Beginner's Mind and Self Care

MINDFULNESS

BEGINNER’S MIND AND SELF CAREBY ANTHONY GONZALEZ, LCSW

The practice of self-care has

far too frequently been connected with “doing” and what we “do” for ourselves. Getting a massage, reading a book, taking a walk. While all of these activities are wonderful routines to prioritize, I see self-care as a much more introspective practice.

20 Anthony is the Clinical Director at The Delray

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Among the clients with whom I have the privilege of working, many are professional women, and we try to move past simply finding tasks that alleviate stress. Instead, we work to explore and attend to the reasons WHY we become stressed and overwhelmed from the outset. Exploring our expectations, judgments, and often unmet or unspoken needs are what create stress or intense emotional experiences. Self-care is rooted in working to validate our experiences and seek understanding of why we feel the way we do.

One of the most difficult aspects of healing is overcoming our preconceived

notions, i.e., the rules and myths we allow to guide us - not only about the world in which we live, but also about ourselves. These myths are developed over time, often from our childhood or through impactful experiences as an adult, and they can be incredibly difficult patterns to break. The Zen principle of Beginner’s Mindis an approach that can help open our minds and hearts to new perspectives, new feelings, and new relationships. From a Dialectical Behavioral Therapy point of view, allowing yourself to be willing to try new ways of interacting with the world can break the mold that may have brought you to where you are. When you feel overwhelmed or stressed, you might ask if there is a different way of viewing this situation. Ask yourself, “Would I feel the same way if I worked to accept reality as it is, without desiring it to be different, at least for that moment?”

Beginner’s Mind lets you become a student of life again, opening yourself to childlike curiosity and enthusiasm,

and even letting yourself make mistakes without fear or judgment. This approach can help reinforce foundational principles of wellness, such as humility, acceptance and honesty, in large part because you are no longerunder the pressure of being an expert at all times. The Beginner’s Mind, or Willing perspective, helps you to maintain an optimistic attitude and can often aid you in finding solutions to problems or struggles you may have never otherwise considered.

Additionally, Beginner’s Mind helps us to simply remain in the moment and to focus on what you learn from each experience. We can begin to remove the rigidity of our old ways of thinking and open ourselves to much greater possibilities. Challenge yourself to become a student again with a Beginner’s Mind. Allow yourself to feel and think with excitement and hope. And, as you approach times when external

stressors can become overwhelming, make efforts to be open to the experience and “stop to smell the roses.”

Center in Delray Beach, FL, which is one of themost clinically and medically advanced mentalhealth treatment centers in the United States.Anthony is a proud alumnus of the University ofKansas School of Social Welfare. Anthony hasadvanced therapeutic training in Dialectical BehavioralTherapy and Prolonged Exposure Therapy.