The following is part of a series of audios to teach how to practice mindfulness. Developing your ability to focus on the present moment can reduce distress and improve well-being.
Feeling Sadness
Index for Mindfulness Audios
Additional reading:
Some tips for using these audios:
- Start with the Understanding Mindfulness audios to learn about mindfulness.
- These short practice exercises are to help train your brain to be more mindful when engaged in daily activities.
- The audio format is just for convenience to help learn the material. You can also read the transcript. When you practice, however, you should engage in the behavior mindfully without listening to the audio.
- The best way to train your brain to be more mindful is to practice in short sessions throughout the day while engaged in your normal activities.
- The descriptions are an artificial way to help you get started. Eventually, the practice of mindfulness is being aware of what is described without using an inner verbal description.
- This exercise is to help you develop tolerance of emotions. The audio provides guidance for being mindfully present with sadness.
- However, the actual practice of mindfulness is to allow yourself to be fully aware of your experience when feeling sad. It is not reasonable to create the conditions for sadness to occur. Instead, you need to be aware of when you might feel sadness so as to practice mindfully experiencing it.
Next Exercise
Transcript of Audio: Feeling Sadness
Allow yourself to fully experience the feeling of sadness. Instead of trying to get rid of the sadness, avoid it, or get involved in other activities to distract you, just let yourself experience the sadness. When thoughts about the sadness come into your mind, allow yourself to refocus to the actual experience of the sensations of the sadness. Notice what the sadness feels like. How do you experience it in you body? Do you feel a heaviness such as feeling weighed down? Are you tearful? If so, what do the tears feel like? Do you feel an ache in your chest? Do you feel lethargic and disinterested? Whatever it is that you feel, allow yourself to fully experience the sensations. When other thoughts or thoughts about what made you sad come into your mind, focus back on the experience of sadness. Let yourself just “be” with these feelings however you might experience them.
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Excel At Life, LLC.
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Mindfulness and Relaxation Methods