Freeze-Framing Aversion
Although unpleasant feelings may appear to be purely negative in nature, there are some instances when they can act beneficially in working your way through a difficult time. If you take a detailed look into the process of unpleasant feelings, you will see that they come in two stages. Stage One is the unpleasant feeling arises, and then Stage Two is the reaction your mind has to this feeling, which is often an attempt to avoid it as we instinctually want to dodge these uncomfortable situations. This process is known as aversion, and even though it may seem appealing in the short term, it often acts as the force keeping us ensnared in undesirable emotions such as anger, anxiety, and depression. By freeze-framing the aversion, you are able to release the emotions that have remained present in your mind even though you have been avoiding them.
Seeing Negative Thoughts with Less Aversion
While this exercise tends to target those who have experienced depression in the past, research has shown that most people deal with this problem and can benefit from learning techniques to minimize aversion towards different thoughts.
An optional exercise
Think about a time in the past when you experienced a very strong negative emotion, such as depression or anger. Determine whether or not you identified with any of the following thoughts after experiencing the negative emotion:
I’m no good.
What’s wrong with me?
I wish I could just disappear.
Everyone can tell that I’m feeling this way and they’re judging me for it.
My life is never going to get better.
Do any of these sound familiar? Then think of another time in life, possibly right now, when you were feeling completely healthy. There’s a good chance that you no longer identify with the statements above and that they seem quite different than your current outlook.
Seeing Negative States of Mind with Less Aversion
For many individuals, it can be very difficult to recognize that they are not only reacting to negative thoughts but negative states of mind as well. Rather than saying, “I’m disappointed that I had this thought about depression,” someone might say, “I’m disappointed that I’m in a state of depression,” which can lead to even more feelings of inadequacy. Once again, try to recall a time during which you were depressed or angry. Did you blame yourself for feeling that way? Do you think that in doing so, it felt even worse? It’s very possible that it did, as we tend to be harder on ourselves than we would be on someone else with a similar problem.
Another reason this type of thinking can be so harmful is because it entails a good deal of labeling. By telling yourself that you are depressed, you are labeling a certain type of feeling that may be something else or at least not nearly as bad as you are making it out to be in your head. It is often difficult for people experiencing negative emotions to see those emotions as something that is not a fault. All of the aforementioned thoughts are common symptoms of depression – they are nothing to be ashamed of, and by accepting them for what they are, they lose more and more power and you gain control over them.
Here’s another optional exercise:
Sitting Meditation: Mindfulness of Breath, Body, Sounds, Thoughts, and Choiceless Awareness.
Start by practicing mindfulness of body and breath, and get into a breathing rhythm that feels comfortable for you.
Now, rather than focusing on your breathing, shift your awareness to your hearing. Try to bring all auditory stimuli into your thoughts, and notice how you react when a new sound is introduced.
Do not worry if there are not obvious sounds around you. You need not seek them out; remember that silence is also something to be aware of.
If you notice that your awareness is no longer focused on this exercise, gently guide it back to listening to the different sounds.
It is completely normal to lose focus on this topic – don’t be discouraged if you find that your mind has wandered. Simply acknowledge whatever thought your mind was thinking and gently redirect your awareness back to the task at hand.
Now, when you feel ready, try to shift your attention so the objects of your awareness become thoughts as events in your mind. Just as you acted when you hear the sounds, notice your thoughts arise, acknowledge their substance, and then allow them to pass on through your mind and eventually disappear.
There is no need to try to force the thoughts; just let them come and go naturally.
Continue this exercise for 10 minutes, or for as long as you wish and feel that it is productive.
References
Teasdale, J., Williams, J, & Segal, Z. (2014). The mindful way workbook: An 8-week program to free yourself from depression and emotional distress. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Application: Effectiveness of Mindfulness for ADHD and Other Conditions
Transcendental Meditation (TM), a Hindu practice which typically involves a concentration on a single mantra, was found to be helpful in alleviating executive functioning symptoms significantly in a sample of 10 children with ADHD (Grosswald, Stixrud, Travis, & Bateh, 2008). One female student and nine male students between the ages of 11-14 received training from certified TM trainers as well as ongoing guided practice by their school teachers for a three month period. The students completed in-class (10 minutes daily), as well as at-home, TM exercises. The Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) inventory was completed by the students, their parents, and their teachers in order to assess ADHD symptoms. The participants’ behavioral regulation, executive functioning, and metacognition and were measured by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). The following laboratory tasks were also used to assess executive functioning: Tower of London, The Cognitive Assessment System Expressive Attention, Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Verbal Fluency test, and Connor’s Continuous Performance Test II.
Findings from this study revealed a significant difference in the participants’ abilities to inhibit impulses, shift attention, and control their emotions, F(1,9) = 23.7, p< .00001 (Grosswald et al., 2008). Also, task initiation, working memory, expressive attention, and self-monitoring were significantly improved over time. Each of these abilities is highly valuable to an individual with ADHD (as well as those with other health conditions) and those in their families given that they reflect common neurocognitive deficits. One specific benefit that this study highlights is that TM may be especially helpful because meditation can be performed in a wide variety of settings throughout the day whenever needed. This flexibility lends itself well to the diverse tasks requiring self-regulation and attention. As is consistent with many mindfulness studies, this study was limited by having a small sample size and lacking of a control group.
References
Grosswald, S. J., Stixrud, W. R., Travis, F., & Bateh, M. A. (2008). Use of the Transcendental Meditation technique to reduce symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) by reducing stress and anxiety: An exploratory study. Current Issues in Education, 10(2).
Or https://cie.asu.edu/ojs/index.php/cieatasu/article/view/1569/614
Mindful Eating (Powerpoint)
Or, https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3-1-RkV8UaCNkx1ZlBlNzdiaEk/view?usp=sharing
definition of mindful eating
disinhibition
seven skills of a mindful eater
the eating cycle
books about mindful eating
Mindful Eating Guided Exercise (video):
Or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5DfLKgJP8c
Guided meditation of mindful eating (3 minutes)
Additional Applications: Mindful Eating
Or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5DfLKgJP8c
Exercise: Complete this mindful eating exercise once daily for this week whenever you eat or whenever it works for you.