Understanding Mindfulness, Its Benefits, and How To Get Started

Mindfulness. We hear this word so often that it’s easy to dismiss it as the latest New Age fad. But before dispensing with the idea altogether, consider that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy has been credited by the American Psychological Association with reducing unhelpful emotional responses and negative thoughts during stressful situations. Its benefits are so many and so well recognized that even respected universities like UCLA and Harvard offer programs for it.

If you struggle with feeling overwhelmed, obsessive thoughts, stress, and anxiety, mindfulness may just be the life-changing, simple, and cost-effective habit you need.

In this article, you’ll get a better understanding of what mindfulness is, its benefits, and some techniques that you can use to get started.

What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a mental state that requires you to be fully aware of the present and can significantly reduce your levels of stress.

How does it work?

Mindfulness works through the art of sensation, observing what you’re doing in the here and now, and how you feel about it without judgment.

It trains your brain to anchor itself to the present, giving it a break from endless thoughts, emotions, and memories. It’s a way to control your mind, eliminate thoughts that needlessly repeat themselves, and leave your worries behind so you can savor every moment as it happens.

Benefits of Mindfulness

The benefits of mindfulness are plenty, but these six have been well-documented:

Helps Cancer Management

Among cancer patients, depression has a prevalence of 25%. Mindfulness interventions have been shown to reduce suicidal thoughts.

In addition, preliminary evidence suggests mindfulness interventions can reduce the severity of pain, anxiety, and depression in patients with cancer, thus improving their quality of life. A systematic review also showed its potential in increasing the levels of melatonin, a pineal gland hormone that may exhibit anti-cancer effects.

Improving Brain Health

Mindfulness meditation training can alter the brain’s structure and increase gray matter volume which is associated with reduced risks of cognitive impairment.

It can affect several regions of the brain, including the:

• Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) which is tasked with “affective” cognitive functions like emotional expression, self-regulation, conflict-and-error monitoring, etc.
• Hippocampus which is responsible for learning, emotions, and memory

Reducing Stress

Mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to help individuals disengage from maladaptive behaviors, thought patterns, and emotions that prevent them from adapting and participating in life’s different aspects. As a result, people can be better protected against stress-related diseases.

Decreasing Symptoms of Depression

Mindfulness also helps with emotional regulation. In cases of depression, it suppresses worry and negative thoughts, helping reduce its symptoms. The same research also showed that it can lessen the risk of symptoms that lead to clinical disorders.

Targeting Eating Disorders

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in people with bulimia nervosa (BN) or binge eating disorder (BED) can reduce binge-eating behaviors and improve executive control (the ability to exhibit goal-directed behavior) and emotion regulation, consequently decreasing impulsiveness.

Moreover, studies like this one established that it is a promising approach for tackling eating disorders.

Treating Anxiety

A 2017 study found that Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is “moderately-to-largely effective” at reducing anxiety symptoms in patients with medical and psychiatric conditions. Another research found mindfulness-based therapy (MBT) helpful in treating people with anxiety or mood disorders.

6 Mindfulness Techniques To Calm Your Body and Mind

As with any new habit, practicing mindfulness can be difficult at first. But with consistency and effort, this change in mindset can be achieved. The good news is there are a handful of mindfulness techniques that are easily accessible. These include:

Body Scan

This practice helps you better connect with your body on a physical level. It forces you to take account of your bodily sensations from head to toe for any stress, tension, or pain. This allows you to experience feelings without judgment while having greater awareness of what you’re going through.

Journaling

When you write things down, it’s easier to be objective and gain a greater understanding of your problems and fears. It also allows you to indulge in positive self-talk. The result? A decrease in stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression, which improves your mood, and gives you better confidence.

Meditation

Meditation uses a set of mental and physical techniques to fully engage you whether it’s through breathing, focusing on a specific object, or repeating a phrase in mind. This helps you relax while reducing anxiety and stress.

Mindful Breathing and Movement

Mindful breathing and movement involve taking slow and controlled breaths, focusing on how it flows through your body as you inhale or exhale, or paying attention to how your body feels as it moves. Bringing awareness to your movements can help release stagnant energy, make your thoughts feel less scattered, and prevent you from mulling over regrets.

Sensory Exercises

Sensory exercises are part of occupational therapy. It entails engaging your senses with different stimuli to boost self-regulation. This could include getting a massage, listening to calming music, taking a short walk outdoors, or cooking your favorite meal — the possibilities for using sensory experiences are endless.

Visualization

Visualization means focusing on something you want to achieve. The idea behind it is to hold your desires in your mind captive, repeatedly pushing the outcomes you want to achieve and believing that they will come true.

Professionally Aided Mindfulness Therapies

If you prefer to work with a professional to help you become more mindful, they may suggest the following therapies:

• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): It encourages you to accept your feelings and thoughts, helping you face the problem instead of fighting it.
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): DBT started as a treatment for personality disorders but is now being used to improve emotion regulation among everyday individuals.
• Mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT): This combines mindfulness with art therapy to decrease distress levels while promoting health and wellness.

What Are the 5 Basics of Mindfulness?

Whichever technique you decide to go with, learning how to practice mindfulness on your own consists of 5 basic steps:

1. Choose a place with few disturbances. You want to focus on the present and let go of your past and worries about your future. You cannot do that in a place where you’re constantly distracted.
2. Focus on your breathing, how it happens, and how it moves through your body.
3. If you find yourself breathing and not meditating, bring your attention back to your breath and get in touch with your senses so you can keep your mind from wandering.
4. Allow the experience to consume you and take it for what it is. Don’t set any expectations or they will foster feelings of dissatisfaction.
5. Be mindful in everything you do, whether eating, walking, or any of your day-to-day activities. Remember that small changes bring big benefits.

Conclusion

From better health, awareness, and a more relaxed state of mind, mindfulness has many benefits. If you want to start enjoying them, mindfulness exercises are easy enough for anyone to do. As you embark on your journey of mindfulness, be patient with yourself and accept your progress. After all, mindfulness is ultimately about enjoying the moment without worrying about the past or future.

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