When Mindfulness May Be Harmful - Practicing Being Mindful From a Trauma Lens
Mindfulness has become a common practice that many try to incorporate into their daily routine, and for a good reason! Well, most of the time… But before we get to the pros and cons of mindfulness, let’s first discuss what it is exactly.
From Mind Full to Mindful
Simply put, mindfulness is the practice of being completely attuned to the present moment. It is the antithesis of the scattered mind hooked into the past or constantly worrying about the future. Now, mindfulness is easier defined than practiced (trust me, I’ve been there!), and like anything worthwhile, it takes dedication to become skillfully mindful. Our mind is a naturally curious thing and often will become distracted from the present by emotionally driven thoughts. This is a normal process that most of us engage in at some point in the day. The trouble comes when we begin dwelling on these thoughts, unable to let them go. Left unchecked, this dwelling begins to negatively impact our mood and make our thoughts more intrusive.
What mindfulness aims to do is take the mind that is filled with intrusive thoughts and begin to interact a little differently with them. Instead of feeling controlled by whatever thought pops up, mindful listening attempts to attend to the thoughts without becoming hooked by the emotional tidal wave that follows them. It can be helpful to think of your mind as a blue sky, and your thoughts as clouds passing across it. You, then, become the observer of your thoughts, watching each come and go without trying to stop or chase them. Yes, that’s right! Mindfulness is not about stopping these difficult thoughts from happening (that is an impossible and frustrating task to attempt). It is about changing our interactions with the thoughts that come into our minds. By becoming a bystander, we notice that our thoughts are just thoughts, and the emotions that they conjure are causing us a ton of suffering that is not conducive to wellness or problem-solving. The next time you feel your mind fill with intrusive thoughts, try using the sentence frame, “I am having a thought…” to describe your thought. For instance, your statement might sound like this:
“I am having a thought that I am going to do terribly on my presentation.”
“I am having a thought that everyone at the gathering will judge me.”
“I am having a thought that I cannot handle this situation.”
A simple, yet powerful change! This exercise reminds us that our thoughts are simply thoughts, not facts, which is a pretty powerful shift in thinking!
Is Mindfulness Always Helpful?
Usually, mindfulness can be extremely helpful in improving emotion regulation and our overall mood. However, there are times when mindfulness may be ill-advised until other skills are in place.
For individuals who are experiencing unprocessed trauma, mindfulness may cause harm. For these individuals, the physical sensations and thought intensity that intrudes into their present moment when engaged in mindfulness may be too much to bear without proper care and guidance. In this circumstance, it is always best practice to develop distress tolerance skills prior to attempting mindfulness, especially if it is being practiced alone.
What is distress tolerance? It is the threshold of emotional intensity an individual can handle before beginning to feel out of control. For trauma survivors, distress tolerance skills are important, as they offer opportunities to find safety if they do begin to feel overwhelmed during mindfulness. Think of distress tolerance skills as a safe space to land when the going gets rough. If you have experienced trauma and are interested in getting to a point where mindfulness can be helpful, I encourage you to find a trauma-informed clinician that can support you in a safe way toward this goal.
The Takeaway
Mindfulness is an incredible practice that helps improve emotion regulation for many. And like with any other powerful tool, we must consider and mitigate the risks involved when using mindfulness in our lives. There are blue skies behind the clouds, and you deserve to bask in its vast beauty.
