Mindfulness is really simple, it’s just paying attention to the present as it happens in a non-judgmental way. We can strengthen our mindfulness skills through a formal practice of meditation by training our attention. For me, mindfulness is about reclaiming authenticity and choice in every moment. It is also powerful because it can interrupt habits of worrying, overthinking, analysing, sabotaging which add more stress to our circumstances.
A sustained practice of mindfulness has been proven to be beneficial for both our mental and physical wellbeing including:
Your body knows how to sleep and repair but it is the mind that keeps it stressed and awake at night. With mindfulness, you can learn to redirect your attention to the body and the present moment, and enjoy deeper sleep.
Inflammation is at the heart of many illnesses. Practicing being in the present moment, paying attention to the reality of the moment instead of being lost in our worries, the worst case scenarios, shame, helps with the rest and digest functions. Studies have showed our genes are protected from the expression of illnesses and aging.
With mindfulness, we learn to accept what is in the present: the good and the difficult. Instead of brushing away what is unpleasant or difficult, we learn to embrace it all as we can’t control outside events. That is key in building resilience as we develop the courage and bravery which becomes our homebase and our inner-resource for when things are challenging.
A regular practice of mindfulness can help us strengthen pathways to more positive moods and find satisfaction and contentment that can hold us in the midst of challenging situations.
We learn to redirect our focus to include what is not painful because when we live with chronic pain, our attention gets narrowed down to that pain in order to fix it. We learn to create more space around the pain by opening our attention to include other sensations that are not just that.
Paying attention to the present as it is happening helps us unhook from stories or very sticky thoughts that prevent us from living and enjoying the moment.
Kindness and acceptance are key in the way we learn to relate to ourselves. We learn to become familiar with the ways we criticise or blame ourselves by habit and we learn to gradually unhook ourselves from that habit. We learn to cultivate kindness and compassion for ourselves to strengthen self-confidence. When we fill our own cup, we have more room for others and that creates deeper and more meaningful relationships with others.
A study at Harvard found that people who practice mindfulness demonstrated more pro-social skills and less anti-social skills. That helps is discern what is good for ourselves and we live better with others.
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