There are times when Mindfulness is not as helpful as we would like. These are the times to consider.
I am a huge advocate for Mindfulness.
When I do not focus on myself and practice Mindfulness, I notice it and I feel it, but there are a few times when Mindfulness doesn’t work well and it may not work well for you either.
When should you not be Mindful?
So, first off, as you know…
Mindfulness is being fully present in the moment, without judgment.
If you think about that, then that can give you an indication of when you should not be Mindful.
Now, Mindfulness has so many benefits, and most often the benefits will outweigh any reason not to be mindful.
1. When you need solid judgment.
If you need to use judgment to process information or think about something important, Mindfulness is not going to be helpful to you at that time.
When you need to think and rationalize the situation, recall a memory, or pull up information. At this time you need to step out of Mindfulness to do so because you need to use your analytical mind.
You can still take a few moments to settle your mind into Mindfulness during this process which will give you space so you don’t overthink or analyze too much.
It is impossible to be Mindful and judgmental at the same time.
This is also the same when you need to determine what is right or wrong. You need to look at two sides of the coin to decide the best route to go. And you can’t do that when you’re Mindful.
When you’re in the present moment- you’re not analyzing.
Instead, you’re absorbed in the moment.
2 During times of severe anxiety or fear.
If you are in the midst of severe anxiety or fear, it is very difficult to drop yourself into that state of Mindfulness. Anxiety and fear automatically throw out chemicals in your brain to narrow your focus.
They do this to protect you and keep you safe when you have that flight, fight, or freeze response.
Your brain wants you to be alert, and to distinguish where safety is and where the bad things are so it will automatically pull you out of Mindfulness to do so.
My suggestion is to use calming effects first, like activating your vagus nerve with some breathing, or consider a powerful Hypnosis technique to decrease anxiety.
Once you have the anxiety or fear decreased then you can use Mindfulness to develop a more relaxed state and to begin to regulate your emotions a little bit.
3. When Mindfulness becomes a crutch.
In other words, if you would rather walk out to the park and sit under a tree and be Mindful instead of dealing with an important problem, then it’s not good for you at this time.
Mindfulness is not escapism, it’s experiential. It’s being in the now.
There may be times when you want so badly to be in the now that you’re willing to steer at your navel and watch your thoughts to the point where you’re not taking care of the situations in your life that need your attention right now.
It is not helpful when you don’t take care of life situations. Instead, move through the situation, while using Mindfulness at certain intervals.
I did this last year, so I get it.
4 Processing your trauma.
Mindfulness can and will help you become more resilient and more in touch with the world around you and it will help you to feel more settled.
But, when you suffer great trauma, you need to process it. You need to deal with it personally and with professional people. I you don’t do that, the memories that your trauma is associated with will hold that emotion.
This can come up as a conscious or unconscious issue that is unresolved. It can also come up as a trigger.
It is uncomfortable to process a trauma. But as you start to process it, you can bring mindfulness into it to settle you during difficult times.
Please seek a counselor for any trauma you have.
Final Thoughts…
Mindfulness is who you are.
It is your natural state of being. The state of just “being.”
When life is busy and challenging, we do need time to reprieve and just to be present and notice the simplicity of life.
There are also times when we need to take care of ourselves so we can think, react, and analyze what is happening in our lives. We can’t put our heads in the sand.
Besides, sometimes it is fun to step out of Mindfulness and look at the future to feel the magic of the unknown or look back to the past to recall a nostalgic memory that we hold dear.
Remember 100% of anything is never good. There are layers and we are complex people and it is okay.
Be aware of when Mindfulness is right for you.
In the meantime,
Enjoy your day, one minute at a time.
Hugs, Cheryl
