Mindfulness based stress reduction. In our first article on mindfulness, we learned that mindfulness can only develop when you have a heightened awareness of your emotions and thoughts – even in stressful situations. 

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

How developing mindfulness can help transform our responses to stressors Mindfulness is Power – Part 2 

Another key component is to look inward to respond in a calmer, more relaxed way to the external world.

Today’s article will focus on some advanced methods to mastering mindfulness. Please note that there is no quick shortcut to this mastery. In order to achieve the depth of mindfulness, you must continue practicing mindfulness until it becomes second nature.

Becoming more mindful in the midst of stressors

Mindfulness in action is like a sharpened sword that can destroy stress-filled situations.

However, in order to experience the destruction and overcoming of stressful situations, you need to be willing and ready to wield that sword of mindfulness. When you are in a position where you’re ready to crush the stress in your life via mindfulness, the following guidelines will help you grow in this technique:

Suspend Your Judgments – In this present society, we are driven to make choices, make decisions, and pass judgment on anything and anyone that comes at us.

However, the inherent issue that comes with constantly passing judgment is that you are endlessly preoccupied with the slightest inconveniences. So much energy and time are wasted on such things.

As a result of this constant attitude of judgment, you will find yourself exhausted and burned out no matter the environment you’re in. When you seek to practice mindfulness, you are required to take on an attitude and mindset of acceptance.

The mindset of acceptance at work

When you’re in mindfulness, you must let go of viewing things as positive or negative. Your focus should be on accepting what is happening at any given moment and formulate your response, whether in word or action, accordingly.

The more you practice withholding your judgment, the more you will realize that the stressors that normally plague you, are no longer important or worthy of your time and energy.

Any brain fog caused by stress will dissipate and your mind will clear up. In order to manage your stress more efficiently and effectively in the future, you must have a clear mind.

Avoid Instant Reactions – One of the key objectives of the brain is to formulate routines or thought patterns and behaviors. These routines, behaviors and thought patterns can be used in different situations automatically.

However, these patterns and behaviors do not always benefit you or are not always productive in a given situation. These thoughts and behaviors are referred to as reactive elements of the brain. They surface automatically without the need for conscious thought.

Automatic reactions like these can give way to a lot of stress because even though our reaction seems appropriate for the immediate moment if we’re not careful we can end up allowing our stress to control the situation.

Continue to allow stress to control the situation and you will progressively become less productive and unhappy. Conscious thinking is the tool for coming up against reactive elements.

Conscious thinking in action

A person’s mind is comprised of two specific components – the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. Generally speaking, the subconscious mind provides the conscious mind with instruction. The conscious mind keeps the subconscious mind safe from potentially harmful ideas.

To engage in conscious thinking, you have to hand over the reins of thought to the conscious mind. That way you can have more control over what happens in your subconscious.

Your conscious mind is capable of formulating solutions to address problems permanently, while your subconscious mind can also help with formulating those solutions – as long as it’s not operating on autopilot.

Be More Compassionate – Compassion is defined as “having sympathy and pity for the misfortune of other people.”

When you choose to be more compassionate, it automatically stifles negative reactions and judgments. Your mind is more controlled, it’s quieter, and it’s more peaceful.

Compassion towards others and the situations they’re in is a wonderful way to distract your mind from engaging any negative thoughts or emotions. You will be focusing all of your energy into having sympathy for the person you’re helping. Compassionate thought and its subsequent action can diminish a pessimistic attitude.

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Always viewing reality as a never-ending loop of negativity will thrust you into a pessimistic state. However, a bit of compassion can dissolve the effects of pessimism and help you find inner peace and happiness.