Tag Archives: mindfulness

Free Floating Anxiety (FFA), refers to a persistent, generalized feeling of fear, apprehension, nervousness:

Free floating anxiety refers to a persistent, generalized feeling of fear, apprehension, nervousness, or uneasiness that does not seem to be tied to one specific situation or identifiable threat.

Instead of thinking, “I am anxious because of this particular event,” a person may experience a more diffuse sense that something is wrong or something bad might happen, even when there is no obvious immediate danger.

Common features

A person experiencing free floating anxiety may have:

  • Persistent worry or apprehension
  • Feeling “on edge” or unable to relax
  • Restlessness or irritability
  • Racing or excessive thoughts
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Muscle tension
  • Fatigue
  • Sleep difficulties
  • Increased heart rate or feeling “keyed up”
  • A vague sense of dread or impending trouble

Example

Someone might say:

“I don’t know what I’m worried about. Nothing specific is happening, but I feel anxious all day, as if something bad is about to happen.”

That is characteristic of diffuse or free floating anxiety.

Relationship to Generalized Anxiety Disorder

The term free floating anxiety is commonly associated with generalized anxiety, particularly the type of persistent anxiety seen in Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

GAD involves excessive anxiety and worry about multiple areas of life, occurring more days than not for at least six months, along with associated symptoms such as restlessness, fatigue, concentration problems, irritability, muscle tension, or sleep disturbance.

What may contribute to it?

Free floating anxiety may arise from many factors, including:

Psychological

  • Chronic stress
  • Unresolved emotional conflicts
  • Trauma related hyperarousal
  • Excessive worry patterns
  • Perfectionism or intolerance of uncertainty

Biological

  • Chronic activation of the stress response
  • Sleep deprivation
  • Certain medications or substances: “Consult with a Medical Doctor.”
  • Excessive caffeine or other stimulants: “Consult with a Medical Doctor.”
  • Some medical conditions: “Consult with a Medical Doctor.”

Environmental

  • Ongoing interpersonal stress
  • Financial or occupational uncertainty
  • Lack of safety or stability
  • Major life changes

A useful clinical distinction

Free floating anxiety is different from situational anxiety:

Free floating anxietySituational anxiety
Diffuse and difficult to identifyConnected to a specific situation
May persist much of the dayUsually occurs around the trigger
“Something feels wrong.”“I’m anxious because I have to give a speech.”
Multiple worries may shift from one subject to anotherUsually focused on one identifiable concern

In clinical work, it may be useful to explore what the anxiety is doing rather than only what it is about, for example, whether it reflects chronic hyperarousal, excessive worry, avoidance, unresolved trauma, or difficulty tolerating uncertainty.

Shervan K Shahhian

Emotional Balance is the ability to experience, understand, and manage your emotions,…

Emotional Balance is the ability to experience, understand, and manage your emotions without allowing any single emotion to completely control your thoughts, behavior, or decisions.

It may not mean being happy all the time or suppressing difficult emotions. Instead, it means being able to move through emotions while maintaining perspective and functioning.

The key elements of emotional balance:

Emotional awareness: Recognizing what you are feeling and identifying the emotion accurately: “I’m frustrated,” “I’m anxious,” “I’m disappointed.”

Emotional regulation: Being able to calm, tolerate, or modulate intense emotions rather than immediately reacting to them.

Acceptance: Allowing uncomfortable feelings to exist without judging yourself for having them.

Perspective: Remembering that emotions are signals, not necessarily facts. Feeling rejected, for example, may not automatically mean that you have actually been rejected.

Healthy expression: Communicating emotions appropriately rather than bottling them up or expressing them destructively.

Resilience: Recovering your emotional equilibrium after stress, disappointment, conflict, or loss.

Balanced decision making: Giving emotions a voice without allowing them to make every decision. Ideally, emotion and reason work together.

A simple model

Notice, Pause…Understand…Regulate…Choose…Act

For example:

“I’m extremely angry. Let me pause before responding. What triggered this? What am I actually feeling? What response would be consistent with my values?”

That brief pause may create a space between feeling an emotion and acting on it.

Emotional balance may not be emotional suppression

Emotional suppressionEmotional balance
“I shouldn’t feel angry.”“I’m angry, and I can understand why.”
Pushes emotions awayAllows emotions to be experienced
May lead to buildupProcesses emotions gradually
Reacts automatically laterCreates room for choice
Seeks to eliminate emotionsLearns to manage emotions

A useful definition:

Emotional balance may be the capacity to feel deeply without being overwhelmed, to acknowledge difficult emotions without being controlled by them, and to respond to life with flexibility, perspective, and self-awareness.

Shervan K Shahhian

What does “Brain Fry” feel like:

For medical diagnosis, please, Consult with a Medical Doctor.

What does “Brain Fry” feel like?

Someone experiencing it may notice:

  • Difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly
  • Forgetfulness or mental “blankness”
  • Slow decision making
  • Feeling overwhelmed by information
  • Irritability or reduced patience
  • Trouble finding words
  • Reduced motivation
  • Feeling mentally foggy or detached
  • Difficulty switching between tasks
  • Needing to “shut down” or withdraw

What may cause it?

Common contributors may include:

Too much cognitive demand

  • Long periods of intense work or studying
  • Excessive multitasking
  • Constant notifications and information consumption
  • Prolonged screen time

Insufficient recovery

  • Poor or inadequate sleep
  • Chronic stress
  • Little downtime
  • Working without meaningful breaks

Emotional overload

  • Anxiety and rumination
  • Grief
  • Ongoing interpersonal conflict
  • Prolonged exposure to distressing information

“Brain Fry” vs. burnout

They may be related but not identical.

“Brain Fry”burnout
Often temporaryUsually develops over prolonged stress
Mental overload/exhaustionEmotional, physical, and cognitive exhaustion
Can improve with restOften requires broader changes and recovery
May occur after a demanding dayCan affect functioning across work and life

A useful way to think about Brain Fry could be:

Too much input, too much cognitive/emotional demand, too little recovery: Temporary cognitive overload.

A short period of rest, sleep, physical movement, hydration, reduced stimulation, and doing one thing at a time may often help. If cognitive difficulties are persistent, severe, or represent a significant change from someone’s baseline,

it’s worth considering medical, psychiatric, sleep, medication, or neurological contributors rather than simply calling it “Brain Fry.”

Shervan K Shahhian

For medical diagnosis, please, Consult with a Medical Doctor.

What does “Brain Fry” feel like?

Someone experiencing it may notice:

  • Difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly
  • Forgetfulness or mental “blankness”
  • Slow decision making
  • Feeling overwhelmed by information
  • Irritability or reduced patience
  • Trouble finding words
  • Reduced motivation
  • Feeling mentally foggy or detached
  • Difficulty switching between tasks
  • Needing to “shut down” or withdraw

What may cause it?

Common contributors may include:

Too much cognitive demand

  • Long periods of intense work or studying
  • Excessive multitasking
  • Constant notifications and information consumption
  • Prolonged screen time

Insufficient recovery

  • Poor or inadequate sleep
  • Chronic stress
  • Little downtime
  • Working without meaningful breaks

Emotional overload

  • Anxiety and rumination
  • Grief
  • Ongoing interpersonal conflict
  • Prolonged exposure to distressing information

“Brain Fry” vs. burnout

They may be related but not identical.

“Brain Fry”burnout
Often temporaryUsually develops over prolonged stress
Mental overload/exhaustionEmotional, physical, and cognitive exhaustion
Can improve with restOften requires broader changes and recovery
May occur after a demanding dayCan affect functioning across work and life

A useful way to think about Brain Fry could be:

Too much input, too much cognitive/emotional demand, too little recovery: Temporary cognitive overload.

A short period of rest, sleep, physical movement, hydration, reduced stimulation, and doing one thing at a time may often help. If cognitive difficulties are persistent, severe, or represent a significant change from someone’s baseline,

it’s worth considering medical, psychiatric, sleep, medication, or neurological contributors rather than simply calling it “Brain Fry.”

Shervan K Shahhian

“Brain Fry” is an informal expression, Not a medical diagnosis, used to describe a feeling of mental exhaustion, cognitive overload, or being mentally “worn out.”

For medical diagnosis, please, Consult with a Medical Doctor.

What does “Brain Fry” feel like?

Someone experiencing it may notice:

  • Difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly
  • Forgetfulness or mental “blankness”
  • Slow decision making
  • Feeling overwhelmed by information
  • Irritability or reduced patience
  • Trouble finding words
  • Reduced motivation
  • Feeling mentally foggy or detached
  • Difficulty switching between tasks
  • Needing to “shut down” or withdraw

What may cause it?

Common contributors may include:

Too much cognitive demand

  • Long periods of intense work or studying
  • Excessive multitasking
  • Constant notifications and information consumption
  • Prolonged screen time

Insufficient recovery

  • Poor or inadequate sleep
  • Chronic stress
  • Little downtime
  • Working without meaningful breaks

Emotional overload

  • Anxiety and rumination
  • Grief
  • Ongoing interpersonal conflict
  • Prolonged exposure to distressing information

“Brain Fry” vs. burnout

They may be related but not identical.

“Brain Fry”burnout
Often temporaryUsually develops over prolonged stress
Mental overload/exhaustionEmotional, physical, and cognitive exhaustion
Can improve with restOften requires broader changes and recovery
May occur after a demanding dayCan affect functioning across work and life

A useful way to think about Brain Fry could be:

Too much input, too much cognitive/emotional demand, too little recovery: Temporary cognitive overload.

A short period of rest, sleep, physical movement, hydration, reduced stimulation, and doing one thing at a time may often help. If cognitive difficulties are persistent, severe, or represent a significant change from someone’s baseline,

it’s worth considering medical, psychiatric, sleep, medication, or neurological contributors rather than simply calling it “Brain Fry.”

Shervan K Shahhian

A Racing Mind is when thoughts seem to move rapidly, jump from topic to topic,…

“Please, speak with a qualified mental health professional promptly”

A racing mind is when thoughts seem to move rapidly, jump from topic to topic, repeat worries, or make it difficult to focus, relax, or fall asleep. It may happen during stress, anxiety, excitement, sleep deprivation, excessive caffeine, and sometimes certain mental health conditions.

Things that may help in the moment

1. Stop trying to force your mind to be blank.

Trying to not think often makes thoughts louder. Instead, notice them:

“I’m having a lot of thoughts right now. I don’t have to solve all of them tonight.”

2. Get the thoughts out of your head.

Keep a notebook nearby and do a quick mind dump. Write down worries, tasks, ideas, and reminders. Your mind may relax when it no longer feels responsible for remembering everything.

3. Slow the body first.

A racing mind may accompany physiological arousal. Try slow, comfortable breathing, relaxing your muscles, or grounding yourself in physical sensations: Consult with a Medical Doctor.

For example:

  • Notice 5 things you see
  • 4 things you feel
  • 3 things you hear
  • 2 things you smell
  • 1 thing you taste

4. Give your attention one simple anchor.

Focus gently on something repetitive: your breathing, a calming sound, counting slowly, or the physical sensation of lying in bed. When your mind wanders, simply return without criticizing yourself.

5. Reduce stimulation.

If possible, step away from stressful conversations, news, social media, bright screens, caffeine, or multitasking.

A useful question

Sometimes ask yourself:

“Is this a problem I can do something about right now?”

  • Yes: Write down the next small action.
  • No: Give yourself permission to postpone it.

You don’t have to solve tomorrow’s problems at midnight.

If it happens at bedtime

Don’t turn sleep into a battle. Keep the environment quiet and dim, and avoid repeatedly checking the clock. If you’re lying awake for a prolonged period and becoming frustrated, doing something calm in low light until you feel sleepy again may help break the association between bed and mental struggle.

When to seek professional help

If racing thoughts are persistent, severely disrupt sleep, occur with unusually high energy, decreased need for sleep, impulsive behavior, agitation, or feeling unusually euphoric or irritable, it’s important to speak with a qualified healthcare professional promptly. Those symptoms can have causes beyond ordinary stress or anxiety.

The goal isn’t necessarily to stop every thought. It’s to reduce the struggle with thoughts and help your mind and nervous system shift from high alert into a calmer state.

Shervan K Shahhian

Complementary Mental Health Services are non-primary, supportive approaches:

Complementary Mental Health Services are non-primary, supportive approaches that are used alongside conventional mental health treatment, not as replacements. Their goal is to enhance emotional well-being, reduce stress, improve coping skills, and support recovery.

These services may be combined with psychotherapy, psychiatric care, medication (when appropriate), and lifestyle interventions: “Please, Consult with a Medical Doctor, Psychiatrist and a Neurologist.”

Some Common Complementary Mental Health Services

1. Mindfulness and Meditation

  • Mindfulness meditation
  • Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
  • Loving Kindness Meditation
  • Breath awareness
  • Guided imagery

Research suggests these practices may help reduce stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms while improving emotional regulation.

2. Clinical Hypnotherapy/Hypnosis

As a complementary intervention, clinical hypnotherapy may help with:

  • Anxiety
  • Stress management
  • Pain management
  • Smoking cessation
  • Sleep difficulties
  • Habit change
  • Confidence building

It is generally most effective when integrated into a broader treatment plan by a qualified professional.

3. Relaxation Training

  • Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
  • Autogenic Training
  • Deep breathing exercises
  • Visualization
  • Body scan exercises

These techniques may reduce physiological arousal associated with stress and anxiety.

4. Biofeedback and Neurofeedback

“Please, Consult with a Neurologist.”

  • Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Biofeedback
  • EEG Neurofeedback
  • EMG Biofeedback

These approaches teach individuals to regulate certain physiological responses and may benefit some people with anxiety, ADHD, chronic pain, or migraines. The strength of evidence varies by condition: “Please, Consult with a Medical Doctor, Psychiatrist and a Neurologist.”

5. Exercise Therapy

Regular physical activity may:

  • Improve mood
  • Reduce anxiety
  • Decrease stress
  • Improve sleep
  • Increase self-esteem

Examples include:

  • Walking
  • Swimming
  • Cycling
  • Strength training
  • Yoga
  • Tai Chi

6. Yoga

Yoga combines:

  • Physical movement
  • Controlled breathing
  • Relaxation
  • Mindfulness

Research indicates it may improve stress, anxiety, mood, and overall well-being for many people.

7. Tai Chi and Qigong

These mind body practices emphasize:

  • Gentle movement
  • Breathing
  • Balance
  • Meditation

They may improve stress management, balance, and emotional well-being.

8. Art Therapy

Creative expression through:

  • Drawing
  • Painting
  • Sculpture
  • Collage
  • Mixed media

Art therapy may help individuals process emotions and experiences that may be difficult to express verbally.

9. Music Therapy

Delivered by trained music therapists, it may include:

  • Listening to music
  • Singing
  • Playing instruments
  • Songwriting
  • Guided music experiences

It has been used to support people with depression, anxiety, trauma, dementia, and neurological conditions: “Please, Consult with a Medical Doctor, Psychiatrist and a Neurologist.”

10. Dance and Movement Therapy

Uses movement to:

  • Express emotions
  • Improve body awareness
  • Reduce stress
  • Enhance emotional regulation

11. Animal Assisted Therapy

Working with trained therapy animals may:

  • Reduce stress
  • Increase social interaction
  • Improve mood
  • Lower feelings of loneliness

12. Massage Therapy

Massage may help:

  • Reduce muscle tension
  • Lower stress
  • Promote relaxation
  • Improve sleep

While it does not treat mental disorders directly, it may complement overall stress management.

13. Nutrition Counseling

A balanced diet supports:

  • Mental health
  • Stable energy
  • Mood regulation
  • Overall physical health

Emerging research in nutritional psychiatry may suggest diet may influence mental health, though it is only one part of comprehensive care: “Please, Consult with a Psychiatrist.”

14. Sleep Hygiene Education

Focuses on:

  • Consistent sleep schedule
  • Healthy bedtime routine
  • Limiting caffeine and alcohol always, especially before bed
  • Reducing evening screen exposure
  • Optimizing the sleep environment

Improving sleep may have a significant positive impact on mental health.

15. Peer Support

Peer specialists with lived experience provide:

  • Encouragement
  • Recovery support
  • Practical coping strategies
  • Hope and connection

Peer support complements, rather than replaces, professional treatment.

Potential Benefits

Complementary mental health services may:

  • Reduce stress
  • Improve emotional resilience
  • Enhance coping skills
  • Improve sleep
  • Increase relaxation
  • Support trauma recovery
  • Improve quality of life
  • Promote overall wellness

Important Considerations

  • These approaches are intended to complement, not replace, evidence-based treatments such as psychotherapy and, when appropriate, medication: “Please, Consult with a Medical Doctor, Psychiatrist and a Neurologist.”
  • Effectiveness varies depending on the individual, the condition being treated, and the quality of the intervention.
  • Some complementary therapies may have a stronger evidence base than others. Practices such as mindfulness, exercise, yoga, relaxation training, and certain forms of biofeedback are supported by a substantial body of research for specific conditions, while others require more study.

A comprehensive mental health plan may combine conventional treatments with carefully selected complementary services based on the individual’s goals, preferences, and clinical needs: “Please, Consult with a Medical Doctor, Psychiatrist and a Neurologist.”

Shervan K Shahhian

Complementary Mental Health Services are non-primary, supportive approaches:

The strength of evidence varies by condition. Complementary Mental Health Services are non-primary, supportive approaches that are used alongside conventional mental health treatment, not as replacements. Their goal is to enhance emotional well-being, reduce stress, improve coping skills, and support recovery.

These services maybe combined with psychotherapy, psychiatric care, medication: (Consult with a Medical Doctor), and lifestyle interventions.

Common Complementary Mental Health Services

1. Mindfulness and Meditation

  • Mindfulness meditation
  • Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
  • Loving Kindness Meditation
  • Breath awareness
  • Guided imagery

Research suggests these practices may help reduce stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms while improving emotional regulation.

2. Clinical Hypnotherapy

As a complementary intervention, clinical hypnotherapy may help with:

  • Anxiety
  • Stress management
  • Pain management: (Consult with a Medical Doctor)
  • Smoking cessation
  • Sleep difficulties
  • Habit change
  • Confidence building

It is generally most effective when integrated into a broader treatment plan by a qualified professional.

3. Relaxation Training

  • Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
  • Autogenic Training
  • Deep breathing exercises
  • Visualization
  • Body scan exercises

These techniques may reduce physiological arousal associated with stress and anxiety: (Consult with a Medical Doctor)

4. Biofeedback and Neurofeedback

  • Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Biofeedback: (Consult with a Medical Doctor)
  • EEG Neurofeedback
  • EMG Biofeedback

These approaches teach individuals to regulate certain physiological responses and may benefit some people with anxiety, ADHD, chronic pain: (Consult with a Medical Doctor), or migraines: (Consult with a Medical Doctor). The strength of evidence varies by condition.

5. Exercise Therapy

Regular physical activity: (Consult with a Medical Doctor)

  • Improve mood
  • Reduce anxiety
  • Decrease stress
  • Improve sleep
  • Increase self-esteem

Examples include: For all Physical Activities Pleas: (Consult with a Medical Doctor)

  • Walking
  • Swimming
  • Cycling
  • Strength training
  • Yoga
  • Tai Chi

6. Yoga

Yoga combines:

  • Physical movement
  • Controlled breathing
  • Relaxation
  • Mindfulness

Research indicates it may improve stress, anxiety, mood, and overall well-being for people.

7. Tai Chi and Qigong

These mind body practices emphasize:

  • Gentle movement
  • Breathing
  • Balance
  • Meditation

They may improve stress management, balance, and emotional well being.

8. Art Therapy

Creative expression through:

  • Drawing
  • Painting
  • Sculpture
  • Collage
  • Mixed media

Art therapy may help individuals process emotions and experiences that may be difficult to express verbally.

9. Music Therapy

Delivered by trained music therapists, it may include:

  • Listening to music
  • Singing
  • Playing instruments
  • Songwriting
  • Guided music experiences

It maybe used to support people with depression, anxiety, trauma, dementia: (Consult with a Medical Doctor), and neurological conditions: (Consult with a Neurologist/Medical Doctor).

10. Dance and Movement Therapy

Uses movement to:

  • Express emotions
  • Improve body awareness
  • Reduce stress
  • Enhance emotional regulation

11. Animal Assisted Therapy

Working with trained therapy animals may:

  • Reduce stress
  • Increase social interaction
  • Improve mood
  • Lower feelings of loneliness

12. Massage Therapy: (Consult with a Medical Doctor)

Massage may help:

  • Reduce muscle tension
  • Lower stress
  • Promote relaxation
  • Improve sleep

While it does Not treat mental disorders directly, it may complement overall stress management combined with Professional Psychotherapy

13. Nutrition Counseling with a Licensed Clinical Dietitian

A balanced diet supports:

  • Mind health
  • Stable energy
  • Mood regulation
  • Overall physical health

Emerging research in nutritional psychiatry: (Consult with a Psychiatrist) suggests diet may influence mental health, though it is only one part of comprehensive care.

14. Sleep Hygiene Education

Focuses on:

  • Consistent sleep schedule
  • Healthy bedtime routine
  • Limiting caffeine and alcohol
  • Reducing evening screen exposure
  • Optimizing the sleep environment

Improving sleep may have a significant positive impact on mental health.

15. Peer Support

Peer specialists with lived experience provide:

  • Encouragement
  • Recovery support
  • Practical coping strategies
  • Hope and connection

Peer support complements, rather than replaces, professional treatment.

Potential Benefits

Complementary mental health services may:

  • Reduce stress
  • Improve emotional resilience
  • Enhance coping skills
  • Improve sleep
  • Increase relaxation
  • Support trauma recovery
  • Improve quality of life
  • Promote overall wellness

Important Considerations

  • These approaches are intended to complement, not replace, evidence based treatments such as psychotherapy and, when appropriate, medication: (Consult with a Medical Doctor)
  • Effectiveness varies depending on the individual, the condition being treated, and the quality of the intervention.
  • Some complementary therapies have a stronger evidence base than others. Practices such as mindfulness, exercise, yoga, relaxation training, and certain forms of biofeedback are supported by a substantial body of research for specific conditions, while others require more study.

A comprehensive mental health plan may combine conventional treatments with carefully selected complementary services based on the individual’s goals, preferences, and clinical needs.

Shervan K Shahhian

Podcast Episode: Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM), also known as Metta Meditation:

Pip: Liberty Psychological Association covers territory that most of us quietly need a map for — the inner kind.

Mara: Today we're looking at a contemplative practice with deep roots and measurable effects, courtesy of Shervan K Shahhian at Liberty Psychological Association, The Most Comprehensive Online Library Regarding Mental Health, Psychology and Parapsychology in the World. Let's start with Loving-Kindness Meditation — what it is, how it works, and why the research behind it is worth taking seriously.

Loving-Kindness Meditation: Training the Heart and Mind

Pip: The premise here is straightforward but easy to underestimate — that you can deliberately practice goodwill the way you practice anything else, and that doing so actually changes something.

Mara: The post frames it clearly from the start: "Loving-Kindness Meditation is a contemplative practice that involves intentionally cultivating feelings of goodwill, compassion, warmth, and kindness toward yourself and others."

Pip: Intentionally cultivating. That word choice matters — this isn't passive mood management. It's structured repetition with a direction.

Mara: The structure is quite specific. You begin with phrases directed at yourself — "May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I be safe. May I live with ease." — then extend those same wishes outward, moving from a loved one to a friend, a neutral person, a difficult person, and eventually all beings.

Pip: The difficult person step is the one that earns its keep. Anyone can wish a friend well on a Tuesday.

Mara: The post is careful to define what loving-kindness is not — it doesn't mean approving harmful behavior, ignoring personal boundaries, or forcing yourself to like everyone. The phrase used is "recognizing the shared humanity of all people while maintaining healthy boundaries."

Pip: Which is a useful clarification, because the practice could easily be misread as emotional bypass.

Mara: From a psychological standpoint, the post explains that repeated practice may strengthen neural pathways associated with empathy, emotional regulation, and social connection. Research suggests it can increase positive emotions, reduce self-criticism, lower stress and anger, and support overall psychological well-being.

Pip: So the upshot is: this is less about feeling warmly toward the universe and more about retraining a threat-detection system that runs a little hot by default.

Mara: That's exactly how the post frames the mechanism — counteracting the mind's tendency toward threat detection and negative mental commentary. Modern therapies including mindfulness-based interventions and compassion-focused approaches already incorporate it for exactly that reason.

Pip: Goodwill as a trainable skill — that reframe does some work.

Mara: It does. The inner architecture turns out to be more malleable than most of us assume. More on that next time.

Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM), also known as Metta Meditation:

Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM), also known as Metta Meditation, is a contemplative practice that involves intentionally cultivating feelings of goodwill, compassion, warmth, and kindness toward yourself and others.

The word “Metta” comes from the ancient Pali language and means loving-kindness, benevolence, or unconditional friendliness.

How It Works

During Loving-Kindness Meditation, you silently repeat phrases such as:

  • May I be happy.
  • May I be healthy.
  • May I be safe.
  • May I live with ease.

You then gradually extend these wishes to others:

  1. Yourself
  2. A loved one
  3. A friend
  4. A neutral person
  5. A difficult person
  6. All beings everywhere

Example Practice

Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and repeat slowly:

May I be safe.

May I be healthy.

May I be peaceful.

May I be happy.

After a few minutes, bring someone you care about to mind:

May you be safe.

May you be healthy.

May you be peaceful.

May you be happy.

Continue extending these wishes outward.

Benefits

Research suggests Loving-Kindness Meditation may help:

  • Increase positive emotions
  • Enhance empathy and compassion
  • Reduce self-criticism
  • Improve social connection
  • Lower stress and anger
  • Increase emotional resilience
  • Support overall psychological well-being

What Loving-Kindness Is Not

Loving-kindness does not mean:

  • Approving harmful behavior
  • Ignoring personal boundaries
  • Suppressing anger or hurt
  • Forcing yourself to like everyone

Instead, it involves recognizing the shared humanity of all people while maintaining healthy boundaries.

A Psychological Perspective

From a psychological standpoint, Loving-Kindness Meditation can help counteract the mind’s tendency toward threat detection, self-criticism, and negative mental commentary. By repeatedly practicing goodwill and compassion, individuals may gradually strengthen neural pathways associated with empathy, emotional regulation, and social connection.

Some modern therapies, including mindfulness-based interventions and compassion-focused approaches, incorporate elements of Loving-Kindness Meditation as a way to promote emotional well-being and resilience.

In simple terms, Loving-Kindness Meditation is the practice of training the heart and mind to relate to oneself and others with greater kindness, compassion, and goodwill.

Shervan K Shahhian

In Psychology, Mental Commentary refers to an ongoing internal stream of thoughts, interpretations, judgments,…

In psychology, mental commentary refers to an ongoing internal stream of thoughts, interpretations, judgments, or self-talk about what is happening around you or inside your mind. It is part of normal human cognition and self-awareness.

Examples may include:

  • “I probably sounded awkward.”
  • “That person seems upset.”
  • “I need to remember this later.”
  • “Why did I do that?”
  • “This situation feels dangerous.”

Mental commentary may be:

Neutral

Simple observation or reflection:

  • “I’m tired.”
  • “Traffic is heavy today.”

Positive

Supportive or encouraging self-talk:

  • “I handled that well.”
  • “I can figure this out.”

Negative

Critical, fearful, or pessimistic thinking:

  • “I always fail.”
  • “Everyone is judging me.”

Automatic

Many thoughts arise quickly and automatically without conscious intention. In cognitive psychology, these are often called automatic thoughts.

Mental Commentary vs. Reality

A key concept in therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment

Therapy is that:

Thoughts are interpretations, not necessarily facts.

Mental commentary can sometimes become distorted through cognitive biases such as:

  • catastrophizing
  • mind reading
  • overgeneralization
  • black and white thinking

Healthy vs. Unhealthy Mental Commentary

Healthy

  • Reflective
  • Flexible
  • Reality-based
  • Self-correcting
  • Helps problem solving

Unhealthy

  • Constant self-criticism
  • Rumination
  • Obsessive replaying
  • Fear based prediction
  • Harsh internal attacks

Excessive negative commentary may be associated with anxiety, depression, trauma-related conditions, and obsessive thinking patterns.

Mental Commentary and Psychosis

Most people experience internal self-talk. However, mental commentary becomes clinically important when a person:

  • cannot distinguish thoughts from external reality,
  • experiences voices as externally generated,
  • or develops highly fixed delusional interpretations.

“Running commentary” may describe a type of auditory hallucination where voices narrate a person’s actions continuously. This may occur in conditions like Schizophrenia, though hallucinations may also appear in other medical: Consult With a Medical Doctor, or psychological conditions.

Reducing Distressing Mental Commentary

Helpful approaches may include:

  • mindfulness
  • cognitive restructuring
  • thought labeling
  • grounding techniques
  • journaling
  • therapy
  • sleep regulation and stress reduction

For example:

  • Instead of “I’m doomed,” noticing: “I’m having an anxious thought.”

That creates psychological distance between the thinker and the thought.

Shervan K Shahhian

Managing Stress Effectively is not about eliminating all stress:

Managing stress effectively is not about eliminating all stress. It is about responding to challenges in ways that protect your physical and psychological well being.

1. Identify the Source of Stress

Ask yourself:

  • What is causing the stress?
  • Is it a current problem, a future worry, or something I cannot control?
  • What aspects can I influence?

Sometimes simply naming the stressor reduces its intensity.

2. Regulate Your Body

Stress may affect the nervous system: (please, consult with a Psychiatrist), so physical regulation is important:

  • Get adequate sleep.
  • Exercise regularly, even a daily walk: Please, Consult with a Medical Doctor).
  • Eat balanced meals.
  • Limit excessive caffeine, alcohol, and other substances.
  • Practice slow breathing exercises.

When the body calms, the mind might follow.

3. Challenge Unhelpful Thinking

Stress may increase:

  • Catastrophic thinking (“Everything will go wrong.”)
  • Negative fortune telling (“I know this will end badly.”)
  • All or nothing thinking (“If it’s not perfect, it’s a failure.”)

Ask:

  • What evidence supports this thought?
  • What evidence contradicts it?
  • What would I tell a friend in the same situation?

4. Focus on What You Can Control

A useful strategy is to separate:

  • Things you can control (actions, decisions, effort)
  • Things you cannot control (other people’s choices, the past, uncertainty)

Direct your energy toward the first category.

5. Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness involves paying attention to the present moment without judgment.

Simple exercise:

  1. Notice 5 things you can see.
  2. Notice 4 things you can feel.
  3. Notice 3 things you can hear.
  4. Notice 2 things you can smell.
  5. Notice 1 thing you can taste.

This may interrupt stress spirals and bring attention back to the present.

6. Maintain Social Connections

Talking with trusted friends, family members, support groups, or professionals may:

  • Reduce feelings of isolation.
  • Provide perspective.
  • Increase emotional resilience.

Social support may be one of the strongest buffers against stress.

7. Create Recovery Time

Schedule activities that help you recharge:

  • Listening to music
  • Spending time in nature
  • Reading
  • Hobbies
  • Prayer or meditation
  • Creative activities

Recovery is not a luxury; it is part of stress management.

8. Develop Realistic Hope

Stress may reduce when you combine:

  • Clear eyed awareness of challenges
  • Confidence in your ability to cope

This is sometimes called realistic hope, acknowledging difficulties while recognizing your strengths and available resources.

9. Know When to Seek Professional Help

Consider professional support if stress:

  • Persists for weeks or months.
  • Interferes with work or relationships.
  • Causes significant anxiety or depression.
  • Leads to substance misuse or unhealthy coping behaviors.

A mental health professional may provide individualized strategies and support.

A Simple Formula

Notice…Pause…Breathe…Evaluate…Act

Instead of reacting automatically to stress, create a brief space between the stressor and your response. That small pause often leads to better decisions and greater emotional balance.

Shervan K Shahhian