Many people are looking for some way to help themselves through this universal bad time. The world as a whole seems to be sadder and struggling on a daily basis.
One of the best ways to combat depression, anxiety, and general worry is to practice mindfulness. This practice of being in the moment can be done anywhere, at any time, and with no equipment or experience. For more information, go to conservehealth.
The History of Mindfulness
The practise of mindfulness has been around for thousands and thousands of years. Through secular and religious traditions, large groups of people were taught the benefits of mindfulness. Buddhism, Hinduism, and non-religious traditions such as yoga have led to more mindfulness in recent years.
There are scholars that argue that mindfulness was not only a practice of Buddhism and Hinduism, but could also be found in Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. And the practice of mindfulness during the performance of yoga is also many thousands of years old. From “scanning the body” to becoming more aware of the body and your breathing, yoga is a great place for mindfulness.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness seems simple enough, to be present in all you do. To be aware of where you are and what you are doing. To clear your mind of everything but the task at hand. For many individuals, this is easier said than done. Worry and anxiety can cloud your mind and take away your ability to be present, to be mindful of what you are doing at this very moment.
The important thing to remember about mindfulness is that we already know how to do it. This is not an added skill, but one many individuals do without noticing. For example, when you are performing a work task, something like a spreadsheet. You are concentrating on that, and not much else. You want to get the columns and information correct, so you focus. This is mindfulness.
However, there are going to be times when other thoughts come to mind and you are thinking of one thing while doing another. This is where you can practice mindfulness, to bring your mind back to the present, to what you are doing at this moment.
The Benefits of Mindfulness
Mindfulness can help you manage your emotions and stress throughout the day. It can help you have more fun and loving times with your family after a hard day at work. Mindfulness is beneficial on many levels for everyone, including young children.
Additional benefits include:
- More accurate focus
- Stress reduction
- Boost to Memory
- Increased relationship satisfaction
- A decrease in emotional reaction
- Increased cognitive flexibility
How to Begin Mindfulness
It is true that every day, we already use mindfulness, but to become more aware of our daily activities, to be more mindful of what we are doing, we need to practice. There are guided mindfulness recordings you can download, which will help you with the practice of being present, or you can do it yourself.
Whenever you feel overwhelmed or anxious, stop and notice something around you. Touch something, smell something, hear, or taste something. This is mindfulness. Be present, be in the moment.
I love the whole concept of mindfulness! I try and practice it but I often find it really hard to relax fully and switch my thoughts off. Something I am working on.
I often think it depends on how your day starts, I have been trying to start my day off without reaching for my phone immediately and just lying in bed quietly for 5 or 10 minutes to focus my mind on the intention of my day. It has helped so far to keep me in check with homeschooling x
I like the sound of the recordings. I will look into these. I need something to help with the next few months and all juggling we are going to be doing.
Yes I think mindfulness could be a big help to people over the next few months x