Has someone ever asked you, “Why aren’t you mindful?” Or have you ever made a comment that made a friend look at you with a goofy face, as if to say, “What did you just say?” and then respond with, “Really, why aren’t you mindful?” It’s like when someone has just lost their phone and is sad and crying, and you come around with a comment like, “Why did you just leave it out there?” Instead of trying to sympathize with them and understand what they’re going through, you miss the chance to be mindful. This is where mindfulness comes in. Ask yourself, “Am I mindful?”
The Mayo Clinic defines mindfulness as a type of meditation where you focus on being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other techniques to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress.
Other sources define mindfulness as the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. No matter how far we drift away, mindfulness can bring us back to our present moment and feelings. To truly understand mindfulness, it’s best to practice it for a while. Since it’s challenging to define in words, you’ll find slight variations in its meaning across books, websites, audio, and video.
Mindfulness is not something you have to conjure up; it’s a quality every human being already possesses. You just have to learn how to access it. Researchers have identified different mindfulness practices. While mindfulness is innate, it can be cultivated through proven techniques. For example, seated, walking, standing, and moving meditations, as well as short pauses in everyday life and merging meditation practice with other activities like yoga or sports.
People practice mindfulness because of its numerous benefits, such as reducing stress, enhancing performance, gaining insight and awareness by observing our own mind, and increasing our attention to others’ well-being. Mindfulness meditation provides a time to suspend judgment and explore our natural curiosity about the workings of the mind, approaching our experiences with warmth and kindness to ourselves and others.
Mindfulness is not obscure or exotic. It’s familiar because it’s what we already do and how we already are. It takes many shapes and goes by many names. Mindfulness is not a special added thing we do. We already can be present, and it doesn’t require us to change who we are. We can cultivate these innate qualities with simple practices that benefit ourselves and those around us. You don’t need to change. Solutions that ask us to change who we are or become something we’re not have failed us repeatedly. Mindfulness recognizes and cultivates the best of who we are.
Mindfulness has the potential to become a transformative social phenomenon because anyone can do it. Mindfulness practice cultivates universal human qualities and does not require changing beliefs. Everyone can benefit, and it’s easy to learn. It’s a way of living. Mindfulness brings awareness and caring into everything we do, reducing needless stress. Even a little practice makes our lives better.
Research shows that mindfulness has many positive benefits for our health, happiness, work, and relationships. It sparks innovation. As we deal with increasing complexity and uncertainty, mindfulness can lead us to effective, resilient, low-cost solutions to seemingly intractable problems.
When thinking about mindfulness and meditating, we often get hung up on our thoughts. It’s as if our bodies are just inconvenient sacks for our brains to lug around. However, meditation begins and ends in the body. It involves paying attention to where we are and what’s going on, starting with our bodily awareness. This approach can be calming, as our body has internal rhythms that help it relax if we give it a chance.
Mindfulness is recommended as a treatment for some people who experience common mental health problems, such as stress, anxiety, and depression. It’s also for those who simply want to improve their mental health and wellbeing. Depending on what you’re looking for, there are different ways to learn mindfulness, which can help people differently. Anyone can learn and practice mindfulness: children, young people, and adults can all benefit.
Mindfulness can be practiced in person through a group course or one-to-one with a trained mindfulness coach. There are online courses, books, and audio, too, where you can learn through self-directed practice at home. Even though mindfulness is understood to have Buddhist origins, you don’t need to be religious or spiritual to practice mindfulness.
Evidence shows compelling support for Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), which helps people cope with stress, and for Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), designed to help people with recurring depression. They provide flexible skills to manage your mental health and support wellbeing.
Mindfulness might change the way you relate to experiences. It is becoming widely used in various ways and contexts and is recommended by NICE as a preventative practice for people who experience recurrent depression. Many people testify that practicing mindfulness can give more insight into emotions, boost attention and concentration, and improve relationships.
In this section, we describe various one-minute mindfulness practices that you can try anywhere and anytime that suits you. These practices include mindful breathing, body scans, mindful walking, mindful eating, and mindful listening. For example, mindful breathing involves focusing on your breath, feeling each inhalation and exhalation.
A body scan involves paying attention to different parts of your body, noticing any sensations or tensions. Mindful walking means walking slowly and being aware of each step you take. Mindful eating involves stopping to observe your food, giving it your full attention. Notice the texture, feel it, smell it, take a bite, and fully experience the taste and texture in your mouth as you chew. Finally, mindful listening entails giving your full attention to the sounds around you without judgment, truly hearing and experiencing the present moment. These simple, quick practices can help you cultivate mindfulness throughout your day.
Wellness Girl urges you to be mindful of your mental health and well-being. We care about you! Share your thoughts in the comments below.
