How Practicing Mindfulness Can Help?

Mindfulness has become a very popular topic in the past several years. We all hear it is good for us and something we should learn to practice. But what exactly is mindfulness? According to Mindful - healthy mind, healthy life, “Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we are doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.”

As human’s we far too often get carried away by our thoughts, loose connection to our bodies and can become concerned with something that has happened in the past or worried about something that is happening in the future. We lose connection with the present moment and we are not mindful of our surroundings. If we can stay engaged in the present moment and tune into what is going on around us in the here and now while being fully in our own bodies, we can decrease those worries about the past and future. Which in turn can be an effective tool to help us decrease our feelings of depression and anxiety.

The American Psychological Association recognizes the following empirically supported benefits of mindfulness; reduced rumination, reduced stress, decreased emotional reactivity, boost in working memory, increased focus, increased cognitive flexibility, and improved relationship satisfaction. The Positive Psychology Program lists the following benefits as well; increased immune function, lowered heart rate, increased awareness, lowered anxiety and depression, and increase in clarity and calmness.

Practicing mindfulness can be quite simple, the most challenging part is to let go of self-judgement and know there is no wrong way to practice mindfulness. Some of the most basic ways to practice mindfulness are to engage your five senses. Notice what you see around you in your environment, take in the smells around you or seek out something that has a pleasant scent, notice what you hear in your environment or play soothing sounds, notice the texture and temperature of an object near you, and notice fully the foods that you are eating or the things that make you salivate. Taking pause and focusing on your breathing is another basic and effective way to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness may include finding a quit room to sit down in and meditate, and it can also be done in the routine of your everyday life. Find what works for you and find a time every day to slow down, breath and be mindful!

Read more at Why Mindfulness - The Psychological Associates