The Power of Mindfulness
Julia Harris

- Increase your awareness by keeping a daily gratitude journal or list. This practice increases your awareness of what you are grateful for in the moment which reduces suffering when negative experiences occur.
- Take 5 minutes each day to sit quietly and focus on your breathing. This practice can help you stay in the present moment without getting distracted by thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, or external things.
- Set a reminder on your phone to check in and ask yourself “what am I feeling?” Try to name the emotion. This practice can help you get in touch with your feelings by noticing and name the emotion.
- Try a mindful body scan before bed. While lying in bed, take a few deep breaths and start to scan your body for any sensations. Start with your toes and work your way up to your head. Try not to hang on to any sensation, but instead, try to allow the sensation to come into your attention and move out of your attention freely.
- Practice mindfulness with imagery. Try sitting quietly and becoming aware of any thoughts that arise. Imagine each thought as a cloud that is drifting through the sky. This practice can help you notice thoughts without attaching to them which can reduce the likelihood of overthinking, rumination, and suffering.
Mindfulness is a core component of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). By learning mindfulness, you can begin to implement other coping strategies to manage your emotions, tolerate painful emotions and experiences, and maintain healthy relationships. Interested in learning more about mindfulness or DBT? Contact The Summit Counseling Center by calling 678-893-5300 to schedule an appointment with an Intensively Trained DBT therapist or visit our website to learn more about our DBT program http://summitcounseling.org/dbt-program/