Mindfulness Therapy: How Being Rather Than Doing Can Change Your Life

Psychology research shows that those who regularly meditate are less stressed and anxious and more relaxed, fulfilled and energised. That’s the being mode!

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Mindfulness Therapy: How Being Rather Than Doing Can Change Your Life

So many of us today often feel stressed due to the pressures of modern life: meeting work demands, raising a family, paying the bills, trying to find time for exercise, spending time with our partner and having a social life. However, one powerful insight from psychology research that we can all benefit from is the difference between Doing Mode and Being Mode [1].

Many of us are usually stuck in Doing Mode all day, from when we get up to when we drop into bed at night. This can exacerbate our stress levels, and we can miss out on all the benefits of Being Mode and its ability to help us deal calmly and skilfully with life and be much more present and at peace through our day. Mindfulness Therapy can help you.

Mindfulness Therapy and the Doing vs Being Mode

Psychology researchers [2] have found that a limited number of core patterns of brain activity and interaction seem to occur over and over again across various mental activities. The researchers named these patterns “modes of mind” and asked us to think about them as being like the gears of a car. Each gear has its own specialised use (starting, accelerating, cruising, etc.), and our brains switch between them as we navigate the day. Two main modes we are in throughout the day are Doing and Being.

The Doing Mode

The Doing Mode is the mode most of us in most of the time. It is the mode that causes us to strive to attain goals, large or small, such as building a house, getting from Point A to Point B, answer that email. Doing mode works excellently to help us with the circumstances around us, but it can lead to problems if we are ‘locked in’ to it all the time or try to use it to think our way out of emotional states.

The Being Mode

This Mode of the brain is not designed to work towards achieving any particular goal. Instead, it is a state of accepting what is without feeling the need to change it. In Being Mode, we are aware of what is happening in the present moment in a rich sense, including our feelings, thoughts, bodies, and emotions.

Many psychologists often incorporate Mindfulness into therapy with clients, as it is the best way for people to ‘change gears’ mentally from Doing to Being Mode. This allows us to:

Notice our negative thoughts about the past and future, and even the self-criticisms we may experience, and instead of buying into them as reality, we can see them as just mental events.
Reduce our focus on achieving all our life goals, and bring our life back into balance, incorporating things that nourish and replenish us rather than continually drain us.
Reduce our perfectionism, encourage acceptance of the way things are, and be open to all options.
It gets us out of our constant stream of thoughts and more in touch with our senses, bodies, and what is happening in the outside world and allows us to be present in our lives rather than miss the whole thing while we are thinking of something else.
Not have to avoid negative feelings or numb them somehow using distractions, overwork or alcohol. Instead, all emotions are observed compassionately, allowing negative emotions to dissipate in time, and have less power over you.

Mindfulness to Enter Being Mode

Being Mode takes practice. Your ability to enter it will strengthen over time if you start regularly meditating for 20 minutes a day, perhaps in two blocks of ten minutes.

Start here for a quick introduction: Mindfulness Made Simple for Beginners.
Learn about the Chocolate Meditation: A Delicious Way to Practice Mindfulness.

Psychology research shows that those who regularly meditate are less stressed and anxious, and more relaxed, fulfilled and energised. They are able to use this mode to slow down and become more present while their life unfolds. It is a state of mind ready to access at any time. The question is, are you too busy doing things to try it?

Martin HoodBrisbane City Psychologist

Martin is a Clinical Psychologist with a proven track record in producing good outcomes for clients across a broad range of presenting problems, including stress, anxiety disorders, depression, grief, OCD, eating disorders, anger management, and couples therapy.

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References

[1] Segal, Zindel V.; Williams, J. Mark G.; Teasdale, John D. (2012-11-11). Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression, Second Edition. Guilford Publications.

[2] Segal, Zindel V.; Williams, J. Mark G.; Teasdale, John D. (2012-11-11). Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression, Second Edition. Guilford Publications.

Mindfulness Therapy: How Being Rather Than Doing Can Change Your Life

Mindfulness Therapy: How Being Rather Than Doing Can Change Your Life

Mindfulness Therapy and the Doing vs Being Mode

The Doing Mode

The Being Mode

Mindfulness to Enter Being Mode

Mindfulness Therapy Resources

FREE CHOCOLATE MINDFULNESS MEDITATION

Mindfulness Made Simple for Beginners

Mindfulness: Taking in the good – just one drop at a time

12 Easy Ways to Be Mindful at Work

Mindfulness: How Being Rather Than Doing Can Change Your Life

Mindfulness Therapy – Brisbane and Online Therapy

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