You may have heard talk of mindfulness and been told that is something you should be doing. But what is mindfulness exactly? And how do you practise it? And why should you? Here is a quick guide to answer all those questions, and more.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness, in its simplest form, is really just being mindful. But what does that mean? It means paying more attention to the present moment. It means turning off your mind’s auto-pilot so you can live in the now. We spend so much of our lives on a never-ending merry-go-round of things running through our minds. Things we need to remember to do. Things we wish we could forget. Things we think we have to worry about. Things we have to make a decision on. Mindfulness allows us to step off that merry-go-round and catch our breath.
Being mindful involves noticing your thoughts and letting them pass. It involves noticing all the sights, sounds, smells and tastes around you. It allows you to give whatever you are doing at that moment in time your full attention. It allows you to appreciate the beautiful blossom on the tree on the way to work, instead of barely registering it as you mentally rehearse that difficult conversation you need to have with a client.
What are the benefits of mindfulness?
There are several benefits of mindfulness that people cite, some of which have scientific research to back them up. Some of the conditions for which mindfulness can be beneficial are stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia and high blood pressure. It is also great for general wellbeing and is a fantastic way to calm a busy mind.
It can help people become more aware of their thoughts and improve their self-awareness. Half the battle of challenging our negative thought patterns is being able to recognise when those thoughts are not serving us. Slowing down our minds and observing our thoughts allows us to look at them more rationally and carry out some quality control!
It also encourages us to enjoy the moment. Life flies by and all too often our minds are racing ahead to tomorrow or the next day and we miss fully enjoying today. Honing in on your current moment enables you to fully experience that moment.
How do I practise mindfulness?
So now you know what mindfulness is and why it’s good for you, but how do you actually do it? Well, the ability to practise mindfulness is something we all have in within us. The hardest part is remembering to do it. To practise mindfulness you simply need to be present and to be aware of your thoughts. A simple way to start is to try eating mindfully. Not only does this enhance our wellbeing, it helps slow down our eating, which aids digestion.
Eating mindfully means focusing on all the senses that are engaged when we eat. Focus on the smell of the food, its texture as you eat it and how it tastes. And you can extend your mindfulness to the whole ritual of preparing your food. For example, if you are having a slice of toast for breakfast, make the decision that you are going to focus solely on making your toast and eating it. Notice how soft your bread is before putting it in the toaster. Listen to the sound of the toaster engage and then feel the warmth radiating from the toaster. Take the opportunity to slow your breathing as you wait for your toast to pop. Notice any thoughts that pop into your head that are irrelevant to the task at hand. Acknowledge them but let them pass.
Once your toast pops, feel the heat of the toast and notice how the texture and colour has changed. Slowly spread your butter and focus on the sound of the knife scraping on the toast and see the butter slowly melt into the toast. Do the same with your chosen toast topper. Feel the weight of the knife as you cut it in two. Then sit down and take a moment to savour the smell of the buttered toast before taking a bite. When you do take a bite, notice how it feels and then how it tastes. Is it sweet? Salty? Focus on your chewing and then swallowing your mouthful.
As you can see, you can take any everyday activity and turn it into a mindfulness exercise. Try it while brushing your teeth, taking a shower or just making a cup of tea. The most important part is that you give your chosen activity your full attention.
What if I get distracted?
I can tell you now, it’s not a case of “if” you get distracted. You will. Thoughts about remembering to pick up some milk later or the prep you need to do for your meeting will inevitably pop into your head, no matter how hard you try to stop them. The key is to not to try and stop them. Notice them and let them pass. Think of them as clouds in a blue sky – the ones that look like they are moving. Let them float through your mind and then bring your attention back to what you are doing.
How do I get started?
In the words of the famous trainer brand, just do it! You don’t need any fancy equipment or training. Just make the decision to give it a go. Start small, aiming for a few minutes each day. And then build it up. Try linking it to something you already do each day, such as cleaning your teeth, to help you remember. You could also set an alarm to prompt you although I find linking it to another activity works best because I often ignore an alarm if I am in the middle of doing something. There are also various apps that can help you build your mindfulness practice, such as Headspace, which is a popular one.
Or have a go at mindful baking with my lemon drizzle cake recipe, which has the added bonus of resulting in a delicious cake! However you choose to practise mindfulness, enjoy the moment of peace you feel and hold onto that feeling to give you the momentum to keep doing it.
I'd love to hear your thoughts