Mindfulness Essay

1032 Words3 Pages

Writing Sample
Excerpt from a study design aimed at reducing the prevalence of mood disorders among adolescents.
Merikangas et al. (2010) found that the lifetime prevalence of mood disorders among U.S. adolescents is 14%. While many factors contribute to the development of a mood disorder, parenting style has been proven to be an important mediating variable (Repetti, Taylor & Seeman, 2002). In our study we propose a socio-cognitive mindfulness training for the parents to foster a more flexible parenting style. We will examine whether this intervention improves the quality of the parent-child interaction and increases the resilience of the adolescent children.

To understand why training in mindfulness might improve parent-child interactions it is helpful to review the history of the construct. Langer & Moldoveaunu (2000) gave a chronological overview of the research on mindfulness. In their article they discuss both mindlessness and mindfulness. Even though the construct currently is described as a continuum ranging from mindless (or low mindful) to mindful in the beginning both were researched as separate constructs.

Langer’s (2012) study defined mindfulness as a process of actively making novel distinctions about objects in one’s awareness. This act of actively making novel distinctions is one part of the overall definition of mindfulness. Langer and Moldoveaunu (2000) have previously defined mindfulness as a mindset of openness to novelty in which the individual actively constructs novel categories and distinctions. Mindfulness thus can be seen as an active mindset characterized by novel distinction–drawing that results in being 1) situated in the present, 2) sensitive to context and perspective, and 3) guided (but not govern...

... middle of paper ...

...r & Seeman, 2002). This style of parenting is the opposite of a more mindful form of parenting. The flexibility and ability to look at situations from different perspectives, which are key concepts in mindfulness, would act as a buffer against a critical and static outlook.

The aim of this study is twofold. Firstly it aims to investigate whether training parents to be more mindful can be used as a strategy to prevent depression in fourteen-year-old adolescents by improving the quality of the parent-child interaction. Secondly it aims to examine whether mindfulness training can equip parents with the skills for the early detection of depression in their adolescents. We hypothesize that mindfulness training for the parents could improve the quality of the parent-child interaction, which could in turn improve the resilience and well-being of the adolescent children.

Mindfulness In The Third Wave Psychotherapie
1432 Words | 3 Pages
This is noted because the words for “mindfulness” themselves are varied and textured and come in many different definitions, as well as narratives. Having noted that, it is interesting to see that the same thing can be found in the Western tradition of understanding mindfulness in the third-wave psychotherapies.
Read More
Mindfulness Essay
997 Words | 2 Pages
Specifically, mindfulness refers to the psychological state of awareness. Within this domain fall the practices that facilitate this awareness. In other words, you can think of mindfulness as a moment-to-moment awareness of both our experiences and our judgment. Keep in mind that mindfulness is not a trait. It is more a state.
Read More
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: The Origin Of Mindfulness
1007 Words | 3 Pages
Mindfulness is a skill that takes time to develop. It requires a certain level of effort, time, patience, and ongoing practice like any other skill. Mindfulness is taught in a number of ways. Meditation is one of the key techniques used in
Read More
Peer Attachment Theory
1123 Words | 3 Pages
In 1990, Armsden, McCauley, Greenberg, Burke, and Mitchell published an article in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology called, “Parent and Peer Attachment in Early Adolescent Depression” (p. 683-697). Understanding the cause of parent-depressed child relations would help in a comprehensive theory of childhood depression. Also, examining social influences like peer relations for contributions to the risk of depressive disorder. “Attachment theory provides a valuable conceptual model for understanding the role parent-child relations play as a risk factor for depression” (p. 684). The purpose of this study was to examine self-reported parent and peer attachment in a sample of depressed adolescents and the relationship between attachment and
Read More
Parenting Styles and Their Effects
540 Words | 2 Pages
Parents and their parenting style play an important role in the development of their child. In fact, many child experts suggest that parenting style can affect a child’s social, cognitive, and psychological development which influence not just their childhood years, but it will also extend throughout their adult life. This is because a child’s development takes place through a number of stimuli, interaction, and exchanges that surround him or her. And since parents are generally a fixed presence in a child’s life, they will likely have a significant part on the child’s positive or negative development (Gur 25).
Read More
How Does Health Affect Mental Health
1223 Words | 3 Pages
Mindfulness is used as a therapy to treat many problems related to mental health such as stress, anxiety or even eating disorders (Hooker and Fodor, 2008). In addition majority of techniques used in mindfulness originate from Buddhist traditions (Rosenberg, 1998, Cited in Thompson and Gauntlett-Gilbert, 2008). Professionals working with children in mental health settings may find mindfulness applicable. The different techniques used in these types of settings teach self-awareness, increased impulse control and decreased emotional reactivity to difficult events (Thompson and Gauntlett-Gilbert). Research conducted on adults has shown that these effects can be obtained in the long term which suggests that mindfulness can be applied to children who are going through developmental challenges and have still yet to encounter
Read More
Analysis Of Mindfulness By Ellen J. Langer
854 Words | 2 Pages
Mindfulness, as described by Langer, is “the continual creation of new [categories]” (Langer, 2014). In other words, mindfulness is the use of critical think in which people engage in creative solutions for everyday stresses. Throughout the novel, she summaries the results of numerous experiments she has conducted over the years. Each one offers insight into how one can become more mindful and how mindlessness can
Read More
Essay On Mindfulness Mediation
1024 Words | 3 Pages
For thousands of years people have practiced mediation for spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. Albeit there are many mediation types, in this paper I will be discussing and focusing on mindfulness mediation. Before further exploring mindfulness mediation, it is crucial to define mediation as a whole. Tang, Holzel, & Posner, 2016 state “Meditation can be defined as a form of mental training that aims to improve an individual’s core psychological capacities, such as attentional and emotional capacities” (p.213). Having that in mind, we can dive into mindfulness mediation. Mindfulness meditation is defined as “nonjudgmental attention to present-moment experiences (Tang, Holzel, & Posner, 2016).” A useful analogy to consider is going to the gym, going to the gym allows one to enhance the body, well similarly, practicing mindfulness is akin to taking the mind to the psychic gym, it enhances it. Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on your breathing and then bringing your mind’s attention to the present all while dismissing discursive thoughts and maintaining a special focus on breathing.
Read More
Cognitive Benefits Of Mindfulness
1601 Words | 4 Pages
One must first understand that due to neuroplasticity, the brain is known to rewire itself after different experiences. A paper in the prestigious Nature Review, acknowledged twenty-one studies that found positive changes in neurological activity after mindfulness. Researchers observed enhanced meta-awareness in the frontal cortex, which controls executive functions; Hippocampus (memory) improvements; and changes in the corpus callosum (communication between hemispheres). (Tang, Hölzel and Posner) One notable study prompted further research into mindfulness. In this study, the participants had never undergone meditation or mindfulness training and after only eight weeks showed an increase in the elusive grey matter density and thickness in brain regions for attention, self-awareness, and memory. (Hölzel, Carmody and Vangel) With such stunning neurological changes visible on MRI images, one researcher said, “[this] is like reversing the assumed cortical thinning associated with ageing.” (Dobkin and Hassed 19) With mounting evidence for mindfulness, professionals began to find applications of mindfulness
Read More
Mindfulness
989 Words | 2 Pages
Mindfulness is an ordinary cultivatable cognitive ability related to the well-being of psychology in both the adults and young people. It is characterized by the consciousness and approval of current opinion, emotions, and physical sensation (Bien and Beverly 2003). Mindfulness is intentionally developed using a secular method borrowed from the meditation practices of the Buddhists (Emet 2012). Mindfulness meditation training programs have been familiar to the adults and the small extent to children and young people. However, after realizing that it would be helpful to young people by promoting their social and emotional helping and improve their academic performance, a mindfulness meditation training program have become a priority
Read More
Mindfulness: Mental And Mental Health And Physical Health
1451 Words | 3 Pages
Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, as a therapeutic technique. The M square, as I call it, which stands for Mindfulness and Meditation is making an impact on today’s society, as it has been used by more people with each passing day. They are starting to acknowledge the benefits, some of which are the improvement in both mental and physical health, acceptance of one’s self, lower stress and depression, and maybe more, but to mention a few. Not excluding these two great men: Dr. Martinez, a Biocognitive Psychologist, and Keith Mitchell, an ex-American football linebacker in the National Football League. Both Dr. Martinez and Keith are strong supporters and practitioners of meditation and mindfulness.
Read More
The Mindful Use Of Mindfulness
1077 Words | 3 Pages
According to Anderson (2005), mindfulness can help therapist and therapist trainees gain some of the necessary skills it takes to be a therapist or counselor. One of those skills is empathy. They found that subjects who participated in mindfulness meditation training showed increase of empathy after. The therapists are able to become in tune with their own thoughts and emotions; this then helps them relate to their clients and become more aware of how they feel. Another aspect of counseling mindfulness can help with is compassion. Shapiro, Schwartz, and Bonner (1998) found that nonjudging and nonreacting (two key components of mindfulness) to be highly correlated with compassion. Newsome, Christopher, Dajlem, & Christopher (2006) investigated the effect of mindfulness overall on the basics of counseling. They discovered in their four-year study that counselors who participated in mindfulness were m found to be more comfortable when a silence in the conversation arose, as well as more attuned to the clients and their needs. Overall, when the therapist or counselor attuned with themselves, they can do a better job helping their
Read More
Meditation Essay
2077 Words | 5 Pages
When one thinks of meditation, what comes to mind? Does one think of group of 1970’s hippies sitting in a circle singing about peace? How about relaxing music being played? How about trying to form one’s body into a pretzel-like shape? What if meditation has nothing to do with the background music being played or what position one’s body is in? Meditation is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “the act or process of spending time in quiet thought” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meditation). Meditation is just simply sitting in a quiet room and thinking about one’s life. The act of meditating is much simpler than many people think. Through deep concentration and relaxation, meditation becomes an altered state of consciousness.
Read More
What Is Mindful Awareness Essay
6031 Words | 13 Pages
Examination of this question requires methods to assess levels of mindfulness to determine whether individuals engaged in the practice of mindfulness are in fact becoming more mindful over time, and if so, whether these increases are responsible for the positive outcomes observed. Mindfulness is beneficial for the individual well-being and more specifically – positive affect (определение) (Glomb). + Chambers.Brown and Ryan found that Mindful capacity varies among people and can be sharpened or dulled by a variety of factors. Current research is about investigating individual differences in mindfulness and their relationship with one’s
Read More
The Power Of Mindfulness Meditation
783 Words | 2 Pages
Learning about teaching positive and challenging emotions and the applications of mindfulness in the process reveals the power of Mindfulness Meditation in the process of healing, and how important it is for us, facilitators to be aware of this process.
Read More

Open Document

Wait a second!

Mindfulness Essay

Mindfulness In The Third Wave Psychotherapie