It Ain’t That Deep
Mindfulness, that is.
Honestly, it’s not as complicated as people make it out to be. Over the years, I’ve found that many of my clients and friends feel intimidated by the idea of mindfulness, often telling me they don’t have time for it. It’s been interesting hearing the different misconceptions people have about what mindfulness is—some think it involves hours-long daily meditations, attending new age retreats in the desert, or just trying to “think of nothing.” While all of those can be part of mindfulness practice, they don’t need to be the whole picture!
Let’s start with a quick breakdown of what mindfulness is and why it’s particularly important in anxiety work.
At its core, mindfulness means engaging with the present moment without judgment. Now, let’s dive into what that really means. How do humans engage with their environment? Through their senses. What are you seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching right now? That’s all it takes. Can you focus on each sense individually, in a nonjudgmental way? What does that look like?
It’s crucial that your mindfulness practice fits into your life in a way that works for you. If you can’t commit to a 30-minute meditation every day, don’t worry—no one is saying you have to in order to successfully practice mindfulness. I encourage my clients to “microdose” mindfulness throughout the day, taking just 1-2 minutes at a time. These exercises involve pausing whatever you're doing and checking in with each sense, simply noticing what’s around you. That’s it! For example, if you're eating chips while watching TV, try eating just three chips mindfully. What do they look like? What’s their color and shape? Are there any blemishes? What do they smell like? How do they feel in your mouth as you chew them? What sound do they make? What’s the taste like—salty? Vinegary? Cheesy? What’s the texture as you swallow?
As you go through this mindful eating experience, your mind might wander, which is completely normal. That’s okay! When you notice your mind drifting, gently bring it back to the task and start again. Repeat this cycle 2 or 3 times. Boom, you’ve just completed a mindfulness practice.
I know some people find these little exercises a bit silly, so let me explain why they matter.
A key part of anxiety treatment is learning to distinguish between what you can control and what you can’t. The only thing you can truly control is yourself in the present moment. That’s it. The present moment is the only time you have control over—your reactions, your decisions, and your ability to change things. The goal is to give yourself all the information you need so you can make the best decision possible in that moment. To do that, you have to be mindful! You need to understand what's happening internally (your thoughts and feelings) and how you're interacting externally (your environment). By using mindfulness to process both your internal and external worlds, you’ll be able to make decisions based on your values, rather than being driven by anxiety and fear about what might happen next.
Okay, maybe mindfulness is a little deeper than I originally suggested. BUT, the day-to-day practice of it doesn’t have to be. While the exercises seem simple, you’ll find actually doing them is harder than you thought. This is due to the fact that our brain is not wired to be present, but that’s another post. In the meantime, make sure you practice. Practice every day if you can, small mindful exercises and I promise it will get easier.
