt, criticism, OR is it one of love and friendliness? Puzzled? That’s alright! Questioning your Relationship With Yourself Most of the time, we are not aware of what kind of relationship we have with ourselves, and that may be because we have never looked at ourselves from a newer perspective. We can easily change that by asking ourselves one simple question– “Are you a good friend to yourself?” Now to answer this question, you need to take a moment to recall a mistake you made in the past, whatever first comes to your mind, maybe something that makes you cringe at yourself. Think back to what was happening within your mind when you made that mistake and what you were telling yourself. You might notice that you were saying things like “I am not good enough”, “How could I make a mistake?”, “What will people think about me?” and much more. Now ask yourself, would you have the same reaction if your friend made the same mistake? Probably not. There is a high chance that you would feel much more compassion for them. You wouldn’t be so quick to judge them or belittle them, instead you would help them cope with their feelings by giving them space and comfort. The negative talk that you implemented on yourself would probably never come up for your friends.Now, imagine what would happen if you were able to give yourself the same level of understanding and support! It is true that many of us do not have a very friendly relationship with ourselves to begin with. However, being friends with yourself is an important part of your life and a positive outlook can be cultivated through time and effort. Becoming friends with yourself will pay off as you will gain the most reliable, lifelong friend within yourself. Begin Your Practice Of Self Awareness & Well-Being With Our Free E-Book ‘First Few Steps To Mindfulness’ Click here An Activity- Becoming Friends with Yourself. Let us do an activity today to develop a friendship with ourselves. To begin with, try to experience what it would look like to change our self-talk. Try to think of 5 things that are good about yourself and make a list of them. It is often difficult to see the good within us, so anything that you like about yourself, even the smallest thing, must be put down like; “I am enthusiastic.” Try to think of abilities and strengths from your view point. You may think of examples which may or may not be visible to others. It does not matter what it is. Step 1: Now take each of the points you have written and complete the following sentences. (For example, I appreciate myself for being enthusiastic.) I appreciate myself for …… I appreciate myself for …… I appreciate myself for …… I appreciate myself for …… I appreciate myself for …… Step 2: Now visualize yourself sitting in a relaxed way, peacefully. Look at your imagined image for a few seconds. Then mentally say to your image each of the sentences in step 1. Smile at your image after each sentence. Repeat each sentence as many times as you feel like saying it, or until you feel good about saying it. After this exercise, notice how you are feeling. Were you able to wholeheartedly appreciate yourself for your gifts? Did you feel good about yourself? Even if you did not, this is only the beginning. You are just getting started. You may not be great friends with yourself yet, but you have definitely taken a step on the path to becoming friends with yourself! Devote 5 minutes everyday for this activity and begin your journey to being friends with yourself! Download this Activity share this blog! read similar blogs Individual Counseling Vs Couples Counseling: What Do I Choose? 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