Why Mindfulness is Vital to Your Health?
Takeaway: Being mindful of your body, mind, and spirit can improve your health in many ways, not the least of which is your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
What if there was a self-care approach that requires no equipment, prescription pills, special clothes, or even getting out of your house? Yes, I'm talking about mindfulness!
If you think that "mindfulness" is just another trendy fad, you'd be quite wrong!
You may have seen commercials or read articles that promote and push the benefits of mindfulness. Or if you've ever been in a meditation retreat, maybe you have heard this term, the phrase "being mindful", tossed around many times before.
Well, it is time to take action, because only by becoming mindful can you start to boost your overall health, increase your productivity, and improve your relationships with others.
Mindfulness is one of the most important skills we should develop in today's fast-paced technological world. But what is mindfulness, why is it important and how can we use it to improve our health? The purpose of this article is to address these questions.
So What is Mindfulness, Anyway?
Mindfulness is a primary ingredient in a recipe that results in you feeling well. It is the art of being aware of the present moment! Or, to put it another way: full attention to your current experience in the now.
Sounds simple and straight-forward enough, right?
Mindfulness can be a difficult thing to define, partly because no two people seem to define it in quite the same way. But there is one commonality among various mindfulness techniques: A mindful approach involves being aware of the present moment and accepting it without judgment.
"I suck," or "I hate my body," are all examples of negative self-talk. Does this sound familiar? If so, you might be as surprised as I was to learn that most people have negative thoughts pop into their heads daily. When people think negatively they’re more susceptible to anxiety, moodiness, and depression.
As mindfulness lets you focus your attention on experiences occurring in the present moment, there’d be no time for ruminating on past negative thoughts and emotions. Instead, you’d have the opportunity to deal with negative experiences as they happen. If, for example, you catch yourself feeling embarrassed (or what have you of negative feelings and thoughts), take a breath and “embrace it”. Yes, don’t try to ignore it or suppress it. Accept it, don’t judge it! Acknowledging and accepting negativity as soon as it arises will save a lot of energy down the road. You can channel this new-found energy into understanding where this negativity comes from and how to deal with it proactively and take preemptive measures.
Remember that every practice needs, well, some practicing! With time, thanks to this mindful awareness, you’ll gain increasing control over your inner voice and learn how to handle stressful situations.
Mindfulness vs Meditation
Today, mindfulness and meditation are part of a common vocabulary. While they are related and sometimes the terms are used interchangeably, there are differences between the two concepts
People who practice mind-body techniques like yoga or pilates often also meditate to calm their mind, relax and to stay in touch with themselves. Mindfulness is a state of awareness where you stay in the here and now while being nonjudgmental and kind, giving yourself the space to see thoughts truthfully without letting them take you over.
Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of what's happening around you — including your thoughts and feelings — without judging it as good or bad (or trying to change it). Meditation is one way to achieve this state of awareness; there are other ways too, such as yoga or tai chi.
We can say that while meditation is an “activity”; mindfulness, on the other hand, is more of a “state of mind”. Because you can incorporate it into every daily activity, mindfulness is meditation running in a loop!
Mindfulness is not meditation. It's not sitting cross-legged with your eyes closed, chanting "om" over and over again. It's not about being perfect. Mindfulness is simply being aware of what you're thinking and feeling in the present moment without judgment. You can practice mindfulness anytime, anywhere, whether you're sitting on the couch watching TV or standing in line at the grocery store.
In fact, practicing mindfulness can help you get through the day in an efficient way — which takes us to the below section.
Holistic Health Benefits of Mindfulness
Mindfulness is becoming more mainstream as a treatment for anxiety and depression, but it's also been used to help people deal with chronic pain, improve their eating habits, and even manage their weight.
The following are just some of the physical, mental and emotional health benefits of mindfulness:
Relieve stress: Mindfulness can help alleviate stress by reducing blood pressure, heart rate and muscle tension.
Reduce anxiety: Focusing on your breathing helps slow down your nervous system, so you can calm down when anxiety strikes.
Manage chronic pain: Mindfulness can help reduce pain because it reduces stress and anxiety — both major contributors to chronic pain
Improve sleep: A better understanding of how your body works can lead to better quality sleep at night because you will be able to recognize when you are tired and know what it takes to get yourself into a relaxed state before bedtime. This will allow you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer so that when you do wake up in the morning it won't feel like a struggle just getting out of bed!
Boost memory and focus: Practicing mindful meditation strengthens your brain’s ability to focus and remember. You'll learn how to stay focused on what's happening right now and not let yourself get distracted by thoughts or feelings that aren't relevant at that time.
Parting Thoughts…
So, to recap, mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment with an attitude of openness and curiosity. It's a mental state that can be developed through meditation or contemplative practices.
Mindfulness is a technique for bringing awareness to your thoughts, feelings and actions in the present moment. It's an antidote to the stress and anxiety that's so common in today's world.
Some people find it difficult to be mindful because they are so busy rushing from one thing to another. Others forget to notice what's going on inside of them. Mindfulness is a skill that many people desire but few have. Why is this? Well, there can be a number of reasons. One reason is that because mindfulness is a natural state of mind, it isn't easy to come back to. The other reason is simply because mindfulness requires practice and being mindful isn't simple for everyone.
With that being said, it's not impossible to learn how to practice mindfulness and there are numerous techniques you can try out. We'll leave that to one of our coming posts, (Your Blueprint for Mindful Living), so stay tuned!