By now there is a good chance that you’ve heard of the term “mindfulness”. Suddenly, it seems to be everywhere – touted as the new yoga, the answer to stress or the alternative to anti-depressants. But, beyond the buzz, what is mindfulness?
Life can be relentless, frantic and exhausting. Left to itself the mind wanders through all kinds of thoughts. As we indulge in anger, craving, depression, revenge and self-pity, we reinforce those emotions in our hearts and cause ourselves to suffer. By purposefully directing our awareness away from such thoughts and towards some “anchor”, we decrease the effect on our lives and we create a space of freedom where calmness and content can grow.
Mindfulness is based on ancient Buddhist beliefs and backed up by cutting-edge neuroscience. Companies such as Apple and Ford are currently teaching mindfulness together with meditation to their employees. Mindfulness is focussing your attention on what is, rather than being distracted by what isn’t - paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgementally. Recent scientific evidence claims that meditation can rewire how the brain responds to stress, boost people’s creativity, and lead to rational decision making.
Practising mindfulness cultivates understanding, love, compassion and joy. Best of all, mindfulness is free! Once you get the hang of it, you’ll automatically be more mindful without much effort. Here are some tips and exercises on how to improve your mindfulness:
The focus should be on the here and now, not on what might have been or what you’re worried could be. The ultimate goal is to give you enough distance from disturbing thoughts and emotions to be able to observe them without immediately reacting to them. The benefits are proving to be tremendous! Mindfulness exercises improve both physical and mental health. They can help to relieve stress, lower blood pressure, reduce chronic pain and improve sleep. Psychotherapists have turned to this type of meditation as an important element in the treatment of depression, substance abuse, eating disorders and anxiety disorders.
If you are in search of a happier more content life, being mindful can help you get there. Refresh your mind for ten minutes every day, simply by being mindful and truly experiencing the present moment.
The information on Fedhealth Medical Aid is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are experiencing symptoms or need health advice, please consult a healthcare professional.
Source:www.wildmind.org, www.childmind.org, franticworld.com, www.amazon.com, www.helpguide.com, fortune.com, www.womanshealthmag.com, www.huffingtonpost.com
DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are experiencing symptoms or need health advice, please consult a healthcare professional.