Cultivating Awareness
I’ve mentioned it before and I will (gladly) say it again - awareness brings understanding into why you feel the way you do. That knowledge gives YOU the power to make the conscious choice that aligns with obtaining optimal health for yourself/how you want to feel.
Awareness and mindfulness go hand in hand. Increasing one, increases the other.
So, now for the million dollar question…
How do you be mindful?
You act like an observer to your thoughts, emotions and how you feel. As an observer, you do just that. You do not judge or attach.
If you are noticing a symptom worsen or you are experiencing an emotion. Don’t get overwhelmed. All you need to do is ask yourself questions to uncover what triggered it.
Are you low on sleep?
Stressed?
Push too hard?
Remember, no judging or fighting the answers that come up, just be aware.
If it is an emotion you are noticing, get curious at what purpose the emotion is serving.
Is it to protect you?
To motivate you?
Is it showing you something you need to change because it is resulting in a negative emotion?
How does it feel in your body?
Now that you have answers to your questions, LOG IT.
That may mean writing it in a journal, keeping it in the notes section on your phone, or whatever works best for you. Keeping track of how you are feeling emotionally or wtf causes symptoms to flare helps identify patterns, which is where you can really begin to s h i f t your life.
GET MINDFUL
If you are like me and love guidance, scroll your cute self down for a template to help get you started with your mindfulness practice. Use it to help break down emotions, thoughts, physical sensations or symptom flares in the moment.
As you have more instances logged, keep an eye out for patterns or triggers. Maybe every time you are bored you head to the pantry. Maybe your first inclination when angry is to yell and get stressed. Maybe that last workout you did was too much and increased fatigue for the next day after.
Once you are aware of those patterns (or triggers) you can reclaim your power and make a conscious choice instead.
MINDFULNESS IN ACTION
Now you know how to cultivate awareness through mindfulness and you have a gorgeous template. :)
Next up, I have two real-life mindfulness examples below to get you thinking of how you can apply this practice to your own life.
Example #1 - When Emotions Surface
I finished working out and am trying to merge on the highway during rush hour. A lovely individual wouldn’t let me in and it was a close call with a guardrail. By the end of the encounter I’m livid and physically shaking. Plus, I feel my face going numb (yay, MS).
I step back (figuratively, I’m driving remember) and use the mindfulness template to uncover what this reaction is telling me…
WTF is happening? Emotionally, I am mainly experiencing intense anger (level 6). Physically, I’m shaking and my face is numb.
WTF is the story behind it? I was trying to merge during a busy traffic time, which is already stressful for me. Someone was not letting me merge and I assumed that they were being oblivious and risking my safety. Automatically, my mind goes to a negative and angry place full of expletives. ;) This is not helpful.
WTF can you do about it? The root cause of the emotion was fear. The physical sensations were caused by the emotional stress of the situation. The fact is, I can’t control other people on the road. I can only control my reaction to them. I can take a breath, remind myself to focus on what I can control and calm down. THAT will serve me better in the long run compared to the alternative.
EXAMPLE # 2 - Breaking down Feelings
I’m sitting at my desk working on my computer like a good worker bee. I look outside, it’s sunny and I am longing to be out there.
In a flash my brain starts thinking about food - what kind of snacks do we have? Do we have any chocolate? Is there Halloween candy left? I really want pizza…
I pause and take a breath. I interrupt my thoughts with a different question…
WTF is happening? I am daydreaming about food and feel like I should eat instead of work. The feeling isn’t as intense, it is a level 3.
WTF is the story behind it? I was in the middle of working and I lost focus and got sidetracked with the desire for food. I was telling myself that I needed a snack. My mind went straight to figuring out what to eat. Although after I checking in with myself, I realize I’m not even hungry since I had eaten recently. I know that eating mindlessly would not leave me feeling better after. It never does.
WTF can you do about it? Knowing the root cause of ‘hunger’ was boredom and lack of focus, I decide to take a small break for a change of scenery. While doing so, I am mindful to really soak up the excitement and newness of the break outside. That leaves me feeling reinvigorated and able to return to work with a newfound focus.
In both of these examples, observing and breaking down my thoughts helped me see the bigger picture of what was going on.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
The more you do it, the more your awareness will grow. You’ll get to know your thought patterns, emotional or physical triggers and learn to reflect first before reacting. You’ll also be able to see how different emotions affect your chronic illness, which allows you to manage it in a more optimal way.
Doing this every time an emotion comes up or a symptom flares can be a lot, so do my favorite thing and start slow. Maybe try just paying attention to how your body and mind feels in the morning or at night. Then build from there. Alternatively, try to pause when emotions arise periodically and go from there.
However you go about it, be chill with it. Don’t get judgmental or beat yourself up. It’s meant to be a practice not perfection. It’s all just collecting data points. If anything it is really fucking awesome you are gathering them! Those pieces of info are going to help you learn, grow and s h i f t your life.
Much love,
Sam
