Being in the now

The COVID-19 pandemic, multiple national displays of racial and social injustice, and recent political strife have left many feeling uncertain, anxious, sad, angry, grief-stricken, and struggling to cope. Coping may be especially difficult for our clients already grappling with mental health concerns, and many are looking to mental health professionals to restore a sense of well-being.

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As professionals, we may be unsure about the best approach; after all, we haven’t experienced anything like this before! We’re facing many unknowns and unanswered questions, but one thing we do know is that we’re dealing with constant change. And, in fact, the only certainty is continued change and uncertainty. The truth of uncertainty can be challenging to contend with, especially when so much, including our country’s future, is in question. In times like this, there is likely no perfect treatment, but mindfulness can serve as a powerful intervention for coping with uncertainty and change, and for managing a range of difficult reactions.

Dr. Dana L. Collins

The ‘what’ of mindfulness: Awareness, being in the now, and nonattachment

It’s crucial that we understand what mindfulness really is. It’s become something of a buzzword in American society, complete with misconceptions. Mindfulness has roots in many faith traditions, but as it’s practiced in the Western world, it usually has roots in Hinduism and Buddhism.

Mindfulness roughly means “awareness”; this is an approximate translation of the Pali (an ancient Indian language) word “Sati.” Mindfulness is moment-to-moment awareness and acceptance of our present experiences, thoughts, and feelings, without judgment or attachment. Attachment relates to the continually changing nature of all thoughts, feelings, and situations. Because everything is continuously changing, we needn’t become attached; attachment can keep us from being in the now. Acceptance means facing the now, which is essential when we feel tempted to avoid or deny painful feelings or situations. Acceptance doesn’t mean that we’ve resigned to being in pain forever; it merely means that we’re willing to see things as they actually are right now. This honest assessment of the present can prepare us for next steps.

Being in touch with the now helps us reconnect with ourselves, promote clarity about our situation and choices, and increases our awareness of our thoughts and feelings, moment to moment. It can also help us realize when we’ve fallen into unhelpful or catastrophic thinking, the risk of which is high during intense stress and uncertainty like what we’re facing now. Mindfulness helps us catch ourselves so we have the opportunity to make different choices, and feel better.

The how of mindfulness: Symptom management and changes in the brain

Research on mindfulness suggests that it can improve coping with anxiety,¹ regulate mood,² improve depression,³ reduce rumination,⁴ and mitigate trauma symptom severity.

Because mindfulness can effectively address psychiatric concerns, mindfulness-based clinical interventions such as mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy have been developed. These may reduce anxiety,⁵ depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder.⁶ Mindfulness can have a powerful impact on the brain; it’s been shown to improve the functioning of the regions associated with emotional regulation⁷ and change the regions related to awareness and fear.⁸ So, whether mindfulness is practiced in our clients’ everyday lives or used as the basis of therapeutic programs, it can promote well-being.