Mindfulness.

Mindfulness. It's a term we hear time and time again, but what just is it?

The practice of mindfulness involves being present, in the here and now, without casting judgement. To practice mindfulness is to practice being aware of your thoughts, emotions, and environment with acceptance and curiosity.

Often our thoughts are anxiously catastrophising events that haven't occurred yet, or our thoughts often revisit our past, and at times this can lead to feelings of sadness or longing. For many, we don't often realise it; however, we live the majority of our lives in the past and/or the future, often missing moments happening in the present. Practicing mindfulness can aid in allowing awareness of the self, as well as the here and now.

What are some of the benefits of mindfulness?

Reduced Stress and Anxiety: By encouraging a clear sense of self, mindfulness can aid with stress management. It can then promote a non-judgmental awareness of feelings and ideas, which can lessen anxiety and enhance mental health in general. If considering practising mindfulness that focuses on slow, deep breathing, this can help regulate our central nervous system, switching on our parasympathetic nervous system (PNS - calming system) which can then help us to relax mentally and physically.

Strengthens Emotional Management: Mindfulness can help you react to circumstances more calmly and clearly by increasing your awareness of your emotions. This may improve your emotional wellbeing and your ability to control challenging emotions that may come up.

Enhances Focus: Regular mindfulness practice can improve your attention span and concentration. This can help you to stay focused on the task at hand, reducing distractions.

Physical Health Benefits: Mindfulness has been linked to various physical health benefits, such as lower blood pressure, better sleep, and reduced symptoms of chronic pain. This relates to the deep breathing aspect as mentioned above, regarding our PNS. Mindfulness also forms a part of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) which is also used by counsellors and psychologists when working with some people with chronic pain.

Strengthens Bonds: Mindfulness can help you better understand and empathise with others by cultivating a greater awareness of your own thoughts and feelings. Relationships may become deeper and more meaningful as a result.

Enhances Wellbeing: By fostering a deeper connection between the mind and body, mindfulness helps people develop improved habits, feeling more resilient and balanced in their daily lives.

Incorporating mindfulness can be made simple in your daily routine: Implementing it in activities such as mindful walking, mindful eating, or just spending a few minutes each day concentrating on your breath. When practised daily, mindfulness can have a big impact on your general wellbeing.

Important note:

Some people with PTSD and/or Trauma may or may not benefit from mindfulness. Particularly when mindfulness involves closing your eyes. For some people with PTSD and/or trauma, the act of closing one's eyes has the potential to take the person back to that terrible event, where they may then relive that event again. If you have trauma and/or PTSD, please consider this and contact your GP or other healthcare professional regarding if mindfulness may or may not help you.