You may have heard the word mindfulness thrown around by wellness professionals…but what does it mean? And how can mindfulness benefit you?

Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present in the moment, an awareness of where we are and what we are doing without reacting to what’s going on around us. Broken down, this means mindfulness requires full awareness of the present moment, and full acceptance of the thoughts and emotions running through that moment.

Humans are complex beings, we worry about the past, we’re anxious for the future, and because multiple things compete for our attention, and we rarely allow ourselves to be present in the current moment. This is a difficult reality because the act of being present, aware, and in tune with our body and surroundings is exactly the thing that helps us enter a state of calmness and serenity.

Mindfulness has many proven benefits. It has been shown to improve physical health, improve performance and focus, improve relationships, and enhance emotional wellbeing. Let’s dive deeper into each category.

Physical Health

Practicing mindfulness can improve physical health by causing changes in both our behavior and our physiology that lead to overall improvements in health. Behaviorally, mindfulness can encourage healthier eating habits and routines. Physiologically, studies have shown that mindfulness practices help reduce the perception of physical pain even in chronic diseases, improve immune function, and improve sleep quality.

Performance

Mindfulness can benefit performance by improving attention and working memory, increasing motivation and learning. It can also create greater emotional regulation, increase creativity, and enhance problem solving and decision-making skills. This is particularly relevant in today’s technological society where devices are designed to grab your attention and people view multitasking as necessary or the “key to success.” Mindfulness practices help us to slow down, tune in, and genuinely improve our cognitive functioning.

Relationships

When it comes to relationships, mindfulness can help promote self-regulation so that we do not immediately react to a difficult situation but rather take a moment to process and respond. This is an important skill that helps to lower levels of emotional stress during conflict. Additionally, mindfulness helps improve empathy and increases satisfaction, closeness, and acceptance of one’s partner. In a world where people often grow apart, mindfulness is a huge asset to help understand your partner on a deeper level and stay connected.

Emotional Wellbeing

The impact practicing mindfulness can have on emotional wellbeing is well researched and the results are impressive. Bringing more mindfulness to your day can improve symptoms of anxiety and depression, and lower stress hormones, resulting in an increased tolerance to difficult situations. It can also have a huge impact on reducing negative thoughts and making us more compassionate towards ourselves. For example, it is virtually impossible not to compare our lives to the perfect lives we see on TV and social media, however, incorporating mindfulness can decrease self-criticism and promote more positive emotional responses.

Putting it into Practice

Mindfulness is a powerful tool that we should all try to incorporate into our daily routines. If you do not know where to start, try starting with your breath…

When we can find our breath in even the most uncomfortable situations, our reactions become less automatic, our words more thoughtful, and our pace slows down. Our breath gives us space to choose how we want to act or respond, and who we want to be. Try it now, take a deep breath in for 5 seconds…. and then take an even longer time to breathe out…and again… as we take just one intentional deep breath, our nervous system already begins to respond. Our heart rate slows down, we become more conscious of our surroundings… more aware of our bodies…and more in tune with our emotions. Your breath is the one tool that you always have with you, so let it help you!

References

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