Life can become overwhelming at times and you may have asked yourself – what is happening to me now?
In the midst of a crisis you may not have come up with a satisfactory answer – either because you were too distracted or too caught up in events to notice. Not having ample space and time to reflect on our lives, comes at a great cost in the modern world. It means we often ignore the build-up of stress, anxiety or excessive worrying until it’s too late. By then we can feel overwhelmed, exhausted or even suffer a breakdown. But we rarely step off the treadmill long enough to take care of our health and wellbeing. Often we don’t have time to sit and relax, or have a quiet conversation with a friend, or enjoy the restfulness of sleep. This might lead to an accumulation of stress, anger and anxiety that cause us to withdraw or enter into conflict with friends and family.
Mindfulness is a solution to life on the run. It’s a way of being present with ourselves – by paying attention to the here-and-now (Kabat-Zinn, 2005). Creating the conditions for a state of openness and emotional equilibrium. Being mindful helps us develop an attitude of tolerance and self-acceptance. Replacing rigid patterns of thinking and behaving with a more flexible approach. Adapting to situations as they arise, rather than trying to constantly stay in control, and exhausting ourselves with the effort.
Mindfulness helps us let go of our fears – fear of uncertainty, discomfort and emotional pain. Training our mind to let go of distressing memories from the past and stop projecting fear into the future. However, it need not come at the expense of living in the real world with its fast pace, persistent demands and multi-tasking. You might think of it as a Middle Way. A move towards the centre ground – allowing us to live a more balanced life. So what is this elusive quality that could restore a sense of wellbeing and calm. It’s nothing new or mysterious. It’s as ordinary as water we drink, or the air we breathe. A way of acknowledging our instincts and being fully open to our senses.
Mindfulness doesn’t have to be about sitting and meditating although some people do find that kind of practice helpful. We can do anything mindfully such as making a cup of tea, walking the dog. It just means bringing our focus of attention back to this current moment.
Click here to take a look at our 8 week mindfulness stress reduction programme.
When you start to practice mindfulness and introduce this into your daily life through meditation, or other activities there are many benefits, the list below is a few examples:
- Reduced depression
- Reduced anxiety
- Increased awareness
- Increased concentration
- Increased attention and focus
- Experience of being calm
- Experience of feeling connected
- Decreasing impact of chronic pain
Mindfulness Tips For Beginners
10 ways to be mindful at work
6 simple ways to eating more mindfully
Do you want to learn how to calm your monkey mind?
