Inward Bound is offering free online mindfulness sessions for Middlesbrough carers. The organisation had initially intended on delivering a set six-week Mindfulness course however recognising the demands on carers they are now offering a flexible approach with regular sessions to suit the needs of the individual carer.
If you care for another person why not join in our fully funded sessions to help you take care of yourself too."
To join in our sessions contact the team at:
Email: inward-bound@gmx.co.uk Tel: Marie- 07828709512
What is Mindfulness?
Professor Mark Williams, former director of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre, says that mindfulness means knowing directly what is going on inside and outside ourselves, moment by moment.
"It's easy to stop noticing the world around us. It's also easy to lose touch with the way our bodies are feeling and to end up living 'in our heads' – caught up in our thoughts without stopping to notice how those thoughts are driving our emotions and behaviour," he says.
Becoming more aware of the present moment can help us enjoy the world around us more and understand ourselves better.
When we become more aware of the present moment, we begin to experience afresh things that we have been taking for granted.
Why is Mindfulness a useful tool for carers?
Caring for family members or friends can be overwhelming, this is especially true during a pandemic. Looking after the daily needs of another person, when they are physically or mentally unwell often takes a toll on the mental health of the carer. In most situations, a carer’s focus is on the person they are caring for, with little or no regard for their own physical and mental needs. On top of this many carers have other aspects of their life they are trying to balance, whether it be childcare, work, education or maintaining relationships there is no wonder self-care gets pushed aside.
Mindfulness can be a useful tool for managing stress, carers often have multiple plates spinning constantly and without self-care and support it can feel overwhelming, and inevitably the plates will come crashing down.
Self-care is not selfish, it is vital!
So, how can Mindfulness help you?
1. Mindfulness helps us centre ourselves and pay attention
The mindful practice of paying attention to the present moment helps us control repetitive and non-productive thoughts that lead to stress. It allows us, in effect, to self-regulate.
2. You become aware of your thoughts allowing you to step back from them and not take them so literally. That way, your stress response is not initiated in the first place.
3. You don’t immediately react to a situation. Instead, you have a moment to pause and then use your “wise mind” to come up with the best solution.
4. Mindfulness switches on your “being” mode of mind, which is associated with relaxation. Your “doing” mode of mind is associated with action and the stress response.
5. You are more aware and sensitive to the needs of your body. You may notice pains earlier and can then take appropriate action.
6. You are more aware of the emotions of others. As your emotional intelligence rises, you are less likely to get into conflict.
7. Your level of care and compassion for yourself and others rises. This compassionate mind soothes you and inhibits your stress response.
8. Mindfulness practice reduces activity in the part of your brain called the amygdala. The amygdala is central to switching on your stress response, so effectively, your background level of stress is reduced.
9. You are better able to focus. So you complete your work more efficiently, you have a greater sense of well-being, and this reduces the stress response. You are more likely to get into “the zone” or “flow,” as it’s termed in psychology by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
10. You can switch your attitude to the stress. Rather than just seeing the negative consequences of feeling stressed, mindfulness offers you the space to think differently about the stress itself. Observing how the increased pressure helps energise you has a positive effect on your body and mind.
If you are interested in giving the free Mindfulness sessions a go, contact the Inward Bound team today and secure your place:
Email: inward-bound@gmx.co.uk
Tel: Marie- 07828709512
Also, take a look at our health and wellbeing pages as well as the NHS website for further information about Mindfulness and other ways to take care of your own mental wellbeing.
