Mindfullness Based

Therapy

August, 27th 2012 – Project ADVANCE

Stress and DepressionStress can often times lead to depressive and/or anxious states

Examples:

Exams, midterms

Financial matter

Grades

Workload

New environment

Living away from home

The prevalence of depression among post-secondary students in Canada

7% of men and 14% of women in their first year met the criteria for MDD.

13% of men and 19% of women met the criteria for a Major Anxiety Disorder.

cjc-rcc.ucalgary.ca/cjc/index.php/rcc/article/download/291/633

Signs of …

Depression

sad, despairing mood

changes in appetite and weight

sleep problems

loss of interest in work, hobbies, people or sex

Many more….

Anxiety

Persistent state of apprehension

Catastrophic thinking

Irritability or edginess

Restlessness and sleeping issue

Intense and sudden feelings of panic

Fear of losing control or going crazy

Exhaustion Funnel

Try to Guess….What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is…The awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to things as they are.

Paying attention to what?

Anything but especially those aspects of life that we take for granted or ignore.

Why does it help?

It it the opposite of ruminative thinking that makes low moods persist and return.

To be mindful is to…

Become aware of:

Yourself

Your body

Your thoughts

Your environment

And the interaction they all play together!!

By becoming mindful, you will…

Become aware of yourself and your environment

Live in the present moment

View thoughts as passing mental events

Turn off the autopilot

Experience things directly

Approaching instead avoiding

How to become mindful…

STOP and take a second to breath

LOOK around you

ANALYZE your environment as if it was completely new

LISTEN to the sounds around you

BREATH and listen and pay close attention to your breathing patterns

Also, become aware of your routine activities (e.g. taking the bus, washing the dishes, eating etc.)

Some steps of Mindfulness Based Therapy:

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• Body Scan

• Mindfulness of Breathing

• Mindfulness of Thoughts and Sounds

What is Body Scan…

Lying down meditation …approx. 30 minutes

Daily practice

Guides us in paying attention, directly and systematically, to each part of the body

We become more interested, intimate, and ware of our body in the present moment

Use breathing to carry awareness to each part of your body.

Sensory experience

What is Mindfulness of Breathing…

Lying down or sitting position

Foundation of meditation

Must learn to focus, and refocus on your breath

Allows you to experience the movement of your body in the present moment

During this time Lots of wandering thoughts…Its OK!!

Must learn to become aware of these wandering thoughts and pull yourself back into concentration mode

What is Mindfulness of Thoughts and Sound…Must realize that thoughts are not facts

Must realize that thoughts are temporary, not permanent

First step: Focus your awareness to shift from bodily sensations to hearing

Become receptive to sounds around you

Do not try to find their meaning but rather their qualities (e.g. pitch, timbre, duration)

What is Mindfulness of Thoughts and Sound…If your mind drifts away, acknowledge it and bring yourself back to your awareness state.

Once you have become aware of the sounds around you and do not experience them as distractions anymore, you go on to the next step.

Let your thoughts take the center stage.

Let your thoughts come and go through your mind

What is Mindfulness of Thoughts and Sound…

Become aware of when they appear, how long they last, and when they leave your mind.

No thoughts is to be considered negative or positive…just welcome all of them.

See your thoughts as moving clouds… do not try to hold on to them or make them disappear.

If some thoughts bring high emotional charge, take mental notes of their intensity but once again…..let them be!

Physical Barometer

Become aware of your body sensations when you are stressed or anxious.

Note the parts of your body that experience these sensations.

First Pay attention to your torso and abdomen

Most sensitive to stress!!!!

The tune in to it and compare your body sensations

Stress vs. Relax

If you are physical stressed, according to your physical barometer Take time to BREATHHH!!!!!