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What is Mindfulness? Benefits & How to Practice

As a blogger and writer, I’m constantly thinking about something. I’m always considering the future and how I’ll manage things while managing the content schedule and organizing the writing of my next article.

I bet, in this busy world, you’ve felt the same thing as well. What helped me overcome stuffing my mind with thoughts is mindfulness. It is the art of being present at the moment without thinking too much about what has happened or will happen.

It has provided me with many benefits both in professional and personal life. In this article, I’m going to discuss what is mindfulness in a clear way and help you understand how to practice it as well. Let’s start.

What is Mindfulness?

By definition,

Mindfulness means being totally present in the moment and aware of our environment without becoming distracted by ideas. Being present and appreciative of what is happening right now is a fundamental human ability that we need to achieve.

Our brain is trained to solve problems of high complexity. However, it still struggles to be still and focus on simple things without wandering into thoughts. It reminds me of the quote of Blaise Pascal.

What is Mindfulness

So, mindfulness is practicing stillness and feeling the moment instead of thinking and waiting to get to the next one.

Benefits of Mindfulness for Everyone

Practicing mindfulness brings a lot of benefits. I’ve discussed the major ones below:

1. Stress Management:

Mindfulness helps a lot with stress management. Humans naturally experience tension and anxiety in response to events. You’re always thinking about anything that will cause you tension, whether you’re preparing supper or heading to the office.

One can effectively manage stress by engaging in mindfulness practices. When the body is in fight-or-flight mode, it helps us deal with the circumstance appropriately. Additionally, it relaxes our bodies, which aids with stress management on a physical level.

2. Regulating Emotions:

Regulating our emotions is an important thing that every person should focus on. It involves managing how emotionally we respond to a given situation. When a person is mindful, he’s aware of the surroundings and understands the situation well.

Whether he’s dealing with a person or a physical situation, mindfulness helps with understand how to pick and express the best emotion.

Also:

  • It increases self-awareness to understand the emotions of people around us.
  • It makes us calm and avoid overreacting about a situation.
  • Our prefrontal cortex improves resulting in better decision-making.

3. Reduce Negative Thinking:

Negative thinking is another huge aspect that can have a lot of bad influence on our lives. Mindfulness helps with dealing with it as well. It allows focus on the present moment instead of getting caught up in thinking about worries and criticism.

When a person is present at the moment and thinking about all the blessings, his mind rarely goes to the wrong side and thinks about the negative stuff. Also, it helps fix the patterns of the thoughts and make sure they stay aligned and in the right direction.

4. Cognitive Improvements:

I had a hard time making the right decisions and memorizing things a while ago. Being mindful helped me improve these things. So, it may also help you with making cognitive improvements.

Practicing this art helps improve things like attention, learning, and mental clarity. When you’re focusing on the present, the brain undergoes a structural change and trains itself to think the right way.

Besides that:

  • It helps with understanding how to solve a problem the right way.
  • It supports neuroplasticity which makes the brain make changes by expanding its neurons.
  • You get to reduce mental fog and focus on the right things clearly.

5. Reduce Blood Pressure:

You might be surprised to know that mindfulness has physical benefits as well. It helps with reducing blood pressure by reducing hypertension. Regulations in the blood pressure have a positive impact on your overall body.

When a person is focusing on the positive things at a given moment, his mind stays relaxed. It results in mood and emotionality which results in optimum blood pressure level.

6. Better Sleep Quality and Immune System:

Having a stronger immune system and better sleep are two more physical advantages of mindfulness practice. A healthy lifestyle greatly depends on getting quality sleep. It eases physical and mental tension, making daily tasks easier to complete.

Besides the sleep, your immune system gets better as well. The body becomes more able to fight diseases and keep you fit and strong.

7. Better Relationships With People:

Besides mental and physical benefits, being present at the moment helps with social benefits as well. Improved relationships with people are an example of this. When a person is mindful, he’s more aware of his interactions with other people. He knows what they’re going through and how to respond to conversations.

As a result, richer relationships are built with people around him. It also helps with elevating other people’s thoughts by inspiring them to have a mindful mentality.

How to Practice Mindfulness?

There are different ways to practice mindfulness. I’ve discussed some main methods below:

How to Practice Mindfulness?

1. Mindful Breathing:

Mindful breathing is one of the most common ways or practicing this act. It is a great technique for anchoring your thoughts to the present moment. It involves inhaling and exhaling in a regular way to calm your mind. If you’re struggling with anxiety and tension, practicing this method might be helpful.

How to do it?

  • Find a quiet and comfortable place to sit down.
  • Sit down in a comfortable position and close your eyes.
  • Start inhaling and exhaling in a slow and regular way.
  • Keep on doing it for a while and make sure to think of happy thoughts.

2. Mindful Walking:

If you don’t feel like sitting in a room, try taking a mindful walk. The purpose and goal of this walk are the same (focusing on the present). The things you concentrate on are what differentiates it from a normal walk. You should pay more attention to the positive aspects of life and become more conscious of your surroundings.

The best thing about this approach is that there is no definite way of doing it. You are free to go for a walk whenever you want and wherever you want. Just make sure not to divert attention over negative things while walking.

3. Body Scan Meditation:

Performing a body scan meditation is a great way to relax yourself. It is a simple activity that does not require a lot of time. However, if you do it regularly, you’ll be able to practice proper mindfulness easily. It simply involves examining the body and indicating the areas of tension.

How to do it?

  • Again, find a comfortable and quiet place.
  • Lie down in a straight.
  • Close your eyes and focus on relaxed breathing.
  • Now, first, focus on your head and feel if there are any sensations.
  • Then, go down to other parts like shoulders, arms, back, etc.
  • Keep on doing it till you reach the toes.
  • If you feel any sensation or tension, try releasing it by relaxing that part.

4. Practicing Gratitude:

There’s no better way of achieving peace and avoiding tension than being grateful. Practicing gratitude regularly helps with that. It involves focusing on all the blessings in life and feeling thankful for them.

When a person is aware of the blessings he has, he stops worrying about other negative things. So, it is important that you spend a few minutes of the day in order to feel grate even for the small things like being able to talk with friends.

5. Journaling:

Last but not least, journaling is another effective way of practicing mindfulness. It means putting your ideas, plans, anxieties, and concerns in writing. You CAN write them on any digital notepad or in a real notebook.

Being truthful should be your primary priority. Without passing judgment, write down whatever is on your mind. It’s a fantastic hobby that helps in obtaining mental clarity and preventing anxiety.

Final Summary

Mindfulness is all about being aware of the present moment and living it fully. It involves understanding yourself and dealing with emotions in a better way. Being mindful brings a lot of benefits. It improves how you deal with the situations and people you meet with.

Besides that, it helps handle anxiety and avoid unnecessarily thinking about negative things. The discussed methods are some of the best ways to practice this art. Keep on practicing it regularly and you’ll start seeing improvements in your overall life.

FAQs:

1. What is mindfulness in simple words?

Mindfulness in simple words is focusing on the present moment and not overthinking. It’s about being present and focusing and feeling the surroundings to keep your mind away from thinking useless things.

2. What are the 3C’s of mindfulness?

The 3C’s of mindfulness are curiosity, compassion, and calm center.

3. How to be a mindful person?

Being a mindful person can be done in different ways. For example, you can journal daily and be grateful for the blessings. Also, having a mindful walk daily will be helpful.

4. Is being mindful a skill?

Yes. Being mindful is a skill. You can learn about it and practice it daily to become better at it. It is one of the most important skills one should have in order to have a better life. 

Saad Shah

Saad Shah is providing insightful analysis and articulate commentary on market trends, financial strategies, management tips and emerging technologies implementation tactics in different operations of businesses. His essays are brief, making even the most complex subjects approachable to readers of all backgrounds.

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