Lektion 1
Identifying Compulsive Behavior
Welcome to Day 1 of Mindfulness for Compulsive Behavior. Today, we will take a personal inventory of our compulsive behaviors and then practice a gentle guided introduction to mindfulness meditation. In the following days, we will introduce a technique to apply specifically to our compulsive behaviors. Now, please take several minutes to gather materials and set up your space. You will need a notebook with at least ten pages dedicated to this program. You can take a moment to pause this audio and title the pages of your notebook from Day One through Day Ten. You will also need a pen and a quiet, comfortable place to practice with minimal distractions. You can prepare a meditation seat or set up to lie down while you meditate. Once you have prepared your space, please return to this audio.
On your Day 1 page of your notebook, please title the page “Identifying Compulsive Behavior”. The purpose of today’s writing exercise is to pinpoint the behaviors you are aware of doing out of habit or compulsion. Make a list of the habits that you are currently aware of. This list should be personal and specific to behaviors that you are uncomfortable with in your own life. For example, biting your nails, eating when you’re not hungry, constantly checking social media, or picking fights with a partner. You may take a moment now to pause the audio and write your list. Throughout the day, notice if you carry out these habits, and also write down any new ones that you identify. This list can be added to or augmented at any time. You do not need to change any of your behaviors today. You might try instead to bring a gentle, non-judgmental awareness to these behaviors as you go through your day as you normally would. Now, we will practice a meditative exercise in mindfulness.
Lektion 2
Cultivating Emotional Awareness
For today’s exercise, we will be going beneath the surface of our compulsive behaviors. The purpose of today’s exercise is to practice the skill of recognition by feeling into the emotions that underlie our compulsions. Take a moment to gather your journaling materials and prepare your space. You may title today’s exercise “Cultivating Emotional Awareness”. Create two columns on your sheet of paper. Write "COMPULSIONS" on one side and "EMOTIONS" on the other. In the COMPULSIONS column, write your compulsive behaviors from Day 1’s worksheet and leave some space in between bullet points. In the EMOTIONS column, record any emotions that may relate with the compulsive behavior. For example, I may notice that feelings of boredom, tiredness, and loneliness are driving my compulsion to check social media. Take a moment to pause this audio to complete your list. When you resume, we will practice a guided mindfulness exercise for emotional recognition.
Lektion 3
Holding Space
For today’s exercise, review your worksheet from yesterday. Do you notice any patterns in the emotions that you listed? Cultivating awareness is an important first step. Please gather your journal materials and prepare your space. You may title today’s journal exercise “Holding Space”. Create two columns on a sheet of paper and write "EMOTIONS" in one and AFFIRMATIONS" in the other. In ACCEPTANCE, we learn to affirm and make space for what “is”, by welcoming our previously shunned emotions. Write the emotions that you noticed in your Day 2 worksheet in the left hand column. On the right hand column, write an affirmation to welcome this emotion. For example, if I have a habit of avoiding feelings of anger, I might write an affirmation that welcomes the presence of anger, such as: my anger helps me to notice my boundaries and take care of myself. Take a moment to pause the audio and complete your worksheet. When you resume, we will move into a guided mindfulness meditation exercise to explore this concept further.
Lektion 4
Below the Surface
So far, we have learned to recognize the emotions that may be driving our compulsive behaviors, and practiced bringing an attitude of acceptance to the emotions we previously avoided or numbed with our compulsions. Today, we will go deeper to investigate the roots of these emotions. You may label Day 4 of your journal as “Below the Surface”. Create two columns and label them "Emotion", and "Investigation". In the lefthand column, copy over your Emotions from your Day 2 worksheet. In the righthand column, list any events, interactions, or thoughts that you might associate with these emotions. If you are unsure, feel free to write down any inclinations or guesses, there is no wrong answer here. For example, my feeling of anger seems to be linked with a frustrating situation at work that I can’t figure out how to solve. There is someone who has really been pushing my buttons. Take a moment to pause the audio here and reflect on your worksheet. When you are finished, we will return for a guided mindfulness exercise to practice Investigation.
Lektion 5
Passing Through
Welcome to Day 5 of the Mindfulness for Compulsive Behavior course - our halfway point! Today we will explore the last part of the RAIN acronym; Non-Identification. In this step, we will practice observing our emotions and experiences without becoming overly attached. This process helps us to reinforce our understanding of ourselves as whole - as more than our pain and suffering. You may label today’s journal entry as “Passing Through”. In today’s writing exercise, choose any compulsions, emotions and/or investigations from your previous worksheets, and record them in the left-hand column. In the right-hand column, write an affirmation that separates your identity from these compulsive behaviors, emotions, thoughts and experiences. For example, my poor review at work does not undermine my value as an employee. My anger is a part of my human experience but does not define my personality. My negative thoughts about myself are merely thoughts and do not define my self worth. Take a moment to pause the audio here and reflect on your worksheet. When you are finished, we will return for a guided mindfulness exercise to explore Non-Identification.
Lektion 6
Creating New Pathways
In today’s exercise, we embrace the concept of neuroplasticity by re-imagining our responses to negative emotions. You may label today’s journaling exercise as “Creating New Pathways”. Create two columns and label them as "Compulsions" and “Desired Behavior". In the left hand column, write down your compulsive behaviors from your Day 1 worksheet. In the right hand column, write down a new desired behavior that you would enjoy as a healthy replacement of your prior coping mechanism. This exercise is not about distinguishing right from wrong, but more so about sculpting your own desired experience by choosing the actions that you feel would enhance your experience of life. For example, instead of falling asleep with the TV on, I would like to spend twenty minutes before I go to bed stretching and listening to guided meditations, podcasts or music. Take a moment to pause the audio here and reflect on your worksheet. When you are finished, we will return for a guided mindfulness exercise to explore neuroplasticity.
Lektion 7
Daily Practice
Welcome to Day 7 of the Mindfulness for Compulsive Behavior course. Please label today’s journal entry as “Daily Practice”. For today’s writing exercise, choose one of the Desired Behaviors from your Day 6 worksheet that you are most excited to introduce or commit to making a part of your everyday life. Explore the following questions: How will I feel if I do this every day? How will I feel about myself? How will this practice affect my body and mind? What kind of impact do I imagine this will have on my life? How will this change impact others in my life? Take a moment to pause the audio here and reflect on your worksheet. When you are finished, we will return for a guided mindfulness exercise to support our daily practice.
Lektion 8
Removing Resistance
Welcome to Day 8 of the Mindfulness for Compulsive Behavior course. You may label your journal entry “Removing Resistance”. For today’s exercise, you will explore steps that you can take to remove resistance between you and your new desired behavior. The idea is that you want to make it as easy as possible for yourself to make this choice. For example, I want to meditate for ten minutes each morning. In order to make this easier and more appealing for myself, I will create a physical space next to my bed with a beautiful altar, meditation cushion, and a timer. I would also like to make healthier snacking choices. I will entice myself to eat nourishing snacks by buying fresh fruits and vegetables, cutting them up and saving them in containers in the fridge, along with pre-prepared tasty dipping sauces. Take a moment to pause the audio here and fill out your worksheet. When you are finished, we will return for a guided mindfulness exercise to reflect on removing resistance.
Lektion 9
Healing is Non-Linear
Welcome to Day 9 of the Mindfulness for Compulsive Behavior course - the second to last day of our course! You have come such a long way. For today’s exercise, you will reflect on a healing journey you have been on. This could be getting sick, grieving the loss of a loved one, healing childhood wounds, and so on and so forth. You can label today’s journal entry as “Healing is Non-Linear”. Draw a large spiral in the center of your paper. This exercise is a visual representation of the non-linear nature of healing, so you are welcome to use words, pictures or abstract designs or colors. It is important that we are gentle with ourselves as we begin a healing journey, and know that healing does not happen all at once. In the middle of the spiral, find a way to represent the beginning of your healing journey. As the spiral becomes larger, illustrate steps along your journey. You might choose to reference relapse, re-wounding, or moments of healing or care you received from others. This can be loosely represented or more specific. At the edges of the spiral, find a way to mark where you currently are in your journey. Take a moment to pause the audio here and reflect on your worksheet. When you are finished, we will return for a guided body-scan meditation to ground our emotional exploration.
Lektion 10
Calling Upon Community
Welcome to Day 10, the final day of the Mindfulness for Compulsive Behavior course. Take a moment to congratulate yourself for sticking with it and creating space for new possibilities where you once felt stuck and powerless. You can label today’s journal exercise “Calling Upon Community”. For today’s exercise, think about at least one person that you can talk to about your healing journey with mindfulness - someone you can ask for support in your commitment to overcoming compulsive behavior. This could be someone who faces a similar type of struggle, or someone you can talk to on a regular basis for accountability, or simply someone who knows and cares for you. Ask this person if you can check in with them if you notice your commitment is slipping or if you are struggling to stay on track. Talk to this person to let them know your victories and success stories! An important part of healing is learning to let in love and support. We must remember that we are never alone in our struggles and that we all deserve to be held and supported in our paths towards healing. You can write on your sheet, "The person I have asked to support me in my healing journey is…: and the way that I have asked them to support me is by: …". Take a moment to pause the audio here and fill out your worksheet. When you are finished, we will return for our final meditation to visualize our support network of loved ones.
