Benefits of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and surrounding environment. It involves acceptance of our thoughts and feelings without judging them as they occur in the present moment. Mindfulness has its origins in Buddhist meditation, but a popular secular version of mindfulness is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).

There are many benefits of practicing Mindfulness. It’s good for our bodies, because it boosts our immune system. It’s good for our minds, because it increases positive emotions and reduces negative emotions and stress. It helps our brains with learning, memory, emotion regulation and empathy and it helps us focus by enabling us to tune out distractions and improve memory and attention skills.

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is learning to control our reaction to stress. This occurs because between stimulus and response there’s a space, in that space lies our power to choose our response, and in our response lies our growth and our freedom. It means there is a moment of choice before we react to stress and pain. Most of us are unaware of this space between stimulus and response because we use habitual patterns of reacting to stimulus. The MBSR technique helps people to become aware of negative habitual reactions and choose positive ways to react.

I believe it would be beneficial to practice some degree of mindfulness, because it can help you improve focus, get along better with others, and give you confidence, thereby reducing stress. Most people suffer some stress in their lives. These mindfulness techniques may make you feel more in control and therefore more confident. Practice acceptance by accepting the way you currently feel.  Take a three minute breathing space. Stop what you’re doing and concentrate on your breaths and sensations at the moment. Tune into distractions around you. By paying attention to the sounds around you instead of ignoring them you can become aware of the effect they’re having on you and control your reactions. Take breaks. Taking regular breaks during the day can boost productivity and creativity. Find a time to unplug. Staying connected to the internet and email all day (in and outside of work) could make us distracted, impatient and forgetful. Taking even short breaks from technology can lower stress and boost productivity.

Practicing mindfulness helps you learn a lot about yourself. By practicing it just a few days I’ve learned what stimuli make me happy and which make me sad and why. This has allowed me to learn to control my reactions. It has also helped me to tune into other people and their needs and greatly improved my ability to focus. The most important benefit for me has been not just trying to emulate the positive qualities I see in others, but being able to accept myself for who I am and really liking myself.