Your top 3 coping skills ?

I tell the story plenty times but we have mindfulness therapists here - I went for a year and had some very profound experiences. She told me it was like medicine and we take it at a certain pace. 1st week we talked and did small guided meditation, tuning into body, where pain is, etc. She asked me try to notice but not change thoughts I have until next week, so we can discuss. Eventually I came to terms with critical mean voice in my head, realizing we both wanted same thing for me, we came to agreement that it would be a kinder voice to me. So much we worked on it was really good. It was intense, I had to take responsibility for stuff in my head & work through a lot of anxiety. Now, I have a tool - slowing down thoughts & noticing them, challenging them, time to choose emotional reaction. It's a work in progress. I'd like to do that type of therapy again & recommend it to anyone. Like it should be taught in schools, would help with all the kids hurting & self esteem issues. Some schools around here do yoga which is fabulous!
Yoga is a good tool, like exercise, because you get out of your head when focused on a pose, focused on breathing, counting breaths some of them are really hard, it stretches out blockages of energy in the body bringing better balance body mind & spirit.

Yes Blue and Inner nailed it ! Thanks !

Hi

Can you suggest any books or resources to work on the practise of mindfulness?

1. Exercise class or going for a walk near local river
2. Sticking with regular sleep routines.
3. Meeting with friends or family.

http://http://www.goodtherapy.org/mi...e_therapy.html

Seems like a good starting page . Altho I learned most of mine here on PC from friends.. Its all pick and choose what works for you ..It's an amazing tool to add to the toolbox we all have with coping skills .

Nature Walks
Deep Breathing
My Favorite "Patient, Gentle & Kind" Mantra
Stormy Weather
Good Music

Oops! ... That's 5 ... Sorry!

I love thunderstorms.

1. Relaxation mp3's
2. Music
3. Forums
4. Writing in my journal
5. Comedy - TV or movies
6. Yoga (which I need to start again - I've been away from it awhile).

Thank you Christina for that link! I also found a free e book 31 day mindfulness challenge By Laura Green when searching after reading this thread and gaining inspiration from all the contributions.

I hope you find Mindfulness as helpful as so many of us around here have

Sleep
Walking my dogs
Reading

Jin Cabot Zinn has some videos on you tube and some books as well. Coming To Our Senses was a good read from him. I also have read books that expand mindfulness into a way of being that were very helpful to me, can't think of the titles right in this moment.

Many books out there, some lean towards more western culture, eastern and so on. Mindfulness is a concept from eastern spiritual practices I believe. So there is something out there for everyone if that doesn't speak to you, something out there on mindfulness probably will.

Also I saw a magazine devoted to this just called Mindful, haven't picked one up but flipped through and looked good. Have a website at mindful.org. I will probably buy a copy and see because it's nice to have reminders, and new ideas.

Gonna check.out Christinas link too, thanks.

I have 2 books and a guided mindfulness meditation series of mp3s from Jon Kabat-Zinn. He's very good.

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1. Coffee
2. I keep telling myself that no matter how good things are, they're not as good as I think things are, but no matter how bad things are, they're not as bad either - unless your name is Bernie Madoff or ( more recently) Martian MacNeill.
3. Poetry like this:

The Philosopher
I saw him sitting in his door,
Trembling as old men do;
His house was old; his barn was old,
And yet his eyes seemed new.

His eyes had seen three times my years
And kept a twinkle still,
Though they had looked at birth and death
And three graves on a hill.

"I will sit down with you," I said,
"And you will make me wise;
Tell me how you have kept the joy
Still burning in your eyes."

Then like an old-time orator
Impressively he rose;
"I make the most of all that comes,
The least of all that goes."

The jingling rhythm of his words
Echoes as old songs do,
Yet this had kept his eyes alight
Till he was ninety-two.

Sara Teasdale

4. Cook!

I experience what would be debliltating anxiety and have a lot of problems with change.

Its funny because mindfulness has done more for it then anything else. For me, mindfulness reminds me that its okay to make mistakes because the present is everchanging. Mindfulness helps me see how my reactions effect other people.

Forgiving myself has helped me grow too. I know im a faulted person which drives my anxiety up the wall. Im fearful, too. If I couldn't forgive myself for the anxiety I wouldn't be able to accomplish anything. I wouldn't have gotten through my unstable-violent self. I would keep living in my past transactions and never grow as an individual. I've done things I regret but I will keep moving forward.

Last thing, for the longest time PC helped me build these skills that allowed me to grow as a person. I didn't have any of these skills when I first joined.

1. Writing in my journal to get stuff out of my head and onto paper.
2. Working with my friends here on this board.
3. Making myself do things that are good for me even if I don't want to.
4. Not making major decisions while in a depressed/manic/mixed state.
5. Mindfulness.
6. Exercise or just moving around.

Mindfulness
A hug from my boyfriend
Reminding myself that "this too, shall pass"