Using Mindfulness Mind Training to Increase our Self-Perception and Stress Management

Emotional Intelligence EQ-i Competency- Stress Management & Self-Perception

As we approach the pandemic lockdown 1-year anniversary, I am reminded how difficult this period was for people all over the world. The struggle is not yet behind us and there is still work to be done. According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) phases of a disaster overview, it is not uncommon to have anniversary reactions to disasters. SAMHSA has identified 6 phases of a disaster: pre-disaster phase, the impact phase, the heroic phase, the honeymoon phase, the disillusionment phase and the reconstruction phase. The reconstruction phase is where we learn to adjust to the new normal while also grieving what was lost. We need tools for how to manage the reconstruction phase from the pandemic.  Our bodies were designed to deal with situational acute stress but not the layers upon layers of chronic stress that so many of us have been holding over this past year.

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” Viktor Frankl

How will enhancing my EQ help me deal with the stressors of this pandemic?

Stress management includes our emotional and behavioral flexibility in familiar and unfamiliar situations, our stress tolerance to cope in a positive manner, and the optimism to remain hopeful during setbacks. Self-perception includes our self-regard towards our strengths and weaknesses, self-actualization to improve oneself, and the emotional self-awareness to recognize and understand one’s own emotions. By focusing on enhancing your stress management and developing your self-perception, you will begin to find the inner resources necessary to navigate the aftermath of this pandemic.

Creating Space for Choice with Mindfulness Mind Training

One advantage of incorporating a mindfulness mind training practice into our daily lives is that it helps to create more space between the stimulus and our response. In essence, mindfulness is being aware of what is happening, while it is happening but at the same time not extending judgment. Mindfulness is awareness that arises through purposely paying attention to the present moment for self-understanding and wisdom. Mindfulness also helps to establish a place of rest, gathers our energy, teaches us how to be with painful feelings, allows the joy, creates inner coherence, and is a process of deep connection.

Stress Reduction vs Mindfulness Mind Training

Stress reduction exercises like walking & jogging give us temporary relief from stress but it doesn’t change our brains in the long run. Mindfulness is the training of attention. Richard Davidson, a world renowned neuroscientist, explains that the goal of mindfulness is not about fixing or changing what we are experiencing but it’s about being with what is there. Through the process of acceptance, our relationship to those thoughts and feelings are altered. Eventually, thoughts and feelings will naturally change over time and we will have space to hold more pain and more joy

When I first became serious about incorporating mindfulness mind training practices into my daily life and not simply dabbling in it, I decided to treat it like a scientific experiment. I would try something out for a few weeks to see if I noticed any shifts in myself, and then I would either keep the practice and add it to my personal stress management toolbox or try experimenting with a different practice. Mindfulness is not a one size fits all approach but through experimentation, you can find what works for you.

Call to Action:

  • Try a new mind training practice-One of my favorite mind training apps is the Healthy Minds Program Apps because it uses neuroscience and skill-based methods to help develop your mind. Studies have shown that a three pillar mind training practice that includes open awareness, focused attention and kind intention training for a minimum of 12 minutes a day reduces the stress hormone cortisol, reduces inflammation in the body, integrates the structure and function of the brain, enhances immune function, and slows down the aging process.  Learn more about the science behind a three pillar practice here.
  • Focus on optimistic self-talk- Leverage more optimistic self talk to increase your stress management. Your inner voice goes with you everywhere you go so it’s important to tune into the stories that you are telling yourself.  Studies have found that people with the highest levels of optimism have twice the odds of being in ideal cardiovascular health compared to more pessimistic counterparts (University of Illinois,  Examination of cardiovascular disease within 6,000 people from six U.S. Regions)
  • Try gratitude journaling- The Five-Minute Journal App by Intelligent Change is a great way to train your brain to focus on gratitude. Your brain will thank you for it! Our brains were wired with a negativity bias for survival but studies have found that by making a list of things that you are grateful for, it trains your brain to see the good.  Why Gratitude is a Gift to You
  • Experiment with perspective shifting– In 20 years from now, what narrative will you share about how you survived the Pandemic of 2020? Think about what you want to take away from this whole year. Write your own coherent narrative that highlights your resiliency while recognizing and valuing the struggles that this year brought. 

I invite you to treat these practices like an experiment. Keep the practices that help support your ability to show up in the way that you want to and leave behind what doesn’t work for you.

We can’t control the next natural disaster but we can resource ourselves with tools so we can navigate through tough times.

Anna is a certified EQ-i 2.0 Emotional Intelligence Facilitator whose work focuses on the intersection of emotional intelligence, interpersonal relationships, and well-being by using a holistic, mind-body-oriented approach. Anna’s mission is to combine insights from psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies that support well-being.  https://www.eqembodimenteducator.com/