However, this exercise is meant to be a meditative, relaxing activity which is not intended to be carried out "constantly throughout the day". Rather, taking the time at certain intervals to "be in the present" can be helpful for decreasing stress and anxiety.
Mindfullness training is interesting, and I can say through the experience of constantly being aware of each moment whether I like it or not, that I'm really surprised this is a method of relaxation. I have tried so hard to *not* be constantly aware of how and what I'm thinking every possible moment of the day because so often it seems that I am trapped purely in my head in these horrible feedback loops of doubt and fear. I can't count how many times I have wished that I could simply turn off my thinking brain and just run on autopilot like so many others seem to be able to do.
That being said, the loops I'm trapped in are probably not really mindfullness training, but lets take it a step further and apply this to other aspects of the body. What if you were a hypochondriac and I told you to begin considering how you feel physically every single moment of the day. Would it be healthy to run these frequent scans and suddenly notice all the bumps and booboos that maybe you took for granted before? I certainly don't know. I do know that the reason a watched pot never boils is because you spend way too much time and anticipation waiting for it to happen instead of just going about your day and coming back when you need some hot water.
CNN has recently written an article on the health benefits and positive effects of mindfulness training when combating stress and high levels of anxiety. The article outlines a study done by West Virginia University which researched the effects of mindfulness training compared to other activities related to de-stressing oneself.
Mindfulness training, which is the art of being fully aware of each moment, your physiological stress levels,
and being mindful of the present, was found to lead to lower levels of psychological distress and a decrease in anxiety levels. Overall, mindfulness training led to lower levels of stress compared to other methods of relaxation.
If you think about mindfulness training as a relaxation strategy, what appeals do you about this method? Do you think something like this would be helpful in your situation? Has anyone had experience doing mindfulness training?
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