Gaslighting is a subject that has come to light in recent years. But if you’ve never heard of it, you won’t recognize what it looks like and the effects it leaves on its prey.

This article recognizes gaslighting as emotional abuse. Its intent is to derail your moral compass to believe what another person intends you to believe. Those who are proficient gaslighters are good at singling out a victim for their own sinister purposes.

Mindfulness helps rescue victims of gaslighting. A big component of being mindful is self-awareness. My last article, 7 Ways to Build Self-Awareness, presents ways you can practice becoming self-aware. This helps you become less accessible to gaslighters.

There is a plethora of good articles and videos on gaslighting and how to recognize it. How to Spot — And Heal From — Gaslighting explains it particularly well.  Unfortunately, gaslighting can be tough to recognize, especially if it’s happening to you or someone you know. Unresolved trauma can leave you vulnerable and easy to take advantage of.

Like sexual predators, people who practice gaslighting can spot an emotionally unhealthy person across a room. They know how to interpret body language and facial expressions of someone that craves affirmation, attention, and affection and use it to their advantage.

Here are ways you can practice mindfulness to recognize the signs that someone may be manipulating you:

• Journal your feelings and look for deeper ways to express them using an adjective list
• Explore what you want and don’t want in your life and seize the day
• Love yourself well, you are worth it
• Set healthy boundaries for yourself and your relationships
• Make note of your activities and conversations
• Learn to trust and affirm yourself and your competence and find others that will join you in it
• Listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit that will reveal truth in your relationships
• Talk to someone you trust about the situation
• Be strong and courageous to step out of unhealthy relationships that bring confusion, disconnection, and pain.

What Does the Bible Say About Emotional Abuse gives examples of biblical characters that incurred emotional abuse. God’s love combats it to support and bring healing to live free and whole. So, you can be vigilant to stand against the schemes of evildoers that would seek to devourer you and your loved ones. Practicing mindfulness and learning how to be self-aware will encourage you to do just that. Now, that’s good news!!

Read my latest blog, An Awakening, on how I’ve overcome emotional abuse and now seeking the desires of my heart.

What ways do you need to practice being more mindful? Do you recognize signs of gaslighting in your relationships or your loved ones? What steps do you need to take to become more self-aware? I’m praying for you.