Everything you need to know about mindfulness, best techniques and how to uplift your life through improved mental wellbeing.
Mindfulness is taking the world by storm and is quickly becoming part of people’s everyday lives. But what is mindfulness? In this article, Health Europa takes a deep dive into the world of mindfulness, benefits and helpful tips.
What is mindfulness?
Mind charity explains mindfulness as a technique to bring awareness to what is happening in the present moment. Becoming aware of your mind, body, or surroundings can help reduce stress, cope with unhelpful thoughts and feel calmer1.
Health benefits
Improving wellbeing
Mindfulness can positively impact well-being by increasing attitudes and habits that can contribute to a satisfying life.
Being mindful encourages being immersed and engaged in activities and armours you with helpful habits that can allow you to deal with adverse events2. The practise of being mindful focuses on the present moment, reducing worrying thoughts about future events or past regrets2.
Many studies have shown that practising mindfulness can reduce stress levels. A 2010 study by Hoffman et al. conducted a meta-analysis of 39 studies that explored mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. The researchers found evidence that mindfulness meditation decreases anxiety and mindfulness-based therapy could alter cognitive processes3.
Boosting physical health
Whether mindfulness benefits physical health is a burning question; however, many studies and publications have solid data confirming this fact. One 2004 study4 carried out a meta-analysis of a broad range of publications. The researchers’ findings suggest the usefulness of mindfulness-based stress reduction as an intervention for a range of chronic disorders and problems. They also found clear improvements in medical symptoms, sensory pain, physical impairment and more.
How to be more mindful
Practising mindfulness may seem intimidating and time-consuming, but it doesn’t have to be! The beauty of being more mindful is that you can dedicate as little or as much time to it.
Health Europa has outlined helpful tips to get you started on your mindfulness journey5:
- Incorporate mindfulness in your daily lives. Notice sensations such as food, smells and different sounds to bring yourself into the present moment.
- Try something new every day. Changing up your routine can help you notice the world differently, and you can do this by driving a new route or going to a different shop.
- Claim your feelings and thoughts. Naming and recognising thoughts and feelings, whether they are good or bad, can encourage better awareness surrounding your emotions.
References:
- https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-and-treatments/mindfulness/about-mindfulness/
- https://www.helpguide.org/harvard/benefits-of-mindfulness.htm
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20350028/
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8453832_Grossman_P_Niemann_L_Schmidt_S_Walach_H_Mindfulness-based_stress_reduction_and_health_benefits_A_meta-analysis_J_Psychosom_Res_57_35-43
- https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/tips-and-support/mindfulness/
