Mindfulness: WHAT IF - WHAT IS

Dec 16, 20212 min read

Hello ISHCMC community

If we mindfully explore our thoughts when we feel stressed and anxious we might notice a pattern in our thinking projecting us into the future. We may have a tendency to stress about the unknown, or we may play out particular possible scenarios over and over in our mind, developing a pattern for catastrophic thinking - assuming the worst may happen. When we fixate on a problem we can overthink and the overthinking in turn becomes the problem. With our brain wired to look for problems and danger it is easy for us to slip into a “WHAT IF?” mindset that can take over our mental well-being and create insecurity, fatigue and anxiety.

“The difference between a thought that sticks in your brain and one that floats on by is what we choose to make of it” Sacha Farneti

Worry, and catastrophic thinking often lead to fear building in the mind and body. When we notice fear, we notice shallow breathing, tension and holding patterns in the body, and an overactive nervous system, leading to difficulty sleeping and relaxing. These in turn can lead to a diminished immune system, so finding the opportunity to STOP, become PRESENT in the moment and to turn around the WHAT IF? to WHAT IS, is a really useful tool for managing our overwhelming thought patterns. When we notice WHAT IS in this moment we are generally able to establish a greater sense of grounding, acceptance and regulation to manage what is actually arising, and this in turn can help us to navigate our way through difficult or stressful times.

EE - KG - G1 - G2

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