Working through "Mindfullness - finding peace in frantic world". Join me?

[ColouringInQueen]

Hi there,

I'm recovering from a severe depression, a lot better now, but still plenty of room for improvement re: anxiety, dealing with stress, negative thinking etc and this looks like a really helpful book. There is increasing evidence that Mindfulness (and Mindfulness based cognitive therapy) is helpful in reducing your likelihood of relapsing with depression too

see it here

I've read the first few introductory chapters which have been v interesting and enlightening and just wondered if anyone might be interested in joining me in working through the meditation exercises?

Ideally I'd start with exercise one next week (its one each week, practised ideally 6 days out of 7) but I can be flexible

Thanks x.

ColouringQueen - I'm also a good problem solver and organiser in rl, and it's also a large part of my job. Perhaps it's actually an impediment in some ways because the 'doing' part of the brain is so well developed.

One of the problems I sort of have at the moment is that I've had a period of intense activity this year where I've set myself lots of things/projects to do - my friends and family have commented on it. DH said 'it's amazing to watch when you get going'. But, now I'm feeling like I've spread myself too thin.

Hi Ona, what i gleaned from ch2 was that, yes. Too much doing/problem -solving actually exacerbates the problem. Awareness of the problem and letting it be, the potential solution.

Simple but not easy, hey?

Hi, have started reading the book after having it for months.

Somewhere up thread someone mentioned joining a course. I joined meet up groups and there is a meditation group that does free sessions. (I haven't been yet, but it does look like an interesting group).

I am also good at solving problems (for other people) and its a big part of my job. I find it hard to switch off and just be.

Sorry, can't remember who mentioned about how well you need to be; I have had an awful year, operations, illness and my husband leaving. My mental health plummetted. I was desparate to calm my head. I just jumped straight into the meditations, the body scan one, didnt read anything. I chose bedtime to start. Didnt pressure myself, so if I fell asleep that was ok, I forgave myself. In fact it was a relief to fall asleep to as I would usually lay awake letting my anxieties run amok. Even though I fell asleep at times, I did it every night and somehow it worked. I began to feel, little by little, more human and calm.

So now I feel ready to do it properly and actually read the book! The timing of this thread was v timely. Thank you!

Salbertina I found having the support of others during a course invaluable. Every week a new issue or problem would arise for somebody and we'd chat about similar experiences or ways around it.
Learning that there's no wrong way to be mindful, that even a bad practise is helpful and how even a minute of mindfulness while driving counts.
The course was free for me as my health insurance covered it. I was sad when it finished but will definitely do half days or full day mindfulness sessions every couple of months at a facility near where I live.

I suppose it's the same reason things like Slimming World work for people, talking to others in the same boat and learning from their experiences is helpful.

Thanks, V. Definitely on my to do list at some point but local one is ££. Hope this book/thread help plug the gap a bit.

Just read some of Ch 3 - Being Mode and one that hit home and that on reflection I did today was the Striving versus Accepting. I helped to organise a mums meet-up this morning and was sat in a bit of a corner so not that easy to join in. But I didn't get anxious - as I usually do - I sat back, and watched everyone having a good time for a minute and then I guess someone must have spoken to me and then I was back in the conversation.

Another concept I've found very powerful is how we think about thoughts. (p41) "thoughts are just thoughts, they are events in the mind. They are often valuable but they are not "you" or "reality. They are your internal running commentary on yourself and the world". This idea is helping me detach a bit from some of my ruminations...

Hope you're all doing OK.

I've read the first four chapters and done the chocolate meditation. I have done some mindfulness before but I had forgotten much of it. I agree that the idea of thoughts just being thoughts is very liberating. I found it really helpful yesterday, but already today need to 'practise' again, as I know that I'm back in the same place of 'doing' and striving. glad of this thread to keep me going!

Katsh, me too, a real help!
Colouring, yes the "events in the mind" point really interesting. And reassuring. Trying not to take myself so seriously!

Ok, read ch4. My reflections:

Like the idea of Habit Releasers, sound almost too good to be true?! May try the movie idea or different food, shop, drive...

"Mind is to thought what the ear is to sound".

Great analogy and reminder to filter the many thoughts we have and not take them too seriously. Imagine focusing in on car alarms, crying babies, squawking birds or every word we hear spoken by those around us?! Madness-inducing!

Marking place. Have had this book a while, and was surprised how much calmer and more productive I felt after doing one of the meditations - the last time I did it I fell asleep which put me off doing it for the last few months because I felt awful when I woke up as it was about 9pm -

Have picked up the book recently though and started reading it again, and even tonight whilst putting DC to bed I was trying to fashion a plan to slot it into life as a "science experiment" as in if I commit to doing it for 6 weeks then if not helped enough will get anti-depressants after all.

I think I have to do this, I am under a metric fuckton of stress and indecision and the more I try to desperately problem-solve the worse it gets...

Sorry for long post!

Naice- you're not alone! Am fairly desperate and this book so far seems to be reassuring at least. Lets see how we go with week 1 from tomorrow.

Oh and Naice, why not give it a try for the full 8 weeks rather than 6?

Hi, yes 8 weeks it is then, it's been a few weeks since I last picked up the book - was a random length of time. Thank-you!

Have increased determination to commit to it as DC (3y) said to me today (after a rubbishy kind of day) "Mummy can you be happy now?"

Hi naice welcome. Really hope you find the next 8 weeks helpful.

Good to hear your reflections salbertina I'm with you on the filtering out negative thoughts. I struggle sometimes to know what I should filter out tho .

Do you know when you'll be doing yours tomorrow? I have a tiler coming in the morning so will be later in the day. ..

Hi all, just checking in - I have completed everything up to and inc ch4 now ready for the exercises

I regularly despair that that as I get older I cannot just shake off anxiety as I did when I was in my teens/early 20's so I found this interesting/comforting - "repeated triggering of negative thoughts...wearing grooves in the mind...making it easier to set off low or panicky moods - and more difficult to shake them off" (page 25)

Hi barbie good stuff. That grooves thing really rang a bell with me too. I sometimes think that my thoughts are like a cart driving along a track and the deeper ruts are the negative thoughts, I'm trying to make new positive ones but its tricky not to slip into the deeper ones.

My ds (aged 15) has read this; he's had anxiety issues that have resulted in physical pain. It was all stress related, so on a visit to his psychologist, she suggested he read it.

It took him 9 weeks, but has taken a lot of the info in, and regularly practices the Body Scan. It has helped him hugely.

I read it in a week (hard going, but I was short of time!), and it makes a lot of sense.

I think we ALL need to practice some mindfulness in our lives.

Good luck to you all, and I hope you find some inner peace!

Thanks so much Blue for your good wishes - very much appreciated.

Really glad to hear that the book helped your ds and hope it stands him in good stead.

Anyone had any time for ch5 yet? Will be doing mine this eve once kids in bed...

Hi Colouring and everyone
Plan to do ch 5 and the meditation later this afternoon, be great to compare notes!

Hi, right, finished cleaning, cooking, eating, so off to brave Ch 5!!!! I have to do it now I've posted this

Me too!
Okay, speed-read, done raisin one before- v interesting but fasting so skipping. Onto mindfulness of body & breath - to so now - will post how it went

Ok7.5 mins done, not bad.

Went ok - mind wandered now & then onto to do list. Realise how much tension i hold in my back, shoulders & forehead! Got itchy.. V Aware of time and abandoned paraphernalia of my day around me- books, papers, laptop, phone... So not entirely peaceful. Sounds of nature v calming when i tuned in. Twice a day, gulp!

Anyone else?

Hello! I'm back!

The automatic pilot thing rang lots of bells - I'm always getting side-tracked and creating more stuff to do instead of just doing what I planned to. (Tho I do get a lot done )

OK raisin thing was interesting - I had to work really really hard not to rush through it. Feeling impatient and less enthusiastic.

Meditation was good. Not as hard as I thought it might be. I think cos I have done this at the end of yoga classes in the past it felt familiar. Lay down with head on cushion. Went pretty quickly. Mind kept wandering but I brought it back to the breath.

Supposed to be doing that twice a day so might do 20 mins yoga before one of them.

I'm going to mindfully brush my teeth (must remember!)
and sit on a different chair.

Anyone else? I had not been feeling enthusiastic about starting this all day, but it was OK, and the 8 min meditation didn't drag

Feel a bit calmer x

Well done Colouring and everyone else giving this a go. It's inspiring to "watch". I must get stuck in and fast. Keep it up guys - hopefully I'll be joining you all soon