What is attentional control or mindfulness?

‘Attentional control’ or ‘mindfulness’ is about the kind of awareness that you bring to a situation. It means being in control of what you pay attention to, and for how long. It can be a helpful way of managing distress and many people have learned to manage their pain more successfully using it. Techniques like this are versions of meditation practices taken from Eastern spiritual traditions. The aim is to be in a ‘state of mind’ that is more helpful.

HOW CAN ATTENTIONAL CONTROL OR MINDFULNESS HELP?

Focusing attention on pain can open the pain gate (see Chapter 2, p. 45), which in turn will make you more aware of the pain. Becoming distressed by physical sensations can make the pain seem worse, and increase tension. Finding different ways of using your awareness, without necessarily becoming distressed, can be very helpful in managing chronic pain. It can also help to change the way that you experience the pain.

HOW DOES YOUR STATE OF MIND AFFECT YOU?

You may have already practised observing your thoughts in chapters 1 and 14 and so noticed then that the way you think has an effect on how you feel.

There are three ‘states of mind’ that people can bring to any situation. These are described below:

1. Reasonable (thinking reasonably)

In this state of mind, people:

•   Think logically

•   Pay attention to facts

•   Plan your actions or behaviors

•   Focus attention purposefully

•   Take a ‘cool’ approach to problems

2. Emotional (thinking emotionally)

In this state of mind:

•   Current emotional state controls behavior and thinking

•   Thoughts are often extreme

•   Logical, reasonable thinking is difficult

•   Facts are distorted to fit feelings

•   Intense feelings can motivate the person to continue with very hard tasks, or to make sacrifices for others

3. Wise (being mindful)

In this state of mind, people:

•   Pay attention to unpleasant sensations without undue distress

•   Avoid making value judgements (about themselves, others or the world)

•   Become more aware of what they want to pay attention to

•   Balance their emotions with reasonable thinking

•   Act thoughtfully rather than on impulse

•   Notice unpleasant feelings without the feelings being in control

Mindfulness aims to balance ‘reasonable’ and ‘emotional’ thinking, using a ‘wise mind’.

Mindfulness skills

There are four main mindfulness skills: observing, being ‘non-judgemental’, focusing on one thing now and doing what works.

1. Observing

This means paying attention to events, emotions and behaviors:

•   Without necessarily attempting to stop them if they are painful

•   Without necessarily attempting to continue them if they are pleasurable

2. Being ‘non-judgemental’

This means:

•   Not judging something as either ‘good’ or ‘bad’

•   Looking at results of behaviors and events

•   Describing the situation without judging

•   Just looking at the facts

For example, you might notice that you have an increase in pain after an activity. However, it does not necessarily mean the outcome is ‘bad’. It does not necessarily mean it is ‘good’ either!