Unhelpful Habits 179
that you go through it at least once, but more practice with
it would be even better. This will prime you to be less reac-
tive to threatening information and learn more about
the positive or nonthreatening experiences within your
environment.- Last but not least is the exposure itself. Place yourself in the
feared environment while mindfully attending to what’s
occurring around you. Remember to pay attention to the
here and now; don’t attempt to avoid unwanted emotions
or experiences. We recommend that you embrace them in
an accepting and nonreactive manner. By doing this, you
will be in a much better position to learn and realize that
the situation might not be as dangerous as you initially
perceived.
Exercise 8.3: Cognitive Bias Modification and Mindful-
ness Practice One of the difficulties many people have when
they first practice mindfulness is maintaining sustained concen-
tration. It’s of course very easy to get lost in your thoughts and be
pulled out of the present moment by things that appear threaten-
ing. We will now show you how cognitive bias modification apps
will give you a heads- up when it comes to mindfulness exercises.
- Similar to practice 8.2, it will be important that you use the
cognitive bias modification module at least once, prefera-
bly more times, before you practice your mindfulness exer-
cises. By so doing , you will be able to be less distracted by
threatening stimuli or negative thoughts and more likely to
nonreactively and nonjudgmentally remain in the present
moment, which is the overall purpose of mindfulness. - A fter your practice with the cognitive bias modification
app, try practicing the mindfulness exercises in chapter