This post isn’t necessarily designed to answer the question posed about Mindfulness, but hopefully it can generate thoughtful discussion.
Benefits Of Mindfulness
Mindfulness can have a wide variety of benefits, including being more in control of our feelings and more aware of why we go through different emotional stages. But can we have too much of it?
Livescience.com offered some insight into this citing a study done by Chelsea Stillman, a doctoral student in Psychology at the Georgetown University Center for Brain Plasticity And Recovery. The study took two groups of adults and had them respond to colored dots coming up on a computer screen in different locations.
The secret? The green dot always showed up two dots before the red dot.
The Other Side Of Mindfulness
The less people were mindful of the pattern, the faster they reacted. This might suggest that it’s better to absorb certain things on a subconscious level rather than processing them intellectually.
As you can see, our brains have evolved over time to “throw out” certain thoughts that are painful or unnecessary for survival (sometimes both).
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This idea can apply to emotions as well as thoughts. This “shift” in how our brains work happens both on a society-wide and individual level.
Happiness is a process, not a place. #mindfulness
— Everyday Mindfulness (@MindfulEveryday) September 22, 2016
DID And Mindfulness
One good example of this is Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), sometimes called Multiple Personality Disorder.
People with DID may have two or more different personas who act differently from the way they normally would. This is usually caused by drastically stressful events that the person would (understandably) rather forget.
As a coping mechanism, the brain may “split” into two or more distinct personalities. If the person were more aware of this traumatic stress, it might affect them negatively on a day-to-day basis. It is far easier to live with a persona that is not constantly mindful of this painful event.
Mindfulness’ Role In Anxiety
Being overly-mindful can also lend itself to anxiety. If you are in a stressful situation where time constraints are a factor, for instance, being constantly aware of the pressure can add to your stress.
Additionally, some people find they cannot seem to get rid of thoughts about their to-do list for the next day when they go to sleep.
How To Relieve Stress Using Mindfulness
Perhaps ironically, mindfulness can also help with racing thoughts. When you’re aware that you can’t seem to relax or slow down your mind, it makes it easier to do something about.
Mindfulness Techniques For Relaxation And Awareness
If you find yourself thinking too much about the future or past, a breathing exercise may help. Try breathing in deeply, holding for a second, and then releasing your breath when ready. For some, it may help to visualize releasing your worries or anything on your mind as a beam of light exiting the body.
So, what do you think? Can we be too mindful for our own good? I’d love to hear what you think below.
[Featured Image is courtesy of Heidi Forbes Oste/Flickr.com/CC-BY 2.0]
Kevin Carneglia is the author of “Focusing During Meditation: A Guide To Getting The Most From Your Sessions”, an Amazon ebook that helps people to clear their minds and have deeper, more meaningful meditation sessions.
He writes trending news articles for the Inquisitr (www.inquisitr.com) and loves to help people learn more about meditation and mindfulness. He can be reached with comments or general inquiries at carnegliak@gmail.com.