Where mindfulness falls short

Mindfulness is a wonderful tool that is successful for people of many ages, across many cultures and spaces. Mindfulness is most commonly used in Western society as a non-religious type of meditation and grounding. Still, the roots of “mindfulness” are actually in Eastern religions like Buddhism and Hinduism. Mindfulness entails slowing down your thoughts and focusing entirely on the present, including what is happening in your body and directly around you.

As quoted from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness/definition, “ Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.”

This can go wrong because some people really struggle to be in the present and to shut off thoughts and focus on one task. People with difficulty holding attention, such as those diagnosed with ADHD, may struggle to find the benefit of meditation because it might be a hard practice to learn and master. That does not mean it is impossible; mindfulness practice is helpful for most people and can be adapted for individual needs—many mindfulness meditations, including guided meditation or imagery, assist in relaxation and increase focus.

People also go wrong thinking that mindfulness practices will work the first time. Many of the skills take repetition and practice to master. It is also not the best coping skill to use when you are already in a full panic attack or a hyperarousal state, as your body is resistant to calming down when it perceives a threat. Mindfulness is best practiced when you are feeling calm and have time to commit to it. That way, when you are starting to get anxious, the skills will be most effective and will be accessible to you.

There are many uses of mindfulness that also include a physical component, such as doing deep breathing, stretching or yoga, or progressive muscle relaxation. For some people, particularly those who have experienced traumatic things in their lives, there may be a release of unwanted memories or feelings due to meditation and doing these exercises. The body carries a lot of our stress and repressed memories, and sometimes even the act of making your mind still might cause unwanted memories to flood back or cause tension in your body. If you experience these effects, it is probably a good idea to seek therapy to process what your body has been holding onto and get advice on handling any flooding or intrusive thoughts.