It is quite easy and common to rush through life and not notice the world around us. On the other hand, to be completely aware of your immediate environment means having an intentional and non-judgemental focus on the present moment – mindfulness. Despite a raging debate on the appropriate definition of mindfulness, it can be defined as the art of consistently cultivating a non-judgemental state of intensified or full awareness of one’s reasonings, sentiments, or experiences in each moment (Mitchell, 2022). A reconnection with our bodies and the sensations they experience is a critical aspect of mindfulness. Another aspect is being conscious of our thoughts and feelings. Since the introduction of mindfulness to Western medicine and society in the late 1970s, there has been an explosion of scientific research approaching the idea from both practical and notional perspectives. Alberts & Hülsheger (2015) posit that the concept of mindfulness has attained an indisputable position in the field of clinical and personality psychology.
Our fast-paced world may push our minds to their limits, often sacrificing our mental health. Without a clear understanding of stress response, relaxation techniques may lack context. Mindfulness and relaxation are two mind-body techniques that aim to unite the body, mind, and environment. Luberto et al. (2020) suggest significant differences exist between mindfulness and relaxation. For example, relaxation practices, in addition to being familiar and concrete compared to mindfulness, could be more effective for those with concrete thinking patterns, psychiatric exposures or mental impairments. In contrast, mindfulness could benefit those with particular emotional disorders, particularly those involving experiential disorders and repetitive thinking. However, evidence shows that both relaxation techniques and mindfulness produce similar improvements in certain disorders, such as emotional tolerance. Additionally, mindfulness and relaxation interventions show similar efficacy levels for reducing subjective chronic medical conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Given that both approaches have evidence of efficacy when treating similar disorders and share common elements, the two should be applied in tandem to enhance the other. There is a wealth of extant research studies, such as (Keng et al., 2011) and (Khoury et al., 2013), whose findings reveal that one approach enhances the other. Mindfulness and relaxation have often been used or discussed interchangeably. Furthermore, mindfulness has been identified as a relaxation technique. This is, however, misleading as mindfulness is not a relaxation technique, as (Fabbro et al., 2017) maintain. There are many relaxation techniques, but progressive muscle relaxation, visualization and hypnosis are the main ones.
Conflicts in marriage remain normative as they occur in any relationship postulates (McCoy et al., 2009). Nevertheless, the nature of conflictual relationships ranges from very destructive to constructive for families and children. Traditionally, family interventions have been grounded on cognitive and behavioural tactics fashioned to decrease conflict while enhancing family cohesion. This is through shifting of focus from mitigation of symptoms to rebuilding of secure and trustworthy relationships in conjunction with cognitive emotion control tactics and communication skills. However, physiological arousal could hamper the higher-order cognitive processing necessary for families to exploit in the specific situations they are required. The application of mindfulness ensures awareness of the whole process of behaving as opposed to changing or altering specific problem behaviours – a significant difference between mindfulness interventions and traditional therapies.
Adolescents subjected to the destructive interparental conflict need a mechanism that focuses on redirecting their attention to present experience non-judgementally rather than a reactivity of negative consequences that tend to accompany focus on the past. The application of mindfulness ensures that adolescents acknowledge and accept present-moment experiences non-judgementally; hence, they recognize that their thoughts and feelings do not essentially necessitate fear or avoidance. Regular, overwhelming, and poor resolved or unresolved issues resulting from conflictual relationships, particularly marriage, often result in criticism, physical aggression, blame, and escalation of adverse emotional states, exposing both parties to fear, frustration, anger, stress and anxiety. According to (American Psychiatric Association, 2021), anxiety and fear are linked to muscle tension and avoidance behaviour. The application of progressive muscle relaxation can break the cycle of tense muscle relays by relieving muscle tension and general mental anxiety. Frustration and anger are closely connected to either a fight or flight reaction. Applying visualization can help in separating the self from the source of anger and frustration. Caregiving in a family setting usually tends to take a toll on those involved. Since caregivers often do not take time for themselves and operate without a dedicated support structure, this work can be a source of chronic stress that can severely affect the caregiver’s life. Reynaud & Bruneau (2022) define chronic stress as a persistent feeling of strain and pressure. Hypnosis has been shown to reduce chronic stress and pressure with little negative effects.
The integration of mindfulness and relaxation within psychotherapy represents a profound advancement in family and marriage therapy. This holistic approach has demonstrated its efficacy in family and marriage therapy treatment. Mindfulness, with its emphasis on present-moment awareness and non-judgemental acceptance, equips individuals with invaluable tools for managing stress, regulating emotions, and gaining insight into thought patterns and behaviours. Relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation and visualization provide practical and accessible strategies for managing acute stress and anxiety. These techniques empower individuals and families to regain a sense of control, mitigating the physiological and psychological impacts of stress. The synergy between mindfulness and relaxation acknowledges the inseparable connection between mental and physical well-being. As the evidence supporting these approaches continues to grow, it is clear that mindfulness and relaxation remain invaluable tools that can be employed in family and marriage therapy.
References
Alberts, H. J. E. M., & Hülsheger, Ute. R. (2015). Applying mindfulness in the context of work: mindfulness-based interventions (J. et al. B. Atkins, Eds.). Cambridge University Press; Cambridge University Press. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/mindfulness-in-organizations/applying-mindfulness-in-the-context-of-work-mindfulnessbased-interventions/08FC7679D836B9AAD4B3ABA177FFFB44
American Psychiatric Association. (2021). What Are Anxiety Disorders? Www.psychiatry.org. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/anxiety-disorders/what-are-anxiety-disorders#:~:text=Anxiety%20is%20a%20normal%20reaction
Fabbro, A., Crescentini, C., Matiz, A., Clarici, A., & Fabbro, F. (2017). Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Conscious and Non-Conscious Components of the Mind. Applied Sciences, 7(4), 349. https://doi.org/10.3390/app7040349
Keng, S. L., Smoski, M. J., & Robins, C. J. (2011). Effects of mindfulness on psychological health: A review of empirical studies. Clinical Psychology Review, 31(6), 1041–1056. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2011.04.006
Khoury, B., Lecomte, T., Fortin, G., Masse, M., Therien, P., Bouchard, V., Chapleau, M.-A., Paquin, K., & Hofmann, S. G. (2013). Mindfulness-based therapy: a comprehensive meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 33(6), 763–771. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2013.05.005
Luberto, C. M., Hall, D. L., Park, E. R., Haramati, A., & Cotton, S. (2020). A Perspective on the Similarities and Differences Between Mindfulness and Relaxation. Global Advances in Health and Medicine, 9, 216495612090559. https://doi.org/10.1177/2164956120905597
McCoy, K., Cummings, E. M., & Davies, P. T. (2009). Constructive and destructive marital conflict, emotional security and children’s prosocial behaviour. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 50(3), 270–279. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.01945.x
Mitchell, H. (2022, July 8). Relaxation and Mindfulness Techniques in O.T. Practice. BIONIK. https://bioniklabs.com/relaxation-and-mindfulness-techniques-in-ot-practice/
Reynaud, D., & Bruneau, L. (2022). Feasibility and acceptance of self-hypnosis to reduce chronic stress levels on family in-home caregivers of elderly people: protocol for the POSSAID pilot, randomized, wait-list controlled trial. BMJ Open, 12(12), e066749. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066749
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