You see the word mindfulness used everywhere these days, but do you know what it means?
It might be helpful to think about what it doesn’t mean for a moment.
Mindfulness is not:
- Sitting on a meditation cushion for hours
- Being perfect
- Having all the answers
It doesn’t have to be hard. Living a mindful life shouldn’t feel burdensome, or like yet another task added to your list.
Simply put, mindfulness is paying attention to what’s happening in the present, to what you’re doing, to your environment. Think of it as the opposite of multitasking. You don’t have to schedule mindfulness, or study it in a group. In fact you can practice mindfulness right now, as you read this article.
Mindfulness is a process that keeps you focused. It sounds easy, but it’s human for our monkey minds to get distracted. Instead of focusing on the present, the monkey mind leaps about, brooding over events from the past, or worrying about the future. A mindful approach treats the monkey brain kindly, and gently brings the attention back to the present.
Mindfulness won’t just happen with a snap of your fingers, but it doesn’t necessarily take long to change your state of mind. The book, 10 Minute Mindfulness, will help you tap into the power of mindfulness in as little as ten minutes. Read my review HERE.
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Mindfulness is not a fashionable social media slogan. Studies have shown that incorporating mindfulness into your life has tangible benefits:
- Decreased stress and improved capacity to cope with adversity
- Lowered anxiety and depression
- Increased clarity, attention, and brain function
- Increased immune system functioning
- Lowered blood pressure and heart rate
- Improved general well-being
Mindfulness can also improve relationships as you become less reactive to situations and more resilient.
You can start to incorporate mindfulness into your life right now. It requires no equipment, studying, or unique ability. You don’t have to change or get fit. You already have everything you need to be present. You only need gentle encouragement to keep bringing your attention back to what is happening right now.
Start Your Mindfulness Practice
To start your mindfulness practice set aside a little time to explore what mindfulness means for you.
- Find a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed. Leave your smartphone and computer in another room.
- Sit comfortably and start to observe the current moment.
- Let thoughts, anxieties, and judgments pass by, like a cloud floating by you.
- Where is your mind now?
- Return your attention to the present.
- Be kind to yourself and don’t worry if your mind wanders. Gently bring it back.
Use this gentle practice to build space into your life, to slow down your reactions, to break down conditioned responses. Mindfulness will allow you to be more thoughtful in dealing with what is right in front of you, right now.
