- Do you suffer with repeated episodes of depression?
- Are you stressed by caring for, or parenting, someone with mental ill health?
Many of us spend a lot of time brooding about the past, worrying about the future, and being hard on ourselves. These habits of mind are difficult to control and often leave us feeling stressed and low.
Mindfulness can help.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a particular way of paying attention to the present moment. When we’re tuned in to the present moment, the mind is less likely to get caught up in unhelpful patterns of thinking and feeling.
Mindfulness helps us become more aware of our thoughts and emotions and relate to them in a different way. We learn skills that can help us to:
- become more focussed and steady
- feel less overwhelmed
- respond more wisely to difficulties and stress.
Mindfulness can also help us learn to be kinder to ourselves and more accepting of how things are.
‘Staying present’ is easy to describe but difficult to do – especially when we’re feeling stressed, or miserable. With patience and practice we can all learn to be more mindful more often.
Find out more at www.tewv.nhs.uk/services/mindfulness