Level Up Using Mindfulness
When we set out to obtain results through training and nutrition strategies, we know that compliance is king (assuming sound strategies are in place). One practice that can assist us to move through obstacles which impact our compliance is mindfulness. This article will take you through the definition and key components of mindfulness, common confusions as to its purpose and how to incorporate it into your daily life to assist you in decision making that supports your chosen outcomes.
What is mindfulness?
For the purpose of this article we will define mindfulness as the practice of paying attention to the present moment with an attitude of self-compassion. Whilst there are a few variations on the definition, this is the one we believe to be most relevant to our work in this space of self-improvement.
What are the key components of mindfulness?
In our experience as gym floor personal trainers and online coaches, if ever we receive push back from clients when we recommend incorporating a mindfulness practice (‘MP’), it’s postulated that the process has previously induced stress. We believe this is partly due to the failure to understand what mindfulness and its component parts comprise. Specifically these parts are intention, attitude and attention. Let’s dive into each of these elements now so as to clear up potential confusion.
Attention: When we practice mindfulness we are talking about focusing our attention on our present experience or being in the moment. This is opposed to being lost in thought steering us into the past or future. The most common error here is the misapprehension that distracted thought is a sign of failure. Rather, the purpose of MP is to observe our experience in the present moment and if necessary gently bring our attention back to it each time we get distracted.
Intention: Relates to the conscious commitment to participate in the practice. This is fairly self-explanatory. We are consciously choosing to engage in moments of mindfulness.
Attitude: Relates to how we show up during this practice. It is often misconstrued that a MP involves emptying one’s mind, attempting to feel blissed out and ridding ourselves of negative thoughts. On the contrary, rather than seeking pure, non-layered, bare attention or the pursuit of a particular feeling, the approach is one of non-attachment to an outcome. We know that may sound unsavoury to our high achieving clients who are used to setting tangible targets with a pass/fail outcome in mind, but this is not so for MP.
Diving deeper into the attitutide through which MP is expressed is a willingness to let go. To be able to observe our experience in the moment in a non-judging, non-evaluative way, allowing the experience to unfold however it does and through a lens of self-compassion.
Self-compassion is another critical element that makes up the attitude we bring to MP. Leaning into loving kindness, warmth and understanding in the face of frustrations with MP and/or our perceived inability to do it well is one of the missing pieces for our clients who report the process induces stress. Remember non-striving for achievement or outcome comprises the attitude to MP. There is no doing it well, there is only the doing.
What about self-judgement and shame?
The misconstrued approach that we should be striving for bare attention and absolute focus can lead to feelings of self-judgment and shame surrounding MP. From here it makes sense that people may be resistant to the continued pursuit of such a helpful practice. Let’s unpack the issue as it’s a common roadblock to implementation.
Judgement and shame activates our flight or fight response. As discussed in our previous article regarding downward spirals, these physiological responses elicit survival mechanisms within us. In turn our ability to explore concepts, ideas and engage in productive transformative work becomes limited. You can see how this may lead to a cycle of resistance. You attempt a mindful practice, judge yourself for not performing it correctly, feel shame (“I should be able to do this better”), enter a downward spiral and resist further exploration. Here, our misplaced attitude is robbing us of the opportunity to lean in and do the inner work that can be generated through MP.
What might be the remedy for this? Merely clarification of the attitude we are seeking to bring to MP. That is, a non-judging, non-striving, non-attached and compassionate attitude.
So how can MP assist those of us who are seriously involved in the pursuit of health and fitness related outcomes?
Whenever we think of achieving a particular outcome, it is the sum of habits, behaviours and action steps over a period of time that produce a result. However any transformation that takes place always happens in the here and now. Whilst these concepts may sound contradictory, the decisions we make in any moment whether unconsciously out of habit or consciously with intent, are what gives rise to our actions. Over time the build up of our actions either brings us closer to, or takes us further away from our desired outcomes. The work is always being done in the now, even if we don’t see the results immediately. Transforming habits that aren’t serving our goals relies on our conscious awareness of these outdated systems and our ability to bring our awareness back into the present moment so that we can move forward with intent. Just like training our muscles allows them to adapt to stimulus over time, MP helps us wake up to our present experience and make intentional decisions that serve our desired outcomes.
What are some other benefits of mindfulness?
Research has shown many benefits to MP including decreasing anxiety, better sleep, increased self control, improved ability to focus, improved eating behaviours and reduced stress. Especially in our area of health and fitness related outcomes it’s easy to see how these benefits will have a direct impact on goal attainment.
Finally, we believe it important to revisit the concept of judgement and shame because of course these feelings don’t just come up in relation to engaging in MP. These thoughts and feelings may also come up once having committed to a particular health & fitness outcome and things don’t go quite to plan, no matter how big or small the deviation. If we have been exploring an attitude of self-compassion to our perceived failures and inadequacies through MP, it will begin to have a flow on effect in other areas of our life too. Given what we focus on grows, intentionally practicing mindfulness through a lens of self-compassion builds this neural pathway, making this lens more accessible in other areas of our life too. In this way, it allows us to become more conscious of other moments in the day where we engage in judgment & shame spirals. From here we can learn to take some space from these thoughts, come back to our values and vision and consciously choose action steps that support what meaningful living looks like to us.
How to get started?
One of the best things about mindfulness is that it’s accessible to all of us. All we need to do is embody the elements of attention, intention and attitude detailed above and observe our experience for a period of time. The length of time is your choice, however we would recommend starting off conservatively for only a minute or two and building as you begin to feel more at ease in the process. MP can be meditation based, but also includes things like mindful walking, driving and eating or even picking a mundane task like washing the dishes. Having committed to a MP so many of our clients have reported better sleep, reduced stress, greater ability to stay present in their emotions and consciously engage in more behaviours that are in true alignment with who they are, and of course improved compliance.
We’d love to hear about your experiences with MP, if you too have been under the misapprehension about the ‘goal’ of MP and MM or even resonate with the discussion on self-judgment and shame.
