LEAD Contributors

Information and insight from LEAD staff and volunteers.

Mindfulness and Self-Awareness: Foundations of Self-Care

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It’s been a tough road since Covid came into our lives. With stress and other factors affecting our well-being, it’s no wonder we’re feeling the strain. Our physical and emotional states are intrinsically linked to the quality of our relationships with ourselves and the world around us. But, thankfully, more and more people are waking up to just how important our mental well-being is and giving it higher priority. There’s a wealth of research out there on how to improve and maintain well-being, and it’s heartening to see so many people taking it more seriously.

We can all understand that maintaining good mental health is closely tied to being mindful and self-aware, so we want to fully grasp the meanings of these concepts and how they are different yet interconnected. We also want to arouse our own curiosity to pause and get a closer look at our inner comings and goings. First, we go with the basics.

What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness not only makes it possible to survey our internal landscape with compassion and curiosity but can also actively steer us in the right direction for self-care. Bessel van der Kolk

Mindfulness is the state of being completely aware and present in this very moment. This involves being conscious of what you are thinking, feeling (emotionally), your surroundings, and your body sensations; especially, your body sensations.

A key aspect of practicing mindfulness is to notice what you are experiencing and to resist the urge to judge your thoughts as either good or bad. Mindfulness highlights the significance of being present at the moment rather than ruminating on the past or fretting about the future. You are very likely to find it hard to practice mindfulness because of being hard-wired to be connected with stress and anxiety. Emotions such as anger, sadness, fear, and other distractions may prevent you from sitting fully in the present. Trust that these are the exact signs that you are in need of developing skills in being mindful.

It’s common to see mindfulness and self-awareness used side by side and even interchangeably. But mindfulness is not the same as self-awareness.

What is Self-Awareness?

Self-awareness is when you have conscious knowledge and understanding of your own self, including your thoughts, emotions, personality traits, and feelings. It involves recognizing your strengths and weaknesses. Being self-aware allows you to anticipate situations that may cause negative emotions, so you can plan ahead and remain calm. Those who are skilled in self-awareness are able to align their thoughts and behaviors with their personal values.

Mindfulness Vs Self-Awareness

Mindfulness and self-awareness are closely related, but they are not the same.

Mindfulness is based on introspection, i.e. your own thoughts and feelings. With mindfulness, we acknowledge what is going on in our internal world at that very moment. No matter what thoughts, feelings, or sensations come to you, at any given time, you acknowledge their presence and then simply allow them to come and go. Being indifferent to your thoughts, feelings, sensations, or images that arise is the crucial property of mindfulness.

Looking inward while accepting the world around you is the essence of self-awareness. This means taking the time to examine your negative thoughts and emotions, understanding how they affect you, and learning how to keep them in a realistic perspective.

Mindfulness teaches you to take a non-judgmental approach to thoughts, feelings, sensations, and images at that moment. Self-awareness, on the other hand, is a skill that impels you to be objective about yourself, knowing your strengths, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities. Your thinking and acting are in line with your personal principles.

Why are These so Important?

Mindfulness and self-awareness are knowing yourself and fully understanding your inner world. This is undoubtedly a good thing. But are these really that central to the self-development of a person? The answer is overwhelmingly YES.

Being immersed in both mindfulness and self-awareness will:

  • Have a positive impact on all aspects of your life, including interpersonal relationships, career, personal growth, etc;
  • Help you regulate your emotions;
  • Helps you in decision-making;
  • Allow you to improve your relationships with family, friends, co-workers, and everyone else in your life;
  • Boost your confidence and help you gain wisdom;
  • Improve your leadership and communication skills;, and
  • Help make you a better listener.

At LEAD with Horses, one of our primary objectives is to assist our clients in developing these skills in the presence of our Healing Herd. We have a multitude of tasks and games designed specifically for this purpose. Being prey animals, horses must be present at the moment while simultaneously being ready to bolt when a predator is sensed to be close by. So, the horses are naturally adept at being fully self-aware and in sync with their surroundings.

It has been observed that horses display remarkable skill in practicing mindfulness, as they have an innate ability to live in the present moment. Their perceptions are attuned to our subtle body language and emotions, which enables them to reflect our feelings. When we are beset by anxiety, stress, or intense emotions, horses tend to mirror these emotions back to us. This objective feedback from horses is a valuable means of gaining insight into our own selves and can help us to develop a deeper understanding of our own emotions and thought processes.

 

Self-Aware is the First Step in Self-Care

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We hear a lot about self-care, especially since the COVID pandemic. When we think about taking care of ourselves, it may conjure up images of wildflowers, the aroma of lavender bath salts, massages, relaxing water sounds, a self-gifted bouquet of flowers, new shoes, or an outfit from a high-end boutique. These things are really enjoyable in the moment.

Acts of self-care are significant deeds we undertake when we prioritize our own well-being, as in adopting a way of life that doesn’t compel us to constantly seek an escape (Brianna Weist). But how does that happen? We must learn that to fully and genuinely take care of ourselves we must first become Self-Aware and fully present with ourselves when we are distressed.

What is self-awareness, and why is it important?

Achieving self-awareness comes from doing the work to gain a deeper understanding of one’s own thoughts, emotions, impulses, and personality traits. This task requires us to dig deep to discover their root causes. In building a solid foundation of self-awareness we get to know ourselves and then learn how to sit and feel safe with some very frightening or toxic emotions from the past rather than hide from them as we have in the past.
By doing so, we then acquire valuable insights into the underlying reasons for our impulses, behavior choices, and thought processes.

Self care means adopting a way of life that doesn’t compel us to constantly seek an escape

The Healing Herd

Horses have been a big part of our lives throughout history, whether they’re running wild or being our loyal companions in different settings. Horses have helped us grow and change as people, and that connection we have with them goes back hundreds of years in time. At LEAD with Horses, we are often asked about how horses have helped us and our clients to learn so much about ourselves. By allowing a horse to be themself and do their thing, with guidance our kids learn much about being congruent.
Being congruent means that the stuff going on inside of us, say, anxiety or fear, matches our outer façade, while being incongruent means that we are masking our genuine emotions like fear and anxiety and trying to come off as cool and collected.

With the help of horses, we can learn to be honest with ourselves and others and strive towards being our most authentic selves. As we journey through life, horses will continue to provide a valuable tool for self-reflection. This is why we say that horses are “our mirrors.” Horses get us at our very core, and if we are not being real, they will let us know what they know.

BIPOC Mental Health Month

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As we turn to the month of July, we focus our awareness on black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) individuals and families and the state of UN-wellbeing that persists due to the systemic factors that obstruct access to mental health services within these communities.  Studies conducted over the past 20 years have concluded that even though we understand more about the challenges these groups face – poverty, trauma, gang lifestyles, and intergenerational trauma – the numbers and outcomes show very little to indicate improvement in wellbeing among BIPOC individuals.

By the Numbers

Here is a striking overview of how specific racial/ethnic groups fared compared to white individuals. This data can provide us a gateway to explore the detailed findings so that solutions can continue to be sought, validated, and implemented.

  • Among adults with any mental illness, Black (39%), Hispanic (36%), and Asian (25%) adults were less likely than White (52%) adults to receive mental health services as of 2021. (KFF, 2023)
  • 2020 data reflect that AIAN (American Indian/Alaska Native) people had the highest rates of drug overdose deaths compared with all other racial and ethnic groups. Drug overdose death rates among Black people exceeded rates for White people as of 2020, reflecting larger increases among Black people in recent years. (KFF, 2023)
  • Black and Latinx youth were 14 percent less likely than white children to receive treatment for their depression in 2020. (SAMHSA, 2020)
  • The suicide death rate for Native/Indigenous people in America between the ages of 15-19 is more than double that of white youth. (CDC, 2023)

In another finding, the prevalence of mental illnesses among BIPOC individuals was similar to the prevalence among white people. However, when it came to accessing mental health services, racial/ethnic minorities were either less able or declined to access the help available due to mistrust and fear of treatment, the stigma surrounding mental health, racism and discrimination, and differences in language.  This suggests that peoples of color carry a greater burden of disability from mental illness, e.g. more likely to suffer from prolonged, chronic, and severely debilitating depression that affects them, as well as family and community members compared with whites because they often received less care and poorer quality care.

Changing the Narrative

Community is vital to well being. Inclusive communities create a sense of support and belonging, psychological as well as physical safety, and strong connection. Historically, BIPOC communities have created culturally responsive spaces, advocated for community resources, and been at the forefront of social change. It is critical to include the people within the community being served when considering behavioral health and education.

LEAD with Horses provides quality, inclusive services, and we are working toward making these services more accessible. This work is not easy, and it starts with creating welcoming, safe spaces for all of those we serve. We have the benefit of a Healing Herd of horses who assist us with building trust to create connection and community, the foundation of inclusion. Youth are invited to create the guidelines for their time at LEAD with Horses and encouraged to share their stories. We will continue to partner with others and examine our offerings, our approach, and our team to remove barriers to care and to continue to nurture all of our youth so that they will thrive.

The Intersection of PTSD and Pride

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We know that June is Pride month. It is also Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month. It is important that we care and demonstrate concern for our fellow humans’ struggle in achieving equity and acceptance, as well as healing from wounds inflicted by angry and ignorant others.

In this post we are going to take a closer look at the history of Pride and PTSD Awareness month and how they are interconnected. We’re also going to become more aware of how we can all practice kindness, compassion, and empathy in the company of the Healing Herd that resides at LEAD with Horses.

Pride:

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer + (LGBTQ+) Pride Month is celebrated annually in June to honor the accomplishments of LGBTQ+ individuals as well as to recognize this community’s struggle for rights, opportunity, and justice.

June is the chosen month for Pride because of the 1969 Stonewall riots, six days of protests that galvanized the gay rights movement. This uprising was a catalyst for the movement to eliminate discriminatory laws and practices against LGBTQ+ Americans. The first Pride march in New York City was held on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.

PTSD Awareness:

In 2010, the U.S. Senate declared June 27 to be National PTSD Awareness Day, and then in 2014, it designated the whole month of June to be observed as National PTSD Awareness Month. Anyone can develop PTSD at any age after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event.

Often associated with combat veterans, PTSD symptoms were described by Hippocrates in 50 BC. Historically the “unseen” wounds of war have been described as shell shock, soldier’s heart, combat fatigue, or war neurosis. It came to be known as PTSD years after the end of the Vietnam War. Within a few years the diagnosis of PTSD made its first appearance in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and interventions to treat the condition began to evolve.

PTSD can be the result of a single event. More often it occurs from an accumulation of ongoing exposure to physical, emotional, or sexual abuse and neglect from early childhood. Complex Trauma, which is the current term, can appear as an absent sense of self, recurring memories or nightmares, hypervigilance, avoidance of reminders of the trauma, distorted sense of self, self-critical beliefs, extraordinary level of shame or guilt, anxiety, and/or difficulty with relationships.

How are Pride and PTSD (Complex Trauma) interrelated?  

LGBTQ+ individuals are more likely to experience trauma due to higher rates of victimization and discrimination across the lifespan, including child abuse, sexual, and physical assault. For the BIPOC (black, Indigenous and people of color) community, and gender diverse BIPOC individuals in particular, this is compounded by the discrimination they already face in our society. As a result, LGBTQ+ people are at higher risk of developing PTSD. Up to 48% of lesbian, gay or bisexual individuals and 42% of transgender and gender diverse individuals meet the criteria for PTSD, compared to 4.7% of the general population. Our youth are at great risk. LGBTQ+ youth experience high rates of PTSD and other mental health issues like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and suicide.

Protective Factors

Everyone needs spaces free of harassment and discrimination. As scary as the statistics and trends are right now, we know that we can make an impact. Positive environments, supportive adults and peers, and increased self-esteem are some of the protective factors that can help youth thrive. LEAD with Horses provides safe space and opportunities for youth to gain skills and confidence. We look to our Healing Herd as an example. Practicing openness can help create a safer, kinder, more accepting world.

 

Providing a Safe Space

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This June, we celebrate Pride and bring awareness to PTSD.  These two seemingly different subjects share some commonalities. PTSD arises out of trauma. LGBTQ+ individuals are more likely to experience trauma and mental illness. Most people don't get the help they need, often because finding spaces that feel safe can be difficult. LEAD with Horses provides one such space.

safe space

noun

    1. a place or environment in which a person or category of people can feel confident that they will not be exposed to discrimination, criticism, harassment, or any other emotional or physical harm.

 

We strive to create a truly Safe Space at LEAD with Horses. A space for kids and families to explore, share, and grow. A space where everyone feels welcome and accepted. A space where a range of ideas, struggles, perceptions, and experiences can be shared and acknowledged.

This can be challenging when trying to meet a diversity of needs, backgrounds, views, experiences, cultures, and more. Thankfully, the horses help us to appreciate every individual, and our team approach increases our awareness of our own preconceptions. The horses are sensitive to thoughts and feelings and come to the arena without bias.

Safe Space is established from the first day at LEAD with Horses. It begins with a welcoming physical environment in a beautiful outdoor setting. Grounding exercises are incorporated to lessen nervousness, fear, or anxiety. Participants work together to create guidelines and ground rules. Everyone must feel safe to speak, and we encourage all to contribute to conversations and activities.

Safe Space does not mean a place free of discomfort or difficulty. Quite the opposite. A Safe Space provides opportunities to meet tough challenges because it allows for vulnerability with dignity. The horses aid in building trust and connection, the foundation of Safe Space and of all the work at LEAD with Horses.