 There are two things that can stop you from enjoying the present moment, ruminating about your past and worrying about your future. Do you find yourself thinking about things you could have done differently, or things that could go wrong? Staying present isn't easy, especially when you've been through trauma or struggle with anxiety. Practicing mindfulness can help you live a more fulfilled, happy life by being totally in the moment and stopping your mind from wondering. Now I know what you're thinking. Psy, you can't just rewire your brain. Actually, according to researchers Davis and Hayes, your brain can rewire itself when you have a new experience. Because of something known as neuroplasticity, you can change the structure of your brain by practicing new habits, like mindfulness regularly. So why should you worry about being present and mindful? Here are four reasons why mindfulness can be your superpower. Let's go! 1. Psychological Flexibility According to Davis and Hayes, when you take a step back and notice your thoughts in an objective way, you can temporarily deactivate neural pathways that were formed from your past experiences. As a result, you'll have more psychological flexibility and can respond based on what is happening in the moment instead of automatically reacting the same way you have in the past. By using mindfulness, you can adapt to the situation you're in. In fact, according to an article published in the Journal of Psychotherapy, mindfulness mediation activates parts of the brain that helps with adapting to high stress situations. Let's use an example. Sarah is having a disagreement with her partner. Her first instinct is to get angry and defensive, because in the past, arguments with her ex always got heated quickly. Instead of automatically reacting, she takes a few deep breaths, becomes aware for thoughts, and notices how they are affecting her emotions. She brings her attention back to a partner to focus on what they're saying. This time, Sarah listens intently and responds calmly. Because Sarah is practicing mindfulness, she can communicate better, remain present, and regulate her emotions. Sarah's situation is just one example of how mindfulness can improve communication in relationships. According to an article published in the Academic Journal of Psychotherapy, people who scored higher in mindfulness are more satisfied with their relationships, better at dealing with conflict and more empathetic. They also have less anxiety and anger doing an argument, allowing them to respond compassionately instead of getting caught up in their emotions. 2. Stopping the Avoidance Cycle If you've ever been through a traumatic experience, you might be familiar with the rebound effect. This is when you try to suppress a thought or avoid a situation, but the thought comes back frequently and more intrusively. The rebound effect leads to a behavioral loop, where you try harder and harder to avoid the thought or situation, and BAM! It comes back stronger each time. A study by Fallott and colleagues suggests that mindfulness is beneficial in trauma therapy because it helps clients let go of fear and acknowledge their thoughts instead of suppressing them, which stops the avoidance behavioral loop. According to researchers Goodman and Calderon, one technique that is suggested for clients in trauma therapy is repeatedly thinking about an image that brings them comfort as they go about their day, like your pet or the sun, whatever comforts you. By continuously focusing on an image that relaxes them in a traumatic scenario, they can increase feelings of safety and decrease negative arousal. 3. Hakuna Matata Raise your hand if you've ever been insanely anxious while sitting around doing absolutely nothing. Oh wow, a lot of us! According to a paper published in the Acomatic Journal Mindfulness, practicing mindfulness has been shown to reduce habitual worrying and test anxiety. There are two main characteristics of mindfulness, accepting and observing the thought without judgment and redirecting your attention from the thoughts. When we practice mindfulness, it can address habitual worrying by stopping thoughts about the past or future which leaves us in the present. James is sitting at his desk about to take an exam. He's feeling extremely nervous and has all sorts of anxious thoughts running through his mind. What if I fail? I won't get a good mark in this course. I won't be able to get into the college I want and I'll never be able to have a successful career. He notices these thoughts and decides to do a mindfulness exercise from psychologist Dr. Lilian Najad called Thoughts as Clouds in the Sky. He imagines all his negative thoughts as clouds floating in the sky, just passing by. He doesn't react or judge them at all. He just observes them and accepts that they are there without believing them or taking them to heart. He doesn't try to control or change them. He puts the distance between himself and his anxious thoughts instead of trying to identify with them. Then he focuses on his immediate surroundings, the desk in front of him, the feeling of his chair against his back, and the sound of his classmates talking. After a few moments, James feels relaxed, present and ready to tackle the exam. Could this technique help you in an anxious situation in your life? Let us know in the comments. 4. Mindful Relating in Relationships Have you ever had a partner do something that, in your opinion, is weird? Sai had a partner that would keep their batteries in the fridge. The first time he saw this, Sai was stunned. But this was normal to the partner. Mindful Relating is a technique you can use to form deeper relationships and understand where your partner is coming from. To practice, therapist Lee Tremaine recommends that you try to remain focused on the conversation and keep bringing your attention back to it when your mind wanders. You might notice yourself getting distracted by self-conscious thoughts. Do they like me? Am I saying the right thing? Maybe your attention drifts to all the things on your to-do list for that day. Notice when this happens so you can direct all your attention back to the present moment. Focus on the person's body language, the emotions they're expressing, and the connection you feel to them. The more you practice mindfulness, the better you will get at it, and the more you will benefit. It's okay if it's hard at first. Do you struggle with staying present? How do you practice mindfulness in your own life? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. If you want to learn more about techniques that improve mental health, don't forget to subscribe to Psych2Go and hit the like button. Thanks for watching! Until next time!