“Mindfulness is about being fully awake in our lives. It is about perceiving the exquisite vividness of each moment. We also gain immediate access to our own powerful inner resources for insight, transformation, and healing.” ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn
We need to adopt the practice of mindfulness in every realm of our lives.
Mindfulness is a way of being, of experiencing life, that is alert, awake, and present. It is the quality or trait of being aware of what’s happening, in the present moment, without judging your experience or needing to change it.
Mindfulness is shown to reduce stress and anxiety, improve focus, and provide many other benefits.
“With this self-awareness, you’re able respond appropriately to the present moment instead of simply reacting with emotion fueled by your past experience.”
Moreover, mindfulness bolsters focus and clarity, can help you better navigate relationships with mindful listening and by reducing reactivity, and it can help you achieve your goals. It can make you feel more optimistic and also kinder and more forgiving toward yourself and others.
Mindfulness helps you respond appropriately to the present moment instead of simply reacting with emotion fueled by your past experience.
By witnessing our thoughts and feelings instead of automatically reacting to them, we disengage from our mental narrative and instead lightly hold our attention on the wider, quieter space beyond the thinking mind.
When mindfulness is paired with physical movement, and especially when done outdoors, the benefits are even greater for your mental, emotional and physical health, from measurable improvement in mood and immune function to better cardiovascular and respiratory function.
Studies show that mindfulness can improve confidence, resiliency, and focus among athletes. One study found that mindfulness helped college athletes sleep better, which improves both performance and mental endurance.
Mindfulness rewires the brain
Neural pathways are the superhighways of the brain—the most direct routes from initial thought to desired result. Mindfulness interrupts this process. Being present and witnessing your thoughts and feelings instead of automatically reacting to them, you disengage from our mental narrative and instead lightly hold your attention on the wider, quieter space beyond the thinking mind.
When you repeatedly disrupt the old reactive pathways and make different choices, over time you lay down new neural pathways, effectively rewiring how your brain reacts to certain situations.
These higher cognitive functions can point you toward more healthful ways of handling a situation. Mindfulness is a practice that really reaches into almost every area of our lives.
Here are just a few of the ways that mindfulness can help:
- Boosts serotonin levels and reduces cortisol levels — which can help relieve symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress
- Improves heart health
- Lowers blood pressure
- Reduces chronic pain, muscle tension, and inflammation
- Improves sleep quality and duration
- Alleviates digestive issues
- Improves attention, focus, concentration, and memory
- Increases self-compassion and empathy
The best way to understand mindfulness is to experience it for yourself! Mindfulness supports mental health in all the ways mentioned above—helping you to bring your awareness into the present moment, to take a mental and emotional pause, and to gain perspective on your situation instead of letting your habitual thoughts and reactions run the show.
Most experts recommend a daily mindfulness meditation practice of 10 or more minutes. You can also practice mindfulness for any amount of time, even just a minute here and a minute there will help you develop your innate capacity for mindfulness.
References:
- https://mindfulness.com/mindful-living/mindful-walking
- https://mindfulness.com/mindful-living/benefits
- https://mindfulness.com/mindful-living/mindfulness-a-beginners-guide