I’ve written a blog about 20 positive journal prompts, found here:https://www.notamomma.com/20-positive-journal-prompts/ Whenever examining positive ideals and grateful thoughts about those things (people, possessions, memories, etc) around us, we need to allow ourselves to let those feelings come as they will, allow yourself to feel them, and then, move onto those positive thoughts around, being grateful for what you have and not worrying about what you don’t.
Meditation is not a cross-legged “oomm” state of peace that only some can experience because only they can totally clear their mind of other thoughts. Meditation can be for anyone. and you just sit however and wherever you’re comfortable. Try clearing your mind. Right now, go ahead. It’s damn-near impossible. So try this. Go to your quiet, comfortable place, and just let the thoughts come. There’s no magical secret, eventually, the thoughts will feed through and you might zero in on something truly bothering you, or even be able to, eventually, quiet those thoughts.
The 5 senses
The importance of the 5 senses in mindfulness is to allow one to stay in the present during a situation that presents with anxiety. Think about it this way, I’m in the process of recovering from agoraphobia (basically, the fear of leaving the house), anyhow, when I DO have to leave the house, using the five senses is something helpful because you can pick something, any thing of the five senses, to focus on. How many types of gum are in the checkout? What are the people behind you talking about? (I’m nosy so I do this anyway). Concentrate on the amount of beeps each person has. What does the candy aisle smell like? Pick up something from the cart and use it as a “security blanket”, if need be. I always go to counting things, how many ridges are in the edges of the plastic doughnut containers? Math skills keep your brain entrapped into a certain spot in your brain so, what I’ve always found, is that, if I’m stuck in numbers land, it’s generally hard to get out.
I have agoraphobia, but as an aside to PTSD. When I’m out, let’s say, in a grocery store, a similar scenario to the previous one prescribed, I become overwhelmed with all of those senses combined. I can hear and see everything. I become completely overwhelmed, afraid, and elevated to panic. I’m not far enough in the road to recovery to work with these skills quite yet, which leads me to…