Mindfulness is a skill which helps relieve stress, anxiety, depression, chronic pain and many other of life’s health issues. As a concept it is very simple but must be practiced to enjoy benefits. It can be defined as:
Paying attention to the present moment.
It is that simple to understand, but very difficult to do as our human brains are so adept at reliving the past or thinking about the future – we do this for approximately half of our waking lives in fact! Interesting trait when you think that the only thing you can directly influence is right now in this moment.
Mindfulness can be done by sitting down (meditation) and being present with your breath, your environment you are in right now, or sound, or anything really. Or you can use it while you are out and about, while you are at the football, or in the pub with your mates. So often, the best moments in life are missed by an overactive and anxious mind. Would you like to train yourself to focus better and enjoy these moments, so they don’t pass by?
Men are more likely to be put off mindfulness because many think it is all hippy nonsense. It is anything but. There are stacks of scientific research to show that practising mindfulness can, for example, reduce the chances of a recurring depressive episode by half. It doesn’t have to be incense sticks and Tibetan flutes (this also puts men off!). You can meditate anywhere, in silence or with a guide such as Alan Muskett from Rightmindfulness, our resident teacher - try his 8-minute meditation, The Breathing Break via this YouTube video!
All you need is a quiet, private space and somewhere to sit down. Just go with the instructions and notice what happens. Which is all you have to do - notice. Your brain will do the rest.
See how you feel afterwards, even if your mind wanders during the experience. Don’t worry, everyone’s does. It is the noticing that is the mindfulness, and as you repeat the practice, you are training your brain to:
a) focus better on what you are doing
b) see your own thoughts more calmly so they don’t dominate you.
And if meditation doesn’t do it for you, then there are other ways. Remember the definition, “paying attention to the present moment.” That’s literally all you have to do. In anything you are doing, whether it is DIY, golfing, watching football, cooking – just notice if you have your mind in the moment – if not, that’s fine. It is the noticing that you are not being present that trains your mind to be more present. Sounds counterintuitive, but it is true.
And when you are present, then all your problems float away in that moment.
They really do, and then you find that you have a new perspective related to them. You will find yourself less prone to being caught up in anxious thinking and be able, after some practice, to observe your thoughts and reactions to them. This calms the mind down so that a problem is seen for what it really is, not your inner dramas that you create. Which, in turn means you may choose different behaviours and responses if you so wish.
It’s all up to you. Nobody is telling you to be an ice-cool Zen Buddhist. Just to be more aware of how you are thinking, feeling and acting.
The result being a less stressed, less anxious, more effective and calmer you.
If you would like to know more, get in touch with me.
Share this post: