Mindfulness is gaining a lot of popularity in psychology nowadays, especially in the form of mindfulness-based interventions. Originated from Eastern philosophy and spirituality practices, it does not necessarily require following either Hinduism or Buddhism. Thanks to Jon Kabat-Zinn, who introduced mindfulness to the West, it has become secular practice and is based on science, not religion. This article explains the meaning of mindfulness, its types and benefits, and provides some tips on how to practice it. 

Meaning of Mindfulness

Mindfulness involves focusing attention on the present moment. Using various techniques, this practice helps us be aware of the surrounding (“here and now”), our senses, and our feelings. This can be achieved by noticing how thoughts come and go in your mind, paying attention to your bodily sensations and noticing what it is “telling” you, and creating space between you and your thoughts.

Understanding and noticing what is happening in our environment makes it easier to enjoy the world instead of taking everything for granted. By doing so, we also train ourselves to notice early signs of stress or anxiety, and therefore we can deal with such issues before they escalate. Mindfulness helps us become more self-aware, feel calm, feel more able to choose our reactions, cope with difficult thoughts, and be kind to ourselves.

Benefits of Mindfulness

Numerous studies have explored the benefits of mindfulness. Existing empirical evidence shows positive effects of mindfulness on reduced rumination and stress, improved working memory and focus, decreased emotional reactivity, increased cognitive flexibility, and more. Other studies also show associations between mindfulness and self-insight, morality, intuition, and fear modulation. Health benefits of mindfulness include increased immune functioning, improvement in well-being, and reduced psychological distress.

There might be a neuroscientific explanation for the positive effects of mindfulness on well-being. Research has demonstrated that mindfulness is associated with prefrontal cortical activation, which is thought to regulate affect.

As of today, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) are the most prominent mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs). They provide training aimed at developing skills to approach stressful situations mindfully instead of having an automatic reaction. Both of these interventions involve teaching mindfulness skills over the course of eight weeks, including mindfulness of breath, thoughts, bodily sensations, sounds, and everyday activities and are shown to be effective against anxiety, depression, stress, chronic pain, and quality of life.

Types of Mindfulness Practices

There are many ways to practice mindfulness. Some examples are meditation, breathing, visualisation, body scan, mindful movement, journaling, and many more.

Mindful meditation.

This practice involves focusing on your breathing, thoughts, and bodily sensations while sitting quietly.

Mindful breathing

Mindful breathing include breathing exercises, which help focus on your breath and reduce the body’s stress response.

Body scan

This means focusing on different parts of the body to gain awareness of sensory experience and physical existence. You can start with your head and slowly move towards the toes, paying attention to every sensation in each part of the body.

Journaling

This allows us to free-associate and then observe our thoughts in written form.

Mindful movement

This practice could involve walking meditations, physical practices including yoga, and focusing on bodily sensations during the movement, as well as the interaction with the environment, for example, noticing how our body touches the surface as you move.

Mindful eating

It means paying attention to the food that we eat, its texture, smell, and taste. While drinking coffee or tea, you could focus on the temperature, the feeling of the liquid touching the tongue, or the aroma.

To maximise the benefits of mindfulness practices, it is important to pay attention to your body and the environment, notice your thoughts and be accepting of them, understand that your thoughts do not necessarily define you and you can redirect them by bringing attention to the present moment. Most importantly, you should be kind, not critical of yourself. “Mindfulness is a non-elaborative, nonjudgmental, present centred awareness.”

Helpful Tips for Practicing Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a skill that can be developed and improved. It needs time, practice, and dedication. Therefore, it can be useful to create a habit by setting aside some time for mindfulness regularly. It is also possible to, instead of starting a new mindfulness practice, pick a daily activity and do it mindfully, and this activity can be housework or eating.

Feeling safe and comfortable is also central to mindfulness. Ideally, choose a space with minimal distractions. For example, taking a walk in a park away from urban noise can be a good start. Additionally, doing one task at a time can be very helpful for staying mindful instead of multi-tasking. Finally, there are plenty of resources online in various forms, such as apps, websites, courses, etc. Some of the most popular apps are Headspace and Calm, whereas Oxford Mindfulness Centre provides free online practice sessions and podcasts