What is Mindfulness and How Can it Help My Mental Health?
“The energies of mindfulness, concentration and insight can liberate us from our anxiety and worries. We let go of the past and the future, and come in touch with the wonders of the present.” –Thich Nhat Hanh
You’ve probably heard the term tossed around quite a bit. Mindfulness is everywhere from social media to your doctor’s office to the workplace or school. Many people think it’s just meditation…which leads many to doubt whether it could be useful to them. The thought of meditating often brings up lots of self-doubt, and maybe, “it’s not for me.”
Jon Kabat-Zin, who invented Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction back in 1979, defines mindfulness as:
“Awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally.”
This translates to training the mind to focus on what is right in front of us–physical sensations, sensory input, social connections. It is practice done in meditation, but also it’s a way of being in our daily life. Just about everything can be done mindfully: Walking, eating, petting your dog, hanging out with your loved ones.
One of the key mindful attitudes, according to Kabot-Zinn, is Non-Judging. He points out that as human beings, we are constantly judging. We have ideas and opinions about everything. We see things in terms of good or bad, like or dislike, want or don’t want. The practice of suspending that judgment and just noticing and paying attention allows us the freedom to be present to what is actually happening. It teaches us to accept current circumstances, whether comfortable or uncomfortable, with greater ease. It allows us to use wisdom and discernment, rather than reactivity based on our judgments, to decide how to think, feel, and behave.
Mindfulness has been around long enough to be the subject of tons of research. Studies have shown that a regular practice increases focus, broadens attention, eases depression, helps with chronic pain. Mindfulness has been shown to improve outcomes for people with chronic illness, addiction, and trauma.
Why practice mindfulness?
For one thing, it’s hard to live in the world today. We’ve got information being thrown at us all the time. Our phones are competing with everything else for our attention. The news is overwhelming. People multitask more than ever, and it can get plain exhausting. Our mental processes can be drawn into the past, focusing on regrets, anger and sadness. Or our worries draw us into the future.
Renowned mindfulness teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, put it like this:
“If while washing dishes, we think only of the cup of tea that awaits us, thus hurrying to get the dishes out of the way as if they were a nuisance, then we are not “washing the dishes to wash the dishes. What's more, we are not alive during the time we are washing the dishes. In fact we are completely incapable of realizing the miracle of life while standing at the sink. If we can't wash the dishes, the chances are we won't be able to drink our tea either. While drinking the cup of tea, we will only be thinking of other things, barely aware of the cup in our hands. Thus we are sucked away into the future -and we are incapable of actually living one minute of life.”
How to practice mindfulness?
Yes, sitting in meditation for a few minutes each day is an important way to begin the process. A simple body scan, noticing sensation in the body starting with the feet and moving up to the head, is a good way to start. Paying mindful attention to the breath for 5 minutes or so is another great way to learn this way of paying attention. Doing this first thing in the morning helps set the tone for the day. Sitting mindfully at lunch or as a transition from work or school to homelife is helpful too. And, practicing before bed can put your mind at ease for a restful sleep.
Almost certainly your mind will be busy when you sit to focus. This is an expected and perfectly normal human experience. The task is to notice that this is happening, and bring your focus back to what you intend to do. Resist the urge to say I am not good at this! Being patient with yourself and remembering the attitude of non-judgment is key.
Applying mindful awareness as we move throughout the day is the icing on the cake. Relationships improve when we give our loved ones our full, present attention, rather than worrying about the past or the future. Everyday tasks become an opportunity to practice rather than something we do blindly while we wish we were anywhere else. Use all of your senses to observe with curiosity and openness, and see what happens.
You can learn more about mindfulness by booking an appointment with a therapist or psychiatric nurse practitioner at Modyfi. Get started today on your path to better mental health and wellness.
