By definition, “mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing.” In other words, it is exactly what it sounds like, being mindful simply means the mind is fully present in the action that it’s doing. The practice does wonders for mental health.
In the current age, with so many added distractions and attention grabbers, particularly technology, readily available to almost everyone, people’s attention spans have incredibly decreased. Often we see people, even adults and high-ranking professionals, being in a zoom meeting while scrolling through TikTok on the side all while listening to music. This is the complete opposite of mindfulness as the mind is having to give attention to millions of things all at once, diverting it from the present moment. This is probably why so many people currently have mental health conditions and feel so much stress. Taking some time to practice mindfulness – however little it may be – could potentially change lifestyles and well-beings.
What exactly is mindfulness?
The definition of mindfulness seems simple, and the practice itself is not that difficult either, but fully grasping what the concept exactly is is a bit more nuanced. Truthfully, mindfulness is something most of us would do every day all day if we all didn’t have stress, goals, or any conflicts in life. However, because of the things life and the world throws at us, it is difficult to be mindful and fully present in every moment because there is constantly something else, whether it be from the past or coming in the future, that nags our brain and prevents us from being aware of what we’re exactly doing.
For example, most people today cannot just eat a meal; they have to be doing something else while they’re eating, whether it be talking to people, watching something, walking, working, etc, which prevents them from being mindful. Being mindful in this circumstance would be being completely aware of and immersed in the flavors and textures of the food as well what feelings and/or emotions the food sparks. Often people may say some food just “tastes good” but what more could be added or eliminated from it to make it even better? What specific flavor or taste of that food is making it good? Being mindful whilst eating would allow people to be able to answer these questions and cultivate a more enriched experience overall.
Benefits
Mindfulness is great for stress relief. Being mindful means being completely aware and present in the current moment. Whenever people are stressed, it is because of something that happened in the past or – arguably more often – because of something that will happen in the future. But if you’re mindful and merely present in what you’re doing, those stressful thoughts will just come and go, and your mind will give no attention to them because it is occupied with the present. Or in other words, being mindful allows for those to be simply observed rather than followed.
In addition, mindfulness can strengthen and improve relationships, which can in turn allow people to be happier. Mindful people are able to more actively listen and compassionately respond to people in their lives as their minds are not clouded and controlled by thoughts about other things in their lives. These people are fully present when they are with people they care about, making those people feel heard and loved, building strong relationships that have the potential to foster immense happiness for both people.
Practicing mindfulness
There are multiple ways people can practice mindfulness. Some practices may need specific time allotted at some point in the day, but most of them can be performed at any point throughout the day when you have a moment or are feeling overwhelmed.
Daily Practices
As mentioned earlier, mindful eating is a great practice to easily insert into daily life. Instead of taking your lunch to your desk and continuing to work on an assignment or project or opening up Netflix to continue to watch your show, just sit at a table and take ten minutes to just eat. Be aware of what you’re eating and use your senses to help.
Mindful walking is another great practice. Whether you’re walking to your next class, to your desk, or to your car, don’t immediately try to check your phone or open spotify and pop in your airpods. Observe your surroundings – maybe the cool breeze from the wind or the leaves dropping from trees – and feel your feet on the ground; what textures do you feel?
You can also be mindful in multiple other daily practices of life, including brushing your teeth, doing your makeup, cleaning, and more. Think about things you do throughout the day where your attention diverts in multiple directions, and focus on trying to be mindful in those situations.
Meditation and Yoga
These practices require more time and potentially more effort, but they’re incredibly beneficial for mental health. Essentially, meditation involves sitting in a quiet environment, closing the eyes, and focusing on breathing and techniques. Within this practice itself are multiple specific techniques too, including Chakra meditation, Qigong, Tai Chi, and more. These techniques should be taught by an experienced meditator and can be discovered more through browsing the internet. Yoga is similar to meditation, as it focuses on similar breathing practices to meditation, but it requires physical movement. You can easily participate in this practice by attending local or virtual yoga classes.
In conclusion, mindfulness is incredibly important to foster better mental health and well-being. Taking even just 5 minutes daily to be mindful, or making slight alterations to daily life to allow for mindfulness could go a long way to cultivate healthier lifestyles.
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Sources:
Australia, Healthdirect. “Mindfulness and Mental Health.” Www.healthdirect.gov.au, 1 May 2024, www.healthdirect.gov.au/mindfulness#:~:text=Mindfulness%20helps%20you%20to%20p ut. Accessed 11 June 2024
Mind. “Mindfulness Exercises & Tips.” Www.mind.org.uk, Nov. 2021, www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-and-treatments/mindfulness/mindfulness-e xercises-tips/.
.STAFF, MINDFUL. “What Is Mindfulness?” Mindful, 8 July 2020, www.mindful.org/what-is-mindfulness/.
