Mindfulness is the heart of many evidence-based therapies including DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy). It is well-researched and you can easily find out more about it online. Many people confuse mindfulness with meditation or Buddhist rituals. While Buddhism and Meditation practices utilize mindfulness, mindfulness is NOT Buddhism and it is NOT meditation. From a DBT perspective, Mindfulness is AWARENESS and a shift in how we pay attention to the life around us and within us.
In DBT therapy, it is important to increase your awareness of what is going on in order to change what it is not working. You cannot possibly change a behavior, for instance, if you have not observed the behavior. You cannot address an emotion if you have not observed it as you are experiencing it. Mindfulness consists of simply paying attention, intentionally, to what is happening, moment by moment. You can practice mindfulness anywhere, and it is the key to reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as managing moods. The better you get at observing your thoughts, emotions, urges, and physiological sensations, the easier it becomes to intervene in order to prevent panic and lessen or even eliminate anxiety and depressive symptoms.
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