Mindfulness. What Is It?
Living in modern society, we became a part of a giant technocratic apparatus. The effects of such a lifestyle are social isolation, burnout, depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems. One of the root causes of this situation is the lack of awareness of what is happening around us and of our interaction with the world we are moving through.
The help in such a situation offers a technique called mindfulness. It teaches us to redirect our attention to the present moment and to small things around us. Simply described, mindfulness is the discipline of increasing awareness involving slowing down and focusing entirely on the present moment.
We can avoid our mind to zone out, to think of past events that bring up possible negative emotions. These emotions can include sadness, anger and anxiety. By avoiding this distraction, we decrease the stress, resulting in better resistance to life’s challenges. Other positive results of the increased focus on the present moment are improved cognitive functions (sharpness of thinking and memory) and better moods.
Mindfulness can be practiced in different ways. One method is to concentrate on breathing every time we feel ourselves getting distracted. This method can offer a calming focus in every situation, a safe haven to return to.
How to Be Mindful
With the increasing pace that life expects of us these days, it becomes harder and harder to be mindful. According to researchers, an estimated 47% of our lives we spent lost in thinking. This means that we live life without purpose. Mindfulness offers a solution for how to deal with these problems.
After the pandemic, many people have started to reevaluate their habits and behaviour. Many found it difficult to deal with emotions of increased worry and had problems adjusting to a more constrained lifestyle. There is more and more interest in knowing how to reduce stress and experience more enjoyment in each day. This has increased the popularity of mindfulness as a self-care practice.
Four Mindfulness Techniques
Mindfulness can be practiced in multiple ways. For example, to write in a journal, have mindful walks in nature, or meditate. It is worthwhile to experiment with a few different strategies to find the one (or strategies combined) that you like and can apply to help you feel more satisfied.
1. Breathing exercises
An easy way to start with mindfulness is to observe you breathing pattern. You can observe the way you are breathing. Are you breathing deeply and slowly or quickly and shallowly? Try to take five deep breaths from your belly. Observe your inhalation and exhalation to find a rhythm you feel comfortable with. It is one of the best ways to stay in the present because your breath is always there. Returning your focus to your breath is an always available technique to return to the present moment. It supports you in blocking out bad ideas, reducing anxiety, and lifting the mood.
2. Meditation
When learning to meditate, guided meditation can be a useful technique because it gives you direction and structured support. There are lots of places where you may find free guided meditations, like YouTube. A qualified psychologist can customize it to meet your specific needs and anxiety triggers. It may be a useful technique for increasing awareness of the here and now and calming a racing mind. You can develop inner calm by paying attention to your breath and letting thoughts come and go without passing judgment. A sensation of serenity and control achieved by guided meditations is helpful for people suffering from anxiety, depression, insomnia, and other mental health problems. You will discover soon that your general well-being and level of self-awareness increase as you continue to meditate.
3. Use Tools Awareness
You can research mindfulness by visiting blogs and websites such as The Mindfulness Project. They provide workshops and quick courses. Apps for mindfulness, like Calm and Headspace, offer useful methods and tools for everyday living. During your walks or commute, you can also use workbooks like “I am Here Now” and “1 Page at a Time” or well-known podcasts like 10% Happier and Mindfulness Mode. They urge you to examine your thoughts and emotions.
4. Set Your Phone Aside
Modern life would be impossible without smartphones, which give us rapid access to communication, entertainment, and information. But being online all the time has made it’s easier to become distracted. This behaviour keeps us from giving our all to the things in life that really count, including our jobs, relationships, and personal development.
Setting aside time each day to switch off and hide your phone is a useful strategy to buck this trend. Invest this time in yourself. Check in with your emotions by journaling. Take care of yourself by taking a relaxing bath. Engage with your friends and family. Enjoy and experience your surroundings by taking a walk in nature.
There are several advantages to incorporating mindfulness into your everyday routine. These are for instance improved self-awareness, lowered stress levels, and enhanced attention.
Think About Counseling
Although mindfulness is a useful skill, it is not always sufficient to treat anxiety or depression. You can contact a psychologist and participate in psychotherapy or hypnosis if you believe that meditation techniques are insufficient to help you manage your negative emotions.
When used in together, these resources give you the ability to reclaim your mental processes. You can gain a calmer, happier state of mind. Your being will be completely involved in your activities, helping you succeed in your goals without getting stressed.
Mindfulness. Summary
Being mindful does not entail perpetual optimism or a sugar-coated kind of bliss. It involves paying attention to what occurs in the now, including the joyful and the sad, the easy and the difficult. It’s about developing the ability to live fully and in the moment.
Practicing mindfulness does not have to be difficult. Neither does it have to be time-consuming. You must learn a few techniques, paying attention to your body and your thoughts.
Even with mindfulness’ growing popularity, a lot of people still believe it requires clearing one’s thoughts, dozing off, or entering trances. Beginners might experience challenging thoughts or emotions, boredom, or distraction. Therefore, we recommend performing the mindfulness with a teacher in a group setting.