Mindfulness Made Simple: Advice from a Mindfulness Therapist

Mindfulness can sometimes sound like it’s reserved for people who are in yoga class, or are able to sit in silence and meditate for long periods, which makes it seem unachievable. Mindfulness is the ability to contact and be aware of the present moment. In todays fast moving society, with constant flowing information, it has never been more important.

Most of our day is the opposite of mindful. Planning our weekend, checking social media, watching TV, thinking about the past, and worrying about the future are all activities that take us away from the present moment, and away from mindfulness.

However, mindfulness can be very simple. And, it is something that you can practice wherever you are, whatever you are doing, right in this very moment.

Using Your Senses to Practice Mindfulness

The easiest way to access present moment awareness/mindfulness is through your senses. By setting down your phone, turning off the TV and checking in with just one sense to start, touch/taste/smell/hearing/sight. 

If the sense that you would like to focus on is hearing, really focus on the sounds that you can hear, as if you are a child hearing that sound for the first time. If there are multiple sounds see if you can separate them out, focusing on one at a time. Check in and see if you are able to hear anything in your current space that you weren’t previously aware of. Play pretend, and act as if you don’t know the origin of the sound, and then get curious about what might be creating it. 

Creating mindfulness around taste and smell can be its own activity. Making a cup of tea or coffee, eating a sour candy, crunching into an apple, and putting all of your focus onto the taste of one specific food or drink. Lighting a candle, smelling perfume, walking outside and smelling the crisp air - these are all activities that, if we focus on them, can bring our awareness to the present moment. 

Mindfulness Can Help With Stress and Anxiety

Mindfulness can be especially impactful when we are feeling anxious or stressed, two emotions that can tend to take us into the past or future and completely out of the present moment. So, the next time you notice yourself feeling stressed, I encourage you to make a cup of coffee or tea, to turn off the TV, turn off the music, put your phone in another room, and try to focus all of your attention on that cup of tea or coffee. Again pretending like it is the first time you are enjoying this type of beverage. Then compare that to the experience of scrolling social media while absentmindedly drinking coffee. Check in with yourself, with your level of stress/anxiety, and how you feel after each experience.

How a Mindfulness Therapist in Broomfield, CO Can Help you become more mindful

We offer a Mindfulness Immersion Program that can help you really do a deep dive into mindfulness by teaching you the roots, sciences, and practices of mindfulness. I encourage you to go check out our mindfulness program page for more information because we hope to help you grow in your mindfulness practice. 

If you’re ready to start our mindfulness program in Broomfield, CO, please follow the steps below:

1. Schedule a 30-minute follow-up call

2. Meet with a mindfulness therapist on our team

3. Become less weighed down by stress and anxiety, and start leading a more mindful life!

OTHER counseling SERVICES OFFERED AT WELLMINDED COUNSELING

In addition to therapy for mindfulness, our team of caring therapists offer a range of services. Our therapists specialize in treating depression and helping clients improve their self-esteem. We also offer treatment for eating disorders and body image concerns. Not only do we offer individual counseling for adults, but we also have counselors on our team that specialize in couples counseling and therapy for teens. If you’re interested in our services but you’re located outside of Broomfield, don’t worry. We can meet with you virtually through online counseling from anywhere in the state of Colorado as well. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about our services and how we can help you achieve healing and peace of mind.

Relationship with yourself

Today’s society often finds it difficult to focus on themselves when undergoing anxiety, depression, stress, anger, frustration, etc. Focusing on oneself not only allows one to acknowledge what is wrong but also how to make it better. As everyone knows, everyone experiences negative thoughts; the difference is, how one can properly handle them. One of the best ways in controlling what you may be undergoing is gaining control over your self-care. A popular way to do that is by Mindfulness.

IMPORTANTNESS OF MINDFULNESS

There are many forms of Mindfulness with only one importance in mind-to help you find a way to clear and settle your mind. Some of the forms are:

*Meditation focuses on loving compassion for yourself, allowing negative thoughts to exit the mind

      -Get comfortable (does not matter where or how), Consider a timer (this will allow you to spend more time focused on the meditation and less on the time), Focus on breathing (notice the air coming in through your nose, your stomach rising, and air going out through your nose), Notice your thoughts (don’t push them away but don’t sit on them. Accept them. When they come up, acknowledge them, and then let them go their way). 

*Mindful Breathing-focus on your breathing, “boxed breathing”-breath in deeply and hold for 4 seconds, then breath out and hold for 4 seconds. This helps take the mind off of the stress that is going on at the moment and allows you to feel in control of the situation once again. 

*Visualization-This is when you focus on walks and focus on each different color around you. This will help you to enjoy your day more and not feel as rushed, nor as bored.

    -I have suggested to clients to use this when they feel anxious and/or mad. Take a deep breath and if that alone does not help look around the room for so many things of a specific color. You will soon find yourself more caught up in finding those than in the previous situation. 

*Mindful Movement-This may include walking meditation or any form of physical practice. 

      -Before anyone becomes worried by physical practice, yoga does fall under that and is actually very popular.

      -Yoga is known to help clear the mind before someone heads out to start the day and/or to clear the mind and release the stress to sleep soundly.

*Body Scan-You slowly notice each and every piece of your body. Begin by focusing on the strength coming up, or down and throughout every part. Then focus on every color-not just the skin, but veins and scars-which can help you accept them more if needed. Finally, begin touching your feet (inner/outer and notice the differences), legs (notice the hairs, moles, scars), all the way up to your head. The importance of this is to gain awareness of who you are, not who you mentally see. 

              -This is known to greatly help those who suffer from eating disorders and/or may have had their body suddenly scarred due to a tragic accident. 

*Journaling-Many have different views of this. Mainly this allows you to jot down negative thoughts as they are happening to get them off your mind. You can write down the date and what was the trigger. This is suggested to see if any trigger is in common, if there is then you can stay away from it and begin feeling more positive. 

By: Courtney Miller, LPC

The Three Different Types of Boundaries and Why They Are Important

By: Regina Hopkins

Psychological Boundaries – These boundaries let you establish what information you share with others, different opinions, thoughts or beliefs you may hold

Emotional Boundaries - These boundaries help you establish whether or not you let others approach you emotionally, including whether or not you let others affect your emotions, like making you feel joyful or guilty.

Physical Boundaries – This refers to any boundary you may have regarding your physical body. These boundaries help you establish whether or not you let a certain person touch you or not, (including any sexual activity).

The next time you have a conversation with someone, try to become mindful of the situation. Observe what they are sharing, what type of information they are sharing, what are you sharing and how are you affecting each other emotionally?

What are your physical boundaries? How much eye contact is there? How far apart are you with the physical space between your bodies? Do you touch each other as you talk?

Being mindful of the boundary, doesn’t mean this is where the boundary should be. You may choose to change the boundaries if you think it would be helpful to you and the relationship.

Once you are aware of the present boundaries in your relationship, you might observe someone trying to change the boundaries, or you might want to make changes in the boundaries. You may want more flexible boundaries, such as sharing more information, let the other person affect you emotionally, or move closer to them. Or, you may want a more rigid boundary such as closing off certain topics, creating more emotional distance, or physically distancing yourself.

These boundary negations often aren’t explicitly discussed. They often happen when one person attempts to move the boundary, and the other person consents, is passive, or resists

For example, you might have a co-worker who you previously only talked to about work matters. Then one day they might share a problem they are having in their personal life. You might negotiate the boundary by continuing the discussion and sharing something from your personal life. You might say nothing or you might redirect the conversation back to work.

You also can explicitly negotiate the boundary. For example, you might tell your co-worker you are glad they shared their personal problem with you, or that you want to keep the conversation focused on work.

It’s also important to note that boundaries aren’t fixed. Just because you set boundaries in one place, doesn’t mean you can’t change the boundaries in the future.

When you aren’t sure if your boundary is too “rigid” or too “flexible” it’s a good idea to practice your “wise-mind” (a concept from Dialectical Behavior Therapy, DBT). In wise-mind you are integrating both your emotional mind (and sensory experiences) and your rational mind. It’s the synthesis of these two minds meeting that we call your “wise-mind”.  Wise mind is often described as a centered, gut-feeling felt in the body. To help get into your wise-mind headspace, one technique is to practice breathing in, holding for a count of 10, and breathing out for a count of 10. As you are practicing your breath work, you can imagine the words, “Wise” as you are breathing in, and “Mind” as you are slowly breathing out. This can help recenter you and give you more clarity to help you make those sometimes difficult integrated decisions, and help you determine where you would like your boundaries to be.

Professional credit given to:

Dialectical Behavior Therapy.Katrina. 2022.https://dialecticalbehaviortherapy.com/interpersonal-effectiveness/interpersonal-boundaries/

LGBTQ+ Identity and Mental Health

The LGBTQ+, or queer, community is incredibly varied. This community is made up of a number of diverse identities, all with unique experiences and unique relationships to mental health. Yet, studies have shown that people who identify as LGBTQ+ experience mental illness and psychological distress at rates much higher than their straight, cisgender counterparts, and are more likely to seek out mental health treatment. Why is that? Let’s be clear: identifying as LGBTQ+ is absolutely not a mental illness. However, there are a number of factors that may explain this statistic.

            First, while we may have progressed quite a bit in recent years, there are still a lot of negative attitudes and beliefs about queerness and queer individuals. Many queer folks experience discrimination, harassment, and threatened or actual physical violence. On top of this, society is designed for straight and cisgender folks, which can feel isolating. One example is the issue surrounding gendered restroom access; the simple act of looking for a public restroom is often a figurative minefield for queer and trans folks. This increased stigma is a likely culprit for poorer mental health among LGBTQ+ individuals. In fact, stigma has been shown to have a negative effect on both mental and physical health. Access to affirming and respectful care, especially in mental health treatment, is crucial. This can help to negate some of the harmful effects of anti-queer stigma and equip people with tools to cope effectively.

             Another reason that queer folks might seek therapy is for identity exploration. While many individuals have little reason to consider their sexual or gender identities, those who do may wish to do so with assistance from a therapist or counselor. Working with a mental health professional can create a safe space dedicated to the incredibly important task of self-exploration. Additionally, the processes of coming out and transitioning can both be incredibly daunting and even distressing. Many folks may wish to seek support from a therapist while they navigate the changes that come along with growing into their queer identity.

      To be queer is to be a part of a vibrant and rich community (there’s a reason the flag is a rainbow!). It’s important that mental health providers recognize the specific needs of this group and are aware of how individuals may experience challenges differently. Luckily, there are plenty of competent and affirming therapists, many of whom specialize in working with LGBTQ+ folks.  

At WellMinded Counseling we offer inclusive care and how to support any individual on their mental health journey.  

Sources:

-       https://www.mhanational.org/issues/lgbtq-communities-and-mental-health

-       https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/LGBTQ_MentalHealth_OnePager.pdf

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LP PalazzoloShe/they

Courage in Conversations: Finding Comfort in Connection

By: Malhia Best

What is Social Anxiety? 

Social anxiety is an overwhelming sense of fear and anxiety. It can lead to avoidance that can disrupt your day-to-day life. Intense stress can affect your relationships, daily routines, work, school, or other activities. Social anxiety can look like this: 

• Avoidance or worry about social activities. This may include things like parties, group conversations, and meeting new people. 

• Worry about everyday activities such as starting conversations, speaking on the phone, shopping, or working. 

• Issues doing activities when others are watching you. You may feel that others are judging you 

• Avoiding eye contact or having low self-esteem, fear of being criticized. 

• Physical symptoms such as feeling sick, trembling, sweating, or racing heartbeat can occur. 

What Are the Signs of Social Anxiety? 

It can be challenging to feel social anxiety during everyday activities. It is an internal battle people are faced with. Signs that someone has social anxiety are:  

Physical Symptoms

• Shaking/Sweating

• Racing heart

• Upset stomach/Nausea 

• Trouble catching your breath 

• Lack of concentration

 Behavioral Symptoms 

• Avoid talking to strangers

• Struggle attending school or going to work 

• Avoid being the center of attention 

Cognitive Symptoms 

• Ruminating thoughts 

• Out of control negative thinking 

• Worrying 

How We at WellMinded Counseling Can Help Through Anxiety Treatment in Broomfield, CO

When social anxiety becomes overwhelming for a person, it can be hard for others to understand. Are you noticing someone struggling with social anxiety? If so, having compassion for that person will help to make the person feel comfortable. Along with providing an open space for the individual to know that they are not alone. Anxiety treatment in Broomfield, CO, and Boulder, CO will provide you with tools you can use to help cope with social anxiety. Anxiety treatment will also help you explore where the anxiety originated from. Sessions with your therapist may even introduce the idea of exposure therapy. In exposure therapy, you will be offered incremental goals to help create less destress around being in social situations. Therapies such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Acceptance Comment Therapy are often used to help manage and treat social anxiety as well.

Resources 

https://www.okaynowbreathe.com/podcast/

https://www.socialanxietysupport.com/forums/

Written By Malhia Best

A little bit about the author: Malhia works with young adults, adults, and adolescents, with a particular passion for supporting younger generations amidst today’s challenging environment. In her free time, Malhia enjoys cooking/baking and trying new recipes, exploring new restaurants, and spending time with family and friends. 

Begin Anxiety Treatment in Broomfield, CO

Our team of caring therapists would be honored to offer you support from our Broomfield, CO-based therapy practice. You don't have to struggle with the stress of social anxiety alone. To begin counseling in Broomfield, CO, or online therapy in Colorado, please follow these steps:

1. Contact our Counseling Office

2. Meet with an anxiety therapist for a free consultation

3. Begin overcoming your anxiety symptoms.

Other Counseling Services Offered at WellMinded Counseling Center

Our Denver area counseling center sees clients of all ages and addresses a wide variety of mental health concerns. WellMinded offers the following counseling services:

• Substance Abuse Counseling

• LGBTQ Affirming Counseling

• Yoga Therapy

• Hypnotherapy

• Walk and Talk Therapy

• EMDR

• Online Therapy

• Group Therapy

• Couples Therapy

• Relationship Counseling

• Anxiety Treatment

• Depression Treatment

• Trauma Treatment

• Teen Therapy

• Self-Esteem Counseling