Dan Harris, from Good Morning America, was interviewed about his personal experience with anxiety and his new book, “10% Happier,” and shared a brief exercise on how to practice mindfulness daily. So why not give it a try:

1. “Find a reasonably quiet place (it doesn’t have to be pristine – and if it’s a little noisy, just wear headphones).
2. Set the alarm on your phone for five minutes.
3. Sit comfortably with your back reasonably straight (so as to prevent an unintentional nap – although, to be honest, worse things could happen).
4. Bring your full attention to the feeling of your breath coming in and going out. Pick a spot where’s it’s most prominent: your nose, your chest, your belly, wherever…
5. Whenever you get distracted – which you will, a million times – just gently start over.”

“In my experience, it’s a mistake to strive to achieve a certain experience. Often the striving prevents you from getting wherever you’re hoping to go. The goal in meditation is not to reach some special state; it’s to see whatever is happening in your mind clearly. Why is this important? Because when you see your thoughts and feelings clearly, they have less power to yank you around.”

https://dailystoic.com/dan-harris/?utm_source=convertkit&utm-medium=convertkit&utm_campaign=dan-harris

Researchers have found a correlation between an increase of mindfulness in those experiencing a wider range of emotions with improved health; and no affect shown on the specific types of emotions identified in the range.

By increasing mindfulness we can relieve undue stress in our daily life and improve our emotional well-being, and at the same time tend to our physical health as well. What a win-win! When we are more in Wise Mind and are practicing mindfulness we can also connect with others more, relate to them, and find walk a middle path to empathize rather than criticize. Invest in being mindful to gain the benefits of an improved life as a whole.

http://time.com/5096800/mindfulness-nicer-empathy/

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” This phrase could also say, “All work and no play makes Jack more vulnerable to unwanted emotions.” Finding a balance in what we do each day and each week is important.

We can put a toll on ourselves emotionally if we put too much on our to-do lists and only tend to responsibilities. We can become depleted of the pleasures life has to offer which make us more vulnerable to unwanted emotions, like sadness and anger. To too in reverse can happen if we only do things we enjoy and ignore the responsibilities we need to tend to.  Unwanted emotions can arise then as well, such as guilt, shame, and anxiousness. So be mindful each day in regard toward the balance of activities on your agenda. Accumulate at least one positive event each day and also tend to your responsibilities to achieve your longer-term goals too.

We all make judgments, so why is it sometimes bad to be stating judgments? There are two types of judgments; judgments that are discriminating, and judgments that are evaluative.

Judgments that are discriminating (i.e. I prefer X over Y) reflect personal preferences and subjective opinions. They are considered judgments that are effective in terms of not projecting one’s perception as a complete conclusion.

When judgments are evaluative (i.e. This is horrible) it is stating something as a whole and objectively. It is taking the facts of a situation and adding personal preferences, values, and opinions to make it an objective truth. This type of judgment is ineffective because others may view the same situation differently, whether it is marginally different or completely different.

By being nonjudgmental in DBT terms, it is referring to evaluative judgments. By speaking in discriminative judgments, there leaves room for other interpretations and perceptions.

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
Meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

Be grateful for whatever comes
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

– Rumi

Stress is a natural and inevitable part of life. And with many research studies on stress, there are a number of conclusions supporting the correlation that stress has negative effects on our bodies. It negatively affects our health, from increasing our risk of catching the common cold to increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. This creates a negative relationship between stress and us.

Our bodies are created to aid us in many situations rather than hindering our ability to overcome challenges though, and so by practicing the M in IMPROVE of Distress Tolerance, we can all alter this relationship with stress. We can find Meaning in our body’s response to stressors. We can view our bodies as energized and preparing us for action. Our bodies have developed to increase our heart rates, to increase our breathing, to increase our alertness. We can view this as our body’s way to help us overcome any stressors we face.

If we view this as a helpful performance, we can change our relationship to see our body’s response to stress as beneficial. Changing our thoughts can in turn change our reactions for greater effectiveness.