In college, I took a course called Positive Psychology. This course was extremely beneficial. I learned a lot of different techniques to live a more positive life. I took a lot from this class and tried to apply it to my life, but one thing I have stuck with was Mindfulness Meditation. Mindfulness Meditation enables people to learn to be more aware of, attentive to, and accepting of what is happening in the present. These can focus on a variety of things including the breathing, the body with a “body scan”, sounds, sights, or even walking. Doing this type of meditation will help you forget what isn’t currently happening. For example, say you are stressing about work tomorrow, and it is preventing you from sleeping. Well, you can do a few mediation techniques to help ease your mind enough to sleep. I suggest a body scan, while lying down in bed. A basic body scan entails five basic parts: an introduction, two breathing steps, “time to practice, and a conclusion. In the introduction step, it tells you to get comfortable, and relax. The first breathing step helps you breathe throughout your whole body. The second breathing step is to help you maintain your focus on the present. Sometimes at this point in the mediation your mind begins to wander, so by focusing on your breathing it will help you get your mind back to the present. In “time to practice,” you are practicing the first three steps on your own in silence. Usually, if you are using this technique for sleep this step is where you being to fall asleep. Then finally the conclusion, in this part you notice your whole body, then offer yourself appreciation for completing the body scan. For some, this practice may sound weird, but for those who are open-minded it can be extremely beneficial for your mental health. Like most mediation, it takes practice to do it on your own. But luckily, UCLA has free guided meditations online, that you can listen to at any time. If you are open-minded enough I would try this type of mediation. It truly does help.
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"My name is Andrea. I am like a lot of people. I am a college graduate struggling to get a "real" job. I have a deadbeat retail job that I don't like all that much. I struggle with eating healthy and maintaining a healthy weight. I love to exercise and go on adventures. I've suffered depression, heartbreak, addiction, and even suicidal ideation. Death has taken some of my dear family and friends. I have debt, and am no where near paying it off. I almost married my high school sweetheart. My current relationship isn't perfect. I don't have many real friends. I am not really a people person, but I love to help those in need. I am not a perfect daughter. I make a lot of mistakes, and sometimes my mistakes hurt the people I love. I don't express my feelings, I like to keep things bottled up. I get jealous easily. I feel lonely at times. I cry, A LOT. I get angry easily. I find it hard being myself around people. I love my dogs, Harley and Hayley. I even love my adopted dogs, Blu, Kaleo, and even Brownie. Happiness isn't always easy to come by for me. I don't know my true strength. Music and writing are my escape from reality. I am a people pleaser. I don't really do anything for myself, I usually do it for the approval of others. I have a big heart. I care for others even if they don't care for me. I am not perfect, nor do I have a perfect life. I am learning to love every aspect of my life, whether it be good or bad. True happiness and self acceptance is a process. I am willing to do whatever it takes to be happy again. I know the journey will not be easy, but I know I can overcome this journey." I wrote this about a month ago when I couldn't sleep. I wrote it because it helped me ease my mind enough to fall asleep. I recently started seeing a counselor because I have finally realized that I am not ok, and I need help with my mental health. I suffer horrible anxiety, and was recently diagnosed with PTSD. When I was diagnosed this it made a lot of sense. I knew before my diagnosis that I wasn't ok, and I knew I wanted to do anything I could to be happy again. I figured maybe if I got professional help it would be the best for me. When I was depressed in high school counseling was very beneficial to me because I had someone unbiased to talk to. I don't always feel I can talk to my loved ones, especially about things that bother me. I feel working with my counselor will help me learn to talk to my loved ones in a healthy respectful way. Counseling isn't for everyone, but I feel it is an important step for me to take in my journey to happiness.
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dreaAlways remember to love yourself. Categories |