Marsha Linehan, the Founder of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), said, “mindfulness is the practice of living awake.”

Read that quote again and take a deep breath as you let it resonate.

“Mindfulness is the practice of living awake.”

Now reflect on the question, what did you do last night?

Maybe you were getting dinner ready for your children, or perhaps you were at home and had been searching the Internet for a therapist and happened upon my website, or maybe you are a Mindfulness guru and were searching the Internet for a mindfulness retreat.

Whatever your answer is, now replay it in your head using mindfulness. Be aware of exactly what you did, the process of how you did it, how you felt while you were doing it, what was going on around you while you were doing the task, and what it felt like to complete the project or task.

This is a very different approach to answering the question. It requires you to slow down, to inspect, to tap into feelings.

We tend to move through life too fast. We don’t stop to appreciate the simple moments. We miss out on the process of actual doing what it is we are doing as we are running towards the goal line.

During a mindfulness therapy session recently, I shared with a client, “when I walk my dog in the morning, I stop and smell a flower if it catches my eye.” The client looked at me and said, “are you kidding me?” Nope, I’m not kidding. You know what else I do? When I walk on the beach I will often focus my attention on how the sand feels on my feet.

Smelling a flower or experiencing the sensation of the grains of sand on your skin are both examples of “living awake,” of practicing mindfulness, of being present.

I believe humans can be happier and less anxious and depressed if we can achieve a state of “living awake? When we “live awake” we are able to get to the root of our emotions. When we can get to the root of our emotions, we can start to have honest conversations about why we feel the way we feel in a given moment.

Let’s take a made up example of an individual not practicing mindfulness. Imagine this person is driving down the highway and someone cuts them off. In that moment, this person starts honking the horn of their car, screaming at the top of their lungs, their heart rate increases and they start speeding up to catch the person who cut them off. And they are cussing! Those are the emotions of anger playing out. What is beneath is the feeling of anger? Maybe fear? Maybe anxiety? Maybe even embarrassed?

Let’s rewind the above example for a moment and insert a different beginning. In this version, the person has been practicing mindfulness (how to practice mindfulness). As a result, this person is aware that they are anxious and scared because of a huge presentation they are giving to their entire marketing team at work this morning. As a result, they turn to focus on their breath. They get in their car and put on meditation music and continue to focus on their breath as they drive. While doing so, they inspect the road, look at the trees, ponder about where the other drivers may be headed, or run through their presentation. Now, as in the example above, this person gets cut off. But this time, due to the mindful state, they simply shake their head, take a deep breath and shift their attention back to the road. Sure, it was equally annoying to be cut off, but having acknowledged the feelings earlier in the morning, the person in this scenario doesn’t transfer their emotions onto someone else.

If one is fearful or anxious, be mindful. Ask yourself, what is at the root of these feelings? Can you do something to change how you feel? Can you speak with a colleague? Can you go for a workout? Can you put your work down and stretch and breathe?

Many clients, especially survivors of past trauma(s), report that being mindful of feelings and exploring the root is too painful. Though it can be painful, the exploration also allows for the separation of feelings from present day triggers. This allows one to more deeply understand the trauma is over. This perspective and clarity allows for healing to begin.

Another added benefit of mindfulness is that it helps clients start to understand what the body is doing when one is anxious or scared or depressed. Is the heart beating faster? Are you sweating? Do your shoulders feel tense? These are signs things may be getting worse. But without mindfulness we may miss the signs and the anxiety may become worse and the depression more severe.

In this therapy practice, located in Fort Lauderdale, FL (Wilton Manors), we integrate mindfulness techniques into most sessions. When the body is at a resting state, the brain has a better capacity to work through counseling sessions.

We offer in person therapy in Fort Lauderdale,telehealth therapy in Florida and telehealth therapy in Virginia.

If you are interested in beginning therapy, Jordan Nodelman is here for you. Providing EMDR, Brainspotting and other therapy services to clients in Florida and Virginia by tele-health, Jordan also sees clients in-person looking for a therapist in Broward County, FL. Jordan provides therapy for PTSD, First Responder therapy, and trauma therapy in Fort Lauderdale. He also works with client’s who are high-profile both locally in their community and more well-known. Reach out today. Coaching is also offered on a case-by-base basis.