Have you ever driven somewhere and realised when you arrived
that you couldn’t remember anything about the journey?
Or have you stayed up much later than you planned, or even
all night, watching “just one more” episode of a series?
All these are examples of mindfulness. When we live this way,
we are not fully aware and not fully living our lives.
This is something that has been around for years, but nowadays, it is much more popular and more known. It’s a brilliant way to cope with
everyday life, whether you live a crazy hectic life, or you have a more relaxed
life, this practice helps everybody out.
And there are many ways to do it, so there is a way for
everyone. Obviously, this doesn’t mean that you must do it, but it’s worth a
read or certainly a try!
In this article, I’m going to explain a little bit about what it is.
What the term mindfulness means
It’s a psychological process. It’s about bringing a person’s
attention to the experiences it is having in the current moment without judging.
This is developed with the practice of mediation and some
other forms of training.
When we develop mindfulness, we become more conscious of our
thoughts, our actions and what is happening around us.
Things like, we might notice a beautiful sunset, or really
listening to what a friend is saying to us, instead of planning what we are
going to say next.
We also become more aware of our thoughts and feelings. We are
not trying to control or stop them… we are just simply noticing them.
Buddhist term for mindfulness: Translated into English, it originates from the Pali term sati and in its Sanskrit counterpart smrti. It translates as “Bare attention”.
Clinical psychology and psychiatry
These two terms have been working with mindfulness since the
1970s and have developed several therapeutic applications for people with a
a variety of psychological conditions.
What and who is mindfulness good for?
This practice has been employed to reduce stress, anxiety,
depression and drug addictions.
It also has additional outcomes, like weight management,
helping children with special needs, healthy ageing and even athletic
performance.
Mindfulness may also be a preventive strategy to stop the
development of mental health issues in later time.
Research also shows that this practice may slightly
influence the immune system, such as inflammation.
Why mindfulness has become so popular now
Nowadays, people seem to be living busier lives, there
seems to be more and more things happening around us, more anxiety about what’s
to come, the stresses of everyday life just sometimes are a bit too much for
some people to cope with, and sometimes everyone just needs a little help, a
little calm time, time to focus on themselves, and realise there is more to
life than we think.
Life isn’t about thinking about what is going to happen
next, it’s about living in the moment and enjoying every moment as much as you
can.
Mindfulness helps you do this.
The benefits of mindfulness
Research shows that it lowers stress and depression.
It also can help you concentrate, have a better memory and
to think more clearly.
It can also help people manage pain better and get a better
night sleep.
What does mindfulness involve?
It means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our
thoughts, our feelings, our body sensations, and our surrounding environment.
It also involves acceptance, meaning we pay attention to our
thoughts and feelings without judging them.
Ways to practice mindfulness
There are many ways to practice this, you can choose the one
that works better for you.
YouTube. There are many YouTube videos on this, all
different types. There are ones to help with breathing, to sleep better, for
anxiety… Just have a look to see which one works best for you!
All these lead to mindfulness.
You can also buy books on this practice, if you’re someone
who likes to read.
Yoga and meditation are also brilliant ways to achieve mindfulness.
And so many more ways...
Just sit back and relax
Just sit back, relax and take your time to focus on YOU! Focus on your breathing, your surroundings, the beat of blood within you, the temperature of the air, the colours of the room you're in. If other thoughts enter your mind, imagine them blowing away with the wind... In this moment, you are focusing on yourself, everything else can wait until after.
You’ll be surprised
how much this simple practice can make your days so much easier.
