Emily Irwin on Mindfulness

“One of the things that’s really difficult with loss is staying self-regulated, and being able to take care of ourselves and knowing what it takes to take care of ourselves. And mindfulness can have a really big impact on self-regulation.” — Emily Irwin I had such a great discussion with Emily Irwin for this episode. Emily is a therapist and a mindfulness expert based here in Seattle. It seems that mindfulness is all around us these days, so I thought it would be interesting to explore how it might be useful for us as widowed parents, as well as for our kids and teenagers. Emily and I covered a lot of ground in this discussion: What is mindfulness, and what it is not; Some common myths and misconceptions about mindfulness; How mindfulness can be beneficial for widowed parents and their kids/teens; Ideas for practicing gratitude, such as a gratitude jar or the gratitude toss; Considerations for trauma-sensitive mindfulness; What is neuroplasticity, and how it is something that benefits us through our entire lives, not just when we’re young; How some early research shows that mindfulness has the potential to help improve teens’ resilience to stress; and Tips for practicing self-compassion, and why it’s so important. I hope you enjoy my discussion with Emily Irwin.