What Is Mindfulness?

You’ve likely heard of mindfulness and may be wondering… what exactly is mindfulness? And how can it help me during my treatment for addiction?

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness allows us to be fully aware in our immediate experiences. Mindfulness is also about being curious and open with a presence of heart. For many, it’s an accessible pathway to manage stress, build compassion and find acceptance. It can even transform the way that we perceive and relate to the world and experiences. A consistent mindfulness practice helps us to become less reactive and more empathetic – a skill we can all appreciate and benefit from.

The Benefits of Mindfulness

There are a wide variety of benefits that one can experience from practicing mindfulness. Some of which are:

• Expanded curiosity and perspective
• New areas of the brain being activated
• Decreased judgement, anxiety and worries
• Enhanced relaxation and acceptance
• Increased tolerance for the present moment

Each person’s experience with mindfulness is unique and can benefit them in multiple ways, including support during addiction treatment.

Mindfulness and Addiction Treatment

Mindfulness can be an effective tool in SUD treatment and recovery. Mindfulness helps to identify urges, cravings, and triggers for substance use. It also serves as a platform to reframe thoughts to use and can even become an alternative, healthy behavior in and of itself. For others it may provide a form of relief and pain management through the recovery process.

Wellbridge understands how beneficial mindfulness can be and integrates training and practice during one’s time at our treatment center. Body-mindfulness is introduced in movement psychotherapy sessions that are specifically designed for the treatment of SUD. Breathing techniques and mindfulness exercises are woven into dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). We also offer structured meditation groups and yoga classes throughout each week. And lastly, we want you to know that many of our staff at Wellbridge make it a point to practice mindfulness ourselves, as a model, so that we can readily support others in their mindfulness journey.