Mindfulness is a term widely used in modern self-help books, which often become bestsellers shortly after their publication. The term “mindfulness” has a relatively broad range of meanings, but it is most commonly translated as alert attention, mindfulness or attention focused on the present moment. The name Jon Kabat-Zinn is inextricably linked to the concept of mindfulness. This professor of medicine at the University of Massachusetts founded the very first Stress Reduction Clinic and Mindfulness Center. He also developed the first comprehensive stress reduction program (known by the acronym MBSR). Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as “…awareness that arises through the deliberate, nonjudgmental focusing of attention in the present moment on the unfolding experience, moment by moment.” (2003). Mindfulness is also brilliantly described in a short TED Talk, which you’ll find at the end of this article.
Why are we seeing the term “mindfulness” more and more often? It’s due to today’s lifestyle, which is focused on performance and efficiency. We live in a constant race against time, and our attention is more fragmented than ever before. We’re also more prone to burnout, which threatens us especially in our professional lives and, increasingly, in our personal lives as well. And it is precisely mindfulness that can protect us from letting our inner flame burn out.
What makes mindfulness so beneficial? Hundreds of studies on this topic have shown that training mindfulness has a positive impact on the following areas:
- alleviates depressive moods,
- reduces anxiety and eliminates the stress hormone cortisol,
- alleviates both chronic and acute pain,
- lowers blood pressure,
- fosters creativity,
- improves sleep quality and immunity,
- increases brain tissue density in the centers for memory and learning (however, the direct link between this phenomenon and improved function of these centers is still the subject of research).
Given these findings, it’s no wonder that some American schools have also experimented with mindfulness training. In areas plagued by poverty and crime, they introduced several-week-long mindfulness courses, which had a beneficial effect on students—stress levels decreased significantly, and students also appreciated becoming more aware of their emotions and thoughts. Mindfulness courses are also commonly offered at large multinational companies. Employers are well aware of how this improves their employees’ mental well-being. In fact, they themselves often “fall into” a lifestyle of mindful attention .
What Mindfulness Is All About
The core of mindfulness is self-awareness in the here and now. Observing all bodily sensations, emotions, and thoughts. It is important to be merely an observer and not to try to suppress unwanted thoughts or emotions. This awareness can soon help us uncover the source of the emotions we are feeling. Once we know where our emotions stem from, we can understand them much better and work with them further.
You can start practicing mindfulness today. You don’t need anything special. Just a quiet room and a place to sit—on the floor or in a chair. Once you’re comfortably seated with your hands resting loosely in your lap, try to focus on your breath. Don’t try to influence it in any way. Various meditation traditions recommend using other activities or objects (so-called “anchors”) to help you focus, but the breath is the most common choice. Try to practice this way for at least five to ten minutes a day to start. Whenever your mind wanders away from your breath, gently bring your attention back to it. It’s very likely that you’ll find it difficult to focus on your breath at first, but trust that it will become easier and easier. This method helps us reach a state of deep relaxation, and that is the right time for nonjudgmental observation of our own thoughts. It’s important to realize that we cannot influence many events in our lives. What we can influence, however, is the way we react to them.
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