Life has a way of sweeping us off our feet and dragging us along through the day, and we just hope we can make it to the end of the day. How can we slow down and savor our moments? Mindfulness techniques offer us a break from the rushing pace and help us appreciate the present.
Last week, we covered the dissociation spectrum: from everyday forms of dissociation to dissociative disorders. This week, we’ll dive deeper into the coping strategies we can use to manage dissociation.
Have you ever driven home from work but didn’t remember how you got there? You made all the right turns, stopped in all the appropriate places, and drove at the right speed limit, but when you pulled into your driveway, you didn’t remember any of it.
Or maybe, you zoned out during a meeting or conversation, daydreaming about your weekend plans or the movie you watched last night. Consequently, by the close of the meeting, you can’t recall what anyone said.
These scenarios demonstrate a couple of everyday forms of dissociation. This week, we’ll uncover the spectrum of dissociation.
Notice your breath.
Slowly inhale and feel your lungs expand;
then, release a long, relaxing breath.
Feeling lighter?
For most of the day, we breathe completely unconsciously, but breathing exercises are a simple, portable tool that can relieve stress and anxiety. So let’s shake things up a little bit and focus on our breath this week.
In previous newsletters, we’ve shared how engaging the senses helps ground us in the present. We’ve also shared steps to build your own sensory kits.
This week, we’re revisiting our senses and building (or adding to) our sensory self-soothing kit!
Occasionally, we like to pop in and see how you’re doing. It’s important for us to pause, breathe, and reflect on what we’ve learned, what we’ve accomplished, and what’s working or not working for us.
It’s easy to become distracted by every social media notification, incoming text and email, and the million tasks that need to be completed by the end of the day. When we’re caught up in a storm of thoughts, worries, and anxieties, trying to keep afloat with all of the incoming information and demands, we tend to lose sight of the present moment.
This week, let’s look at how we can cultivate mindfulness by developing soft habits.
Have you ever drifted through a day? Maybe you got tangled in your thoughts and worries, maybe you were running on auto-pilot, or maybe you experienced sensory input that was too overwhelming or uncomfortable.
When we drift from the present moment, we become ungrounded, but we can ground ourselves by engaging with our senses.
In a previous newsletter, we learned how to engage with our senses. This week we’re taking this one step further and learning how we can build our own sensory kit!
Grounding is a coping strategy designed to bring your focus to the present, or to “ground” you in the current moment. There are many grounding techniques that you can explore to see what works best for you, and one of these techniques is something you have at your fingertips: engaging with your 5 senses.
Can we achieve mindfulness through art? Yes, we can!
Mindful coloring offers a simple, fun activity that helps us step back from our responsibilities and step into our creativity and present selves.
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Congratulations on taking this step!
We look forward to working with you!
