The Mental Health Benefits of Mindfulness
Have you ever tried to develop a mindfulness practice?
Mindfulness is one of those buzzwords we hear about all the time on social media, but what does it really mean to be mindful, and how can mindfulness help improve your mental health?
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the practice of focusing your attention on the present moment. The key is to try to do so without judging or reacting, which can be really tricky. In a world where multitasking is the norm, developing a mindfulness practice allows you to deliberately slow down.
Mindfulness allows you to develop an awareness of the world around you and helps you cultivate acceptance for the things that are out of your control. It has exploded in popularity over the last decade because of its many benefits, both mental and physical. While mindfulness isn’t a magic wand, it can be an incredibly helpful tool in your overall wellness toolbox.
What are the benefits of practicing mindfulness?
Lower stress, anxiety, and depression
Being more mindful can help lower stress and sometimes even be helpful in treating mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. Mindfulness can help distract you in the moment from overwhelming emotions. In addition, the benefits of mindfulness build up over time, which can be protective against stress and burnout.
Feel more in control of your emotions
Mindfulness teaches you how to slow down and take in the present moment, which can help when you feel easily overwhelmed by your emotions. Emotional regulation is hard, and learning how to pause and observe your thoughts, rather than getting caught up in them, can make managing your feelings easier.
Improve memory and concentration
Mindfulness also has cognitive benefits! Taking time regularly to focus on what’s happening around you builds your ability to focus and can even improve your memory. You’ll learn how to concentrate more effectively, ignore distractions, and get back on track when things go off course. Mindful practices can also help you develop new neural connections in your brain, which can increase your ability to be adaptive and flexible with your thinking.
Improve physical health
Developing a mindfulness practice can support your physical health in addition to your mental health. Trying to be mindful can help you improve your sleep, lower your stress level, decrease chronic pain, support a healthy immune system, and even lower your blood pressure. In addition, mindfulness helps you develop body awareness that helps you notice when things are off, which can help you seek treatment and feel better sooner.
Increase empathy and self compassion
Learning how to focus on the current moment can help train your brain to see other perspectives and increase awareness of your surroundings, which can help increase your sense of empathy and even self-compassion. When you redirect your attention away from judgmental or reactive thoughts, it’s easier to separate yourself from the negative thoughts you think, which can help you feel better about yourself.
Improve your relationships
Mindfulness can also help improve your close relationships, which can help support your overall well-being. Think about it - lowered stress, improved emotional regulation, and increased empathy can all have a big impact on how you relate to other people. Mindfulness can help us to be better listeners, more effective communicators, and more thoughtful towards others.
So, how can you practice mindfulness?
Anything that helps you focus mindfully on the present moment can be a part of a mindfulness practice. You don’t have to do anything fancy to be mindful. You can mindfully wash dishes, eat food, take a walk, play with a pet - as long as you’re trying to focus your attention on the present, it’s mindfulness. It’s also okay if your thoughts wander. That’s natural! The trick is to gently redirect your attention back to the task at hand, without shaming yourself for getting distracted.
That being said, sometimes it’s hard to think of things to do when you’re first starting out, so here are some ideas to get you started:
Focus on what you can see, smell, taste, hear, and feel
Do a body scan
Follow a mindfulness meditation from a video
Practice a breathing exercise like box breathing, focusing entirely on your breath
Take a walk around your neighborhood without headphones and focus on your senses
Sit quietly with your eyes closed and focus on watching your thoughts pass by like clouds
When not to practice mindfulness
Of course, mindfulness may not be appropriate for everyone. If you are a trauma survivor, experiencing psychosis or suicidal ideation, dealing with chronic pain, or neurodivergent, mindful practices might be more dysregulating than they are helpful.
This is because mindfully focusing on the present moment can trigger PTSD from body sensations, lead to rumination or dissociation, enhance the experience of pain, or even lead to panic attacks. If you’re not sure mindfulness is right for you, we recommend checking with a therapist to help you develop the resources to practice mindfulness safely.
