Mindfulness is the practice of focusing on one’s awareness in the present and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and body sensations. Here, we look at the connection between mindfulness and mental health for LGBTQ+ individuals.

The History of Mindfulness

Mindfulness dates back thousands of years to early cultures and religions, including Yoga, Buddhism, Jewish, and Hinduism religions. For example, mindfulness was popular in the East from spiritual and religious institutions and in the West from particular people and secular institutions.

Mindfulness became more popular in the West after Jon Kabat-Zinn developed the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in 1979. Today, mindfulness has become widely used in improving cognitive function to reduce depression and anxiety and managing chronic pain.

Mindfulness and Mental Health for LGBTQ Individuals: Why Does It Matter?

LGBTQ+ individuals have unique mental needs that need distinct solutions and approaches. According to statistics from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), about 40% of LGBTQ+ adults have had suicidal thoughts at some point in their lives. In addition, the Trevor Report shows that LGBTQ+ youths are 5 times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers.

Another reason for increased mental health issues among LGBTQ+ individuals is societal stigma and discrimination. Things like rejection in family and societal settings, bullying in schools, and workplace discrimination can fuel feelings of insecurity and mental issues for LGBTQ+ individuals, leading to anxiety, depression, and chronic stress.

Such circumstances highlight the need for self-care and resilience to help LGBTQ+ people navigate these challenges. Practicing mindfulness and coping skills is one of the effective ways to achieve mental wellbeing and growth.

Mindfulness Practices to Try

Mindful Meditation

With this mindfulness technique, find a comfortable place to sit—not in a specific position but in a way you feel comfortable. It would be best to put your feet flat on the floor, place your hands on your lap, and close your eyes. You can also look down at your hands if you aren’t comfortable closing your eyes.

Once you are comfortable, focus on your feet, legs, stomach, and lower back, and move up to the other parts to the top of your head to allow awareness to move into your body. Take deeper breaths through your nose and breathe out through the mouth. During this time, count your breaths or repeat an encouraging phrase if you want to focus on something. You can also sit and watch your thoughts float by you.

Mindful Walking

As the name suggests, mindful walking involves walking while engaging your mind. It is similar to mindful meditation, but you don’t need to close your eyes with mindful walking.

Choose your favorite place to walk and start walking there. While you don’t need to walk in a specific way, we recommend taking a slower pace than your usual walking style. When walking, focus on what is in front of you and avoid looking back or being distracted while taking long, slow breaths. Pay attention to how you walk, concentrating on each footfall. If you are tired or feel discomfort, you can stop walking, sit down, and continue being mindful. For better results, walk in a route you’re familiar with and can use anytime you want to practice mindful walking.

Loving-kindness Meditation

Since LGBTQ+ individuals have experienced minority stress, trauma, and discrimination, practicing self-compassion can be challenging. Practicing curious self-compassion aims to show love and compassion towards oneself and others. This can benefit LGBTQ+ individuals who struggle to accept themselves and interpersonal relationships, helping create a sense of connection and empathy.

Loving-kindness meditation helps identify moments when you are most struggling and ask yourself: “How can you be compassionate to yourself at that moment?” But you don’t necessarily need to answer this question. The goal isn’t to find an answer but to develop the habit of focusing on self-compassion and imagining what they look like. In addition to not providing an answer to “how can I be compassionate to myself.” you can decide not to do anything. If you can, it’s okay, but the goal is to imagine what it would look like if you were compassionate to yourself.

Mindfulness and Mental Health: Benefits for LBGTQ+ Individuals

• Less stress and anxiety: Mindfulness can lower cortisol levels, the body’s main stress hormone, reducing feelings of anxiety and stress.
• Better emotional regulation: Practicing mindfulness increases awareness of one’s emotions, helping LGBTQ+ individuals respond to emotional triggers calmly and rationally instead of impulsively.
• Help build resilience: Mindfulness helps one develop self-acceptance and a non-judgmental attitude towards your thoughts and experiences. This benefits LGBTQ+ individuals as it leads to increased resilience and allows them to cope more effectively with life challenges.
• Better focus and concentration: Mindfulness can improve one’s ability to focus, attention, memory, and other cognitive functions. It helps improve the flexibility of your neurocognitive operations, allowing you to select things to attend to things and stay focused and productive.

Mindfulness and Mental for LBGTQ+ Individuals: Wrapping Up

Mindfulness is an excellent way to cultivate self-compassion, address self-criticism, and achieve self-forgiveness. These techniques offer valuable support for LGBTQ+ mental health, allowing these individuals to attain self-acceptance and build healthy relationships.