The Benefits of Mindfulness Practices
Engaging in mindfulness practices like meditation can offer profound benefits, helping individuals ground themselves and focus their thoughts. For instance, participating in guided mindfulness sessions, such as those available through platforms like Spotify, can be a convenient morning ritual to cultivate mindfulness before starting the day. Meditation helps in slowing down racing thoughts and enhancing focus, although it can also bring attention to uncomfortable emotions, such as fear, which may manifest physically as restlessness. “Similarly, transcendental meditation led to significant improvements from baseline (6 of the 10 studies) across addiction outcomes for the use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, opiates, or stimulants” (Sekula et al., 2024).
Coping Mechanisms in Addiction
In terms of addiction, coping mechanisms are crucial to continue sobriety. Understanding triggers and having tools that can help ease the chances of relapse are essential.
Emotional Responses to Microaggressions
Microaggressions often evoke strong emotional responses, such as anger and frustration. It’s common to feel compelled to address such behaviors directly, although managing these emotions and reactions can be challenging. Tension, nervousness, and overthinking are typical physical and mental responses when confronting microaggressions, reflecting uncertainty about how such confrontations will unfold and the potential escalation of conflict. Microinsults, such as expressions of surprise regarding personal achievements based on demographic assumptions, can be particularly hurtful and anxiety-inducing.
Overcoming Doubts and Affirming Success
Despite achieving academic success against statistical odds, doubts expressed by others can undermine confidence and provoke feelings of anger and self-doubt. Responding to these comments with positivity and pride in accomplishments can deflect negativity and reaffirm personal capabilities, even if doubts persist among others. “Women, younger-to-middle-aged people, those residing in the West, and privileged groups including Whites and more educated individuals were overrepresented in all three practices in 2022, a pattern that hasn’t changed markedly across 20 years” (Davies et al., 2022). Accessibility to certain methods of coping still proves to have major issues and a lack of change in terms of who utilizes the skills.
Reflecting on Harmful Behaviors and Bystander Intervention
Questions may arise about why individuals engage in harmful behaviors and why bystanders sometimes choose not to intervene. These reflections can lead to the realization that while one cannot control others’ actions or attitudes, focusing on personal responses and behaviors can provide a sense of empowerment and ease. As a person of color navigating these challenges, reaffirming self-worth and resilience becomes essential. Recognizing personal accomplishments and confronting doubt with assertiveness and self-confidence are crucial steps towards maintaining emotional well-being and fostering positive self-perception. As clinicians, it is crucial to recognize barriers and values held by individuals and allow time for insights to help.
Conclusion
In conclusion, navigating microaggressions involves understanding emotional responses, asserting personal worth, and focusing on controllable aspects of one’s life. The integration of outside resources and coping mechanisms is crucial to utilize, especially for those who are not receiving care, such as sober living. By prioritizing self-empowerment and resilience, individuals can mitigate the impact of microinsults and affirm their capabilities despite external skepticism. We are thankful to have an increase of online modalities to access for coping, but we are still stumped on obtaining free resources that are in person.
References
- Davies, J. N., Faschinger, A., Galante, J., & Van Dam, N. T. (2024). Prevalence and 20-year trends in meditation, yoga, guided imagery, and progressive relaxation use among US adults from 2002 to 2022. Scientific Reports, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-64562-y
- Sekula, A. D., Puspanathan, P., Downey, L., & Liknaitzky, P. (2024). Producing altered states of consciousness, reducing Substance Misuse: A review of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, Transcendental Meditation, and hypnotherapy. Psychoactives, 3(2), 137–162. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychoactives3020010