By now you have probably heard about mindfulness. People hype it up a lot. Especially when it comes to the potential benefits that it can provide.
But what is it? Are the claims able to be substantiated? And if they are how can we go about being more mindful in our day-to-day lives? Keep reading to find out.
What is mindfulness?
The dictionary defines mindfulness as “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique”.
Okay, now that we have a formal definition, we can move on to ways of practicing it.
Mindful breathing
A great way to practice mindfulness is to close your eyes and breath. Breathe in and out with a brief intermission between breaths.
Don’t focus on anything except the moment. Just relax and pay attention to the sound of your breathing. Try your hardest to remain centered.
The goal of mindfulness is to pay attention to what is, not what has been or will be.
If you have intrusive thoughts, don’t worry. These thoughts do not mean that you are doing anything wrong. They are somewhat inevitable.
Even trained meditators have faced intrusive thoughts from time to time.
What’s important is how we handle them. In order to manage our intrusive thoughts properly, we must be MINDFUL of them.
This means we must accept the thoughts that creep their way into our minds. Yes, they are a distraction. But we shouldn’t judge ourselves for them.
Practice makes perfect. Before too long you will be able to focus for longer durations of time without your mind wandering off.
Before we go any further it is important that we take note of something. Mindfulness can be practiced during pretty much any activity you can think of.
Although meditation is one of the most popular ways to practice mindfulness, there are still many other alternatives if that does not suit you. In fact, you can practice mindfulness in your daily life while doing things you would already be doing anyway.
Here are a few examples.
Mindful eating
You can eat mindfully by focusing only on the food that you are consuming. Once you begin eating you should take note of a few things.
How does eating this food make you feel?. What does the food taste like? How about the smell? Try to make use of as many of your senses as possible.
Mindful eating can have a lot of benefits on your eating habits too. Such as:
- Feeling fuller from less food
- Better digestion of food
- Promotes healthier eating
Mindful Eating – HelpGuide.org
Mindful walking
You can even be mindful when you walk. This can be done relatively easily. Just focus on your movement and your bodily sensations.
Take note of each step that you take. Pay close attention to your breathing. Examine how the walking made you feel.
If you were feeling low before, do you feel any better now? Do you feel any calmer?
What Is Mindful Walking? | Change to Chill
Mindful listening
Mindful listening is another great mindfulness activity. To do this, simply listen intently to the people you are conversing with.
Don’t introject, just let them speak and say what they need to say.
A lot of the time we don’t really retain the information that we hear. We may be listening, but we aren’t really paying attention.
Next time you are in a conversation with someone, practice mindful listening. It can really help improve your empathy.
What Is Mindful Listening? PLUS Seven Activities for Successful Listening! (developgoodhabits.com)
Meditation
Of course, you can also achieve mindfulness through the act of meditation.
Because it may be a bit difficult for novices, It is ideal that beginners only meditate for somewhere between 5 to 10 minutes starting out.
Benefits of mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness can help improve our lives in many different ways. Here is a list of some of the most substantial.
- Reduces anxiety
- Reduces depression
- Reduces substance abuse risks
- Helps us build empathy
- Helps with the immune system
- Reduces risk of occupational burnout
- Reduces pain perception
23 Amazing Health Benefits of Mindfulness for Body and Brain (positivepsychology.com)
Potential negative side-effects
Although many people reap benefits from practicing mindfulness, that is not the case for everyone. Some people have had severely negative experiences from it, so it is vital to be aware of any potential risks before you commit to something.
Potential negative side effects of mindfulness include:
- Anxiety
- Increased risk of seizure
- Loss of appetite
- Psychosis
The Little-Known Downsides of Mindfulness Practice | Psychology Today
Conclusion
As you can see, integrating mindfulness into our lives can be a brilliant idea. Whether it be through the act of meditation or a simple walk down the street, we can gain profound benefits from it if we are open to it.
No, it may not be for everyone. But it’s abundantly clear it has some merit to it.