As a society, we tend to seek help only when we are in distress or crisis, in relationships we need to focus on how we can prevent these issues from arising. We often do this because it is much easier for us to be reactive during a conflict than to take preventive actions. For example, in the TV show Grey’s Anatomy, Cristina and Burke would often get into conflicts due to the constant clash of their competitive personalities. The constant distress and conflict ultimately resulted in Burke leaving Cristina at the altar. However, their relationship had many positive elements and could have continued if they had taken appropriate measures to prevent and manage conflict. Successful relationships require both partners to be able to engage in actions …show more content…
Mindfulness, as defined by the article, is “an individual practice, where one has a heightened awareness of the present moment” (McGill et al., 2016). Mindfulness is typically brought on by using meditative techniques by being aware of breath, practicing yoga, and engaging in focused activities such as mindful eating and walking. The most well-known mindfulness training program is the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program developed by John Kabat-Zinn in 1979 (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). MBSR improve the ability to act skilfully (as opposed to reactively) in stressful situations through the development of understanding thoughts and feelings in the present moment (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). Although mindfulness is practiced by an individual it has relational components; it encourages connections, unity, and closeness with a partner (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). Research has shown that mindfulness can actually have positive influences on social connection, perspective taking, social skills, and prevents negative reactions during a conflict (McGill et al., 2016). The Positive outcomes of mindfulness on physical and mental health can act as a moderator of stress during a relational conflict (Grossman, Nieman, Schmidt, & Walach, 2004). Overall, the research shows that there is a significant …show more content…
Two of the most common dyadic mindfulness practices are loving-kindness meditation and aikido communication. Loving-kindness meditation focuses on generating feelings of compassion, empathy, and gentleness towards others while maintaining calmness and mental stability (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). One example of practicing loving-kindness meditation involves repeating the following phrase in one’s mind: “May all beings in the air, on land, and in the water be safe, happy, healthy, and free from suffering” (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). Aikido communication is another form of relationship mindfulness practice. Aikido communication involves partners letting go of natural habitual reaction reactions to conflict and uniting with their partner’s mind (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). An individual can unite with their partner’s mind by listening, working together, and coming up with a mutual compromise. Aikido communication primarily addresses healthy ways of overcoming conflict. In addition to dyadic mindful practices, each individual should also engage in individual mindful practices such as meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises. These individual practices can improve physical and mental health, which will aid in addressing
Whatever the problem is within the relationship, if a desire to work things out is mutually apparent, there is hope. Ideally, these concepts should be understood, practiced and maintained throughout the relationship, but many of us may find ourselves slipping into a place that we had never expected, nor desired to be. There are relationships that last a lifetime with the power and spark just as strong as it was, if not stronger than in the beginning. We must learn how to understand and respect each other in deep and meaningful ways that encompass all aspects of our humanity, that is, should be desire happiness, satisfaction and content. We want companionship and we want happiness; how do we satisfy these two desires simultaneously? They were installed in our make up to work together, for one to be the means to the other. But, we are still left in an imperfect world, where nothing remains as perfect as we may be led to believe that it can be.
Conflicts within relationships are inevitable and some conflict can help strengthen a relationship; however, in marriages and families, many people fail to work through their conflict, which results in unhealthy patterns of behavior. Over time, if left unresolved, these patterns of behavior can lead to a breaking of the relationship. Furthermore, most people do not set out seeking conflict within relationships, but rather they lack the emotional maturity to move through conflict. In fact, it is not the differences between the two parties that create the conflict, but rather the emotional reaction to their differences. Therefore, an intervention is required to begin the healing process of working through conflict. Often a pastor or counselor
Mindfulness is a concept or practice that was founded nearly 2600 years ago. It is a very integral component of the Buddhist faith and is believed to be associated with many benefits including self-control, tolerance, flexibility, objectivity, concentration, mental clarity, emotional intelligence, kindness, compassion, acceptance, and equanimity.
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.
Mindfulness is an ideal that has been present for thousands of years (positivepsychologyprogram.com). It has roots in almost every major religion: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and most renown, Buddhism and Hinduism (positivepsychologyprogram.com). Psychology Today defines mindfulness as “a state of active, open attention on the present.” Dr. Shauna Shapiro during a TEDx Talk defines mindfulness as “intentionally paying attention with kindness” (Shapiro, S., 2017). Mindfulness has many principles involved with it, but the short version is to be aware. It is to be aware of the present moment deliberately. Jon Kabat-Zinn, considered the father of the western movement for mindfulness by some, defines mindfulness as, “Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; On purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally” (Bodhipaksa, 2007). We, as humans, get caught up in the business of life; so, we need to stay oriented to the present. Another way to describe this is “acting with awareness rather than on ‘automatic autopilot’” (Caldwell, et al, 2010). Mindfulness is non-judgmental about life. Mindfulness is to not be over-reactive by what’s going on around us (mindful.org). Mindfulness is being non-reactive to your environment. There are many things that stem from this thinking,
Managing relationship conflicts can stem from a variety of sources. This can range from the communication aspect of a couple and also getting into disagreements. It can be hard to deal with a relationship conflict. The severity of the conflict can greatly affect the relationship in a variety of ways. One way the severity can affect the relationship is if the couple will still be together. Break ups can happen when getting into an argument, but they can also be preventable. Being able to identify the conflict triggers is a very important tool to learn and it can put a halt to arguments.
“Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.” – Robert H. Schuller. No one said relationships were going to be easy but having steps to these three strategies: Compromise, communication, and commitment can help them grow an average healthy relationship.
To begin with, mindfulness is when someone can pay attention to the present moment “without being devoted to different points of view” (Martin, 1997). Along with staying focused on the present moment, mindfulness is when the particular person does not judge the current experience as the person tries to comprehend the present situation. Mindfulness makes a person reflect on one’s self by not only figuring out one’s thoughts, but also the feelings that go along with it. The complex nature of mindfulness demonstrates that it has multiple purposes that cultivates a person into realizing the potential of the brain (Davis & Hayes,
Mindfulness involves accepting our thoughts and emotions without judgment, and without believing that there is a right or wrong way to feel in a given situation. Our thoughts and emotions are not labeled as good or bad. They are observed as simply happening until they pass. While practicing mindfulness one does not rehash the past or imagine the future. Attention is focused on what is being sensed in the present moment. There is a sense of self apart from things. Mindfulness is moment to moment awareness and purposefully placing attention on things that we wouldn’t normally give a second thought to. Mindfulness can be thought of as a way of being, rather than an activity. It is the awareness of wondering thoughts and purposefully directing them back, rather than letting them
Many couples face conflict in relationships every day. Some are able to compromise or even solve the conflict depending on how well they communicate with each other. Sometimes conflicts can be solved and sometimes conflicts cannot be solved. In this case, my conflict kept appearing very often in my relationship so I finally decided to take action and end the relationship with my ex-boyfriend.
10-Minute Mindfulness appeals to me because I am at a time in my life where peace and simplicity are my priority. The stresses of everyday living cause emotional, physical and mental harm. A lifestyle change is needed to prevent further harm; mindfulness is a lifestyle change that requires dedication, practice and openness. Learning to live in the present moment, not the past or future, is key to reducing stress and becoming aware of the triggers that bring discord. This book provides support, guidance and encouragement in learning to be mindful.
By utilizing a set of research methods, that inducts different types of mindfulness meditation training programs, and advanced mindfulness practitioners to matched control, with a capitulation of detection that enhance our understanding of the nature of mindfulness. While providing insights that will help me to target symptoms and populations that are likely to benefit from mindfulness meditation
When something is wrong, they don 't sit back and hope it will all work out. They are scared to bring up issues that need to be brought up. They communicate issues to their partner so that they know what they feel and what they think needs to be done, and then they work through issues quickly. This helps them avoid arguments about something that happened years ago. And, it helps them avoid holding on to feelings of blame or resentment.
To begin with, lack of communication is a significant cause of the recent rise in the rates of divorce. A marriage is on the rocks when the lines of communication fail. People will tend to stay quiet about money management and job issues, because they don’t want to burden their partner. Most of the time they think it’s easier to deal with it by one’s self, but in reality, it’s pushing their partner out of the room and shutting the door. When this starts to happen, it’s harder to push back. In marriage, one person’s problems is supposed to be handled by both. One will feel neglected if they don’t have a say in a particular situation. Thus, resentment and distance starts growing between the two. Those small problems now become big problems, which result in separation. In order to have a good solid foundation, each couple needs to be heard and voice his or her own feelings. This includes conflict of opinion with concerns to small or big disputes such as religion, children, job opportunities and money management.
Mindfulness is defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary as “the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis.” Many people practice mindfulness to reduce stress, but it has also been shown to reduce rumination, stress, and emotional reactivity. On the other side, mindfulness has been been linked to boosting memory, focus, and cognitive flexibility while aiding in relationships (Davis and Hayes, 2012). This state of thought is useful not only for people already anxious, but also for those preparing to enter more stressful situations. Practicing mindfulness earlier on can help with finding coping mechanisms before one is put in a stressful