What is mindfulness?

Have you ever got up from your chair with the intention of doing something very specific, such as switching off a light, only to get back into your chair and realise you can't remember if you actually switched the light off? Or sat down to eat dinner while staring at the TV, only to notice afterwards that you barely tasted or appreciated what you were eating? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you're not alone. 

Mindfulness means to be in the present, aware of what's happening in the moment rather than lost in thoughts about the past or worried about the future. With our lives as busy as they are, we're often stuck in auto-pilot, racing to get things done or achieve things rather than enjoying and appreciating things. When your awareness is in the present moment, you're able to observe your thoughts and emotions as they arise without judging them and without trying to make them go away or getting caught up in them. With this attitude, we're more likely to respond appropriately to situations rather than react in harmful and unhealthy ways. We also tend to be calmer, less anxious and enjoy life more. Sounds pretty good, right, but how do we incorporate mindfulness into our lives? To answer this question, I'll first explain the seven attitudes of mindfulness:

Non-judgement - Mindfulness involves being aware of thoughts and feelings which arise, moment-to-moment, without making judgements. For instance, if a colleague walks past us without acknowledging us, we may immediately jump to various conclusions - "I did something to upset them", "she doesn't like me", "she's very rude" and so on. These are thoughts, not facts. Mindfulness teaches us to be open to other possibilities.

Patience - In mindfulness, we exercise patience towards our mind and body.

Beginner's mind - Each moment is unique and contains new possibilities.

Trust - Mindfulness teaches us to pay attention to your intuition and trust it rather than being overly-reliant on external guidance.

Non-striving - Rather than striving to be someone or something else, if we focus and accept things as they are now, we will still achieve our goals when the time is right.

Acceptance - This means seeing things as they really are in this moment. We often use a lot of our time and energy to deny or resist what's happening, which delays the process of dealing with issues and allowing positive change to take place.

Letting go - We have a tendency to hold on to pleasant thoughts and feelings and resist distressing or unpleasant ones. By letting them be and accepting them in that moment, we are actually letting them go.

How can we practice mindfulness?

Mindfulness can be practiced formally and informally. Formal mindfulness practice refers to meditation, which is a very important aspect of mindfulness. Meditation involves sitting or lying down and focusing on the breath, experiencing just "being" as opposed to "doing".

Informal mindfulness practice involves you living in the moment throughout your daily lives. For instance, you can eat mindfully by actually focusing on what you're eating, noticing the taste, texture and colour of the food, rather than simply shoveling the food into your mouth while watching a film. You can even walk mindfully, allowing yourself to notice things you walk by each day with enhanced awareness. For instance, noticing the sounds of birds in the trees as you walk beneath them or the different colours in the sky.

What can mindfulness do for you?

Much research has been conducted on the benefits of mindfulness; the results so positive that mindfulness is now being taught in schools, organisations and incorporated into hospital treatment programmes.

Some of the benefits:

Reduced stress through improved emotion regulation Mindfulness teaches people to be aware of their feelings and thoughts as they arise, encouraging them to observe them non-judgmentally and with an attitude of acceptance and compassion. Rather than react or feel overwhelmed by distressing or uncomfortable emotions, we are in a better position to respond calmly and with more clarity.

Improved attention Meditation encourages people to focus on the breath and other aspects of their inner experience, while trying to quiet the mind of constant chatter and noise. When thoughts arise, the meditator is encouraged to accept such thoughts and gently let them go and re-focus on the breath. Through regular practice, meditators improve their ability to concentrate and become quicker at re-focusing when their mind wanders in other circumstances.

Enhanced empathy and compassion Two key components of mindfulness are non-judgement and non-reaction, both of which encourage people to take a more accepting and compassionate stance towards themselves and their experiences. With practice, we find it easier to be empathic and compassionate with others.

Reduced anxiety Since mindfulness encourages people to be in the here-and-now rather than thinking ahead or focusing on the past, less time is spent on worrying and ruminating. Mindfulness also focuses on breathing and grounding techniques which help people to remain calm regardless of what's going on around them, and in time helps people calm themselves down quicker and respond more healthily to troubling thoughts and feelings. In a 2013 Massachusetts General Hospital study, 93 individuals diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder were randomly assigned to an eight-week group intervention with mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) or to a control group, stress management education. The group that went through the MBSR programme was associated with a significantly greater reduction in anxiety.

Manage and reduce depression People who are feeling depressed are often dealing with negative thoughts, feelings and beliefs about themselves. Mindfulness teaches people to examine their thoughts and feelings more realistically and invite them to choose more positive and compassionate thoughts.

Psychotherapist Danjela Falzon works with clients on issues related to anxiety, depression, burnout, stress, relationships, sexuality, personality disorders, self-esteem and self-growth. She forms part of the team at Paths Clinic. For more information visit www.paths.care