Everybody needs some quiet time. Peace of mind is good.
But what if the buzz of conversation that constantly disrupts your potential for peace is actually the constant chatter going on in your own head? What if you can’t turn off the uneasy, rambling, internal interaction within yourself?
You know what the chatter sounds like:
Your undone to-do lists.
Your second guesses.
Your relationship and money worries.
Your ruminations on the past and concerns for the future.
Mind chatter is the ongoing train of anxious or panicked thoughts racing through your mind. You need a way to help your mind rise above the distracting babble in your head. Mindfulness can bring relief.
The practice of mindfulness meditation has increasingly become a recognizable and effective force against the uncertainty of our lives, and the worries that accompany it.
Observance. Allowance. Acceptance.
All are possible through mindfulness. All have a way of elevating your thinking to a quieter, more peaceful place.
Consider the following benefits:
Mindfulness allows you to disengage.
Through the practice of watching and noticing your thoughts, you become a conscious observer. You can disassociate yourself from mental chatter and decide not to engage it, over think it, or lose yourself in the fear that comes with it. The chatter loses its anxiety-producing power.
Mindfulness heightens awareness.
As you become a practiced observer of your thoughts, you increase your awareness of your reactions and responses. This allows you to see your thoughts for what they are and understand your reality as it unfolds, not as you imagine it, moment to moment.
Mindfulness reduces stress.
Mental chatter creates heightened levels of stress. Mindfulness alleviates stress because it shifts your perspective. Meditation is much more than a relaxation technique. It informs you of your perceptions of yourself and responses to stress — and teaches you to control them.
Mindfulness centers you in the present.
Anxiety is most often rooted in fear and concerns of the past or future. Mindfulness keeps you grounded in the here and now. Practicing mental presence makes you conscious of your thinking and behavior, making it much more difficult to get caught up in a wandering mind.
Mindfulness helps keep thoughts relevant.
Mindfulness helps to corral and organize your thinking. It’s not so much that you’re thinking less, but that you’re directing your thoughts intentionally. Your mental energy is expended with more purpose, and less panicked reaction. You mentally stay on track by not allowing anxious thoughts to run away with your attention.
Mindfulness increases self-control.
Chatter no longer dictates your emotions and vice versa. You can make clear decisions with less fear and more information. The combination of dispassionate observance, alertness, and self-comprehension are the underpinnings of increased self control. Your breathing, physical responses, and emotional responses are no longer driving your thinking. Calm becomes readily accessible.
Mindfulness increases tolerance.
Tolerance of uncomfortable or unpleasant thoughts is a problem for those trying to manage anxious thoughts. Mindfulness detachment teaches you to be a mental bystander. You aren’t compelled to get involved or take action. You can take time to formulate a calmer, more accurate response.
Mindfulness lessens judgment.
You may notice that your mental chatter is filled with anxiety-ridden thoughts, and unproductive ideas regarding people and situations. You may observe a tendency to prejudge, blame, or assume. Mindfulness can provide a training ground for more empathetic, compassionate, explorative living. From there, the mental tendency to live in rambling negativity is much more difficult.
Mindfulness allows you the peace of mind and freedom to live in the moment, engaging in interactions with people as they happen without preconceived defenses, or irrational fear.
Denise Kautzer is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and a Certified Public Accountant whose practice is located in St. Paul, MN. You can view her website at www.denisekautzer.com or contact her at denise@denisekautzer.com.