MINDFULNESS. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW?
Mindfulness is getting an amazing amount of air time at the moment - which is amazing! But, what exactly is mindfulness? I get asked this a lot and it’s a great question.
Mindfulness is a wonderfully, powerful practice that’s been practiced for thousands of years, at least 2,500 years - but I like to think that it’s been around for as long as we have. There’s evidence that it’s been practiced around the world from every culture. From the ancient druids, ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans. There’s been evidence from people that may have practiced before we even discovered the wheel! Mindfulness is an ancient ritual that’s supported by modern science and has the power to transform both body and mind.
Simply, mindfulness is the practice of having your mind fully aware of your surroundings, thoughts, and how your body is feeling in the present moment. This is important because the majority of us will spend 47% of our day thinking about the past or the future (I call this mental time traveling). Practicing mindfulness is training the mind to remain in the present moment and cultivating awareness, but it takes practice to sit in stillness.
For many of us, our first introduction to mindfulness is guided meditations. It was a wonderful gateway for me. Although I’d been introduced to mindfulness practices just before I hit my teens, it wasn’t until I started dipping my toe into meditation via guided meditations that I started to understand the power of mindfulness.
WHY SHOULD I THINK ABOUT MINDFULNESS?
Our lives can be full on, exhilarating, overwhelming and well, stressful. Navigating our way through can leave us feeling burnt out. Having mindfulness tools that you can fall back on can help alleviate the stress and anxiety that burns us out. There is also another side to mindfulness, it can help you to build a healthy relationship with yourself, those around you and in fact how you see the world that you live in. It’s a bit like taking off some glasses that you’d forgotten that you have been wearing.
Practicing mindfulness also has shown to have a positive impact on how you think and therefore improving your life - not just because you get the space to regulate your emotions, to see what’s going on around you - but also being ok with who you are and the life that you are living. One study showed that the benefits of mindfulness have been associated with psychological well-being. It’s not having the dream house or the perfect job that makes us happy. It continues to be proven that we feel our happiest when our minds are fully present and in the moment.
SOME OF THE MANY BENEFITS OF MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION
1. Develop Compassion and Acceptance
For you and for others! I often say that I’m extra salty until I’ve meditated and this is why. Practicing mindfulness and being present allows you to develop an ability to be non-judgmental and accepting. The short of it, it makes you a lot nicer!
Ok, I want you to think about your mind for a moment. It can be a pretty crazy place. We spend a LOT of time ‘time travelling’. Whether that’s ruminating on the past (you know, thinking of the stuff we should have done, should have said. Maybe shouldn’t have done and shouldn’t have said!) or stressing about the future. Things that we are yet to do or experience. Clearing the noise of the past and the worry of the future can let you see people, places, and things in a new light with fresh eyes. This can help you be more open and compassionate to others as well. One study showed that mindfulness reduced bias in participants regarding age and race.
It also helps with how we communicate - again, both with ourselves and with others.
2. SERIOUS Concentration
Another benefit of mindfulness, and one that keeps people interested in it, is how it can help improve your focus. So, going back to that beautiful brain of yours, it can be a really busy, chaotic place. Imagine a snowglobe, after you’ve shaken it and the snow flying around, making it hard to see what’s in the middle. Mindfulness is a way in which we can still ourselves, to let the thoughts, feelings, emotions, settle down.
We start to gain space, a way to pause. As you practice mindfulness more frequently, you may feel less distracted, resulting in you being more efficient and productive. You have a calmer nervous system, which means, instead of being in fight-flight-freeze - where it’s so much harder to focus, you recognise when your nervous system has been activated, course correct and regain focus.
Instead of reacting to every distraction that comes your way, you may feel less scattered, even while multitasking. This is because mindfulness can help you channel your full attention to the task at hand. That is why you can find many business professionals, athletes and creatives setting aside time for this powerful practice.
3. LetTING IT GO
Do you ever have those experiences where you cling to thoughts or beliefs. You know, you may have had an unpleasant conversation - maybe someone upset you and you cannot let go. I’m talking triggers really. The ones where you go over and over and over, unhelpful thought patterns. You think of the things that you could have said. You play things over again and again in your mind. So many of us spend time worrying about the past, rehashing events over and over again. This leads to a whole heap of issues, because you can’t change the past. This kind of thinking is rarely helpful, nor is it effective, and it can wreak havoc on your mental health.
If you find that it’s hard to let go of things, then mindfulness could be just the things for you! The more time you spend in the present, the more you won’t have the time to think about the past. When you realize the benefits of being present, you may be more inclined to stay there.
Research shows that practicing mindfulness increases the concentration of grey matter in the parts of the brain that are associated with memory, learning, emotional regulation, and perspective-taking. This can result in you feeling calmer and less reactive.
The more you practice mindfulness, the more likely you can have mental resilience and may be less likely to continue into a negative mental headspace.
How Can I Practice Mindfulness?
Let’s get to the all important question. How can you get a little mindfulness!
First, it’s important to understand that mindfulness is a practice. In the same way that you’d go to the gym to hone your physical self, you need to create a mindfulness habit, the more that you do it, the more effective it will become. Layering it into your life, making it simple, easy and something that you enjoy is what I believe is the key to a successful practice.
For me, I created rituals. One to two to start and then you can add more in. There are a few things that you need to know though as you start to build your own rituals.
1. THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS PERFECT
There really isn’t. Don’t aim for silence, to never be disturbed. Know that you will do your best and keep coming back to it. You get to really flex that non-judgemental muscle and kindness! Don’t overthink it, whether you are doing it right. If you are worried, reach out and ask someone.
In some ways, learning to open yourself up to stillness is the hardest part, the rest comes later.
2. PICK A TIME
Before you begin your mindfulness practice, decide when and how long you will practice. Then, put it in your schedule. Whether that’s a diary or reminder. Don’t leave it up to chance. Also, use a timer. I use my watch for this but use whatever works best for you. Just make sure any alarm that you use doesn’t scare the living daylights out of you! You’re basically trying to avoid peaking at your watch constantly - but if you do, that’s ok too, I absolutely did this as I was starting out.
3. Find YOUR SPACE
Finding a space that works for you is essential. It will do a few things, one is that your brain will recognise the queues for when you will practice. It will also help with you being distracted. I have a space in my kids play area, just to the side. That way I can be near them but they know that this is my spot. I keep it uncluttered and beautiful - because that keeps me coming back!
I recommend a space that you can sit upright - because if you are lying down you are more likely to fall asleep. Make it comfy though. I have a sheepskin rug, a throw and cushions. I sit with my back against the wall, nice and supported.
As your mindfulness practice continues, you might want to experiment with different locations and at different times of the day. You may notice there are quieter times of day, or you may prefer the way the sun comes in through your window, among other variables that happen in your space. I love to practice outside, by the beach, by my fruit trees. Find your favourite spaces - it’s one of the great perks of this practice!