There are two reasons that mindfulness is an important part of understanding and overcoming your depression. One, it is easy to live your life on autopilot when you are depressed. With no energy or drive, it is easy to go through the motions of each day without much thought or awareness. With mindfulness, we practice being present and welcoming to all that is happening around you and within you.
Two, some of the things that are happening within you are thoughts and feelings that contribute to your depression. When look at your life through these thoughts, it can shape the way you experience everything around you. Mindfulness helps you look at these thoughts instead of through them.
Mindfulness involves choosing something on which to focus your attention. The most common focus is your breath. You focus your attention on your breath, and you simply return your attention to your breath when your attention wanders. If you are distracted by a thought or feeling, you notice and accept it. You gently, without judgment, return your attention back to your breath.
Mindfulness practice may be something that is new to you. Like any new skill, you may experience some resistance and some obstacles that get in the way of your practice.
Here are some common obstacles you might experience when you begin a mindfulness practice and some ways to overcome them.
1. I don’t have time to do this.
This is one I encounter all the time with my clients. When I introduce the idea of practicing mindfulness, they will say, “Great, now I’ve got to find time to do this with all the other things I have to do.”
Often, I will respond by saying, “Anything that you are already doing during the day you can do mindfully.” You can brush your teeth or take a shower mindfully. You can walk from your car to your office mindfully. These are activities that we do every day without thinking, so doing them mindfully can help you feel the difference between mindful living and living on autopilot.
2. I can’t do it right, so it won’t help.
If this is an obstacle you face, stop for a moment, and consider this question, “What, exactly, are you doing that you think is not right?” In fact, there is no ‘right’ way to practice mindfulness. You notice your thoughts, you accept them, and then you bring your attention back to your breath. You are not trying to reduce the number of thoughts and feelings you have. No matter how often you realize your mind has wandered, you simply return to your practice.
This “I can’t do it right” message is common if you are struggling with depression. It becomes another negative thought that allows the depression to stay in control.
3. I fell asleep.
It makes sense that you might fall asleep when you are practicing mindfulness. When you sit quietly for a few minutes and start to relax, you may fall asleep. There is nothing wrong with sleep. If you are tired and sleep-deprived, sleep may be what you need. These moments of mindfulness can be a reminder to look at and change some of your sleeping patterns.
And yet, you want to make this mindfulness practice a priority, so it might be helpful to practice mindfulness with an activity from your daily life. Instead of sitting and focusing on your breath, you can walk and notice the movement of your body as you take each step. A walking mindfulness practice can be good can help you overcome the lethargy and inactivity that come with depression.
4. I’ve tried this before, and it doesn’t work for me.
When clients share this obstacle to a mindfulness practice, I will ask what they have tried before and what happened. It may be that the kind of practice they tried did not fit or resonate with them. There are so many different types of mindfulness that it is possible to find one that feels right for you.
Sometimes, the problem with mindfulness ‘not working’ is the expectation you have going into mindfulness. Clients will often say, “I tried mindfulness, but my depression is still there.” Mindfulness practices do not get rid of your depression; instead, they allow you to develop a different relationship with the thoughts and feelings of depression. This new relationship gives you the emotional space you need to choose actions that are more aligned with your values.
Learn more about depression and how I can work with you on my depression treatment specialty page.