Why mindfulness is so super cool

I started reading about the mind, mind management and mindfulness in my mid-twenties. I was on a quest to “find” myself and came across the importance of mind management when striving to understand and create ourselves and our missions in life.

Mindfulness is another tool, originating from Buddhist teachings, that can help us manage our minds and find that much-needed “headspace” in this busy and overstimulated world. When we are mindful, we live in the moment, connected with our body and feelings, and move away from the sometimes intense depths of the mind, creating the space to balance ourselves.

How mindfulness helps

Mindfulness is a great way to learn to reconnect to ourselves and be conscious of the “mind chatter” that goes on unnoticed in our heads, clouding our present moment awareness and judgement.

“This does not mean we do not think, have empty minds or only have positive thoughts. Practising mindfulness will enable us to be consciously aware of what we think or experience (either following a thought - negative or positive - or deciding to let it go), enabling us to choose as to how we respond (or not) to situations and gain deeper connection to ourselves through acknowledging and understanding our feelings.”

Susan Grandfield 

This, in turn, enables you to make a choice about how you will respond throughout the day, whatever happens. Mindfulness is awareness and choice, enabling us to focus, gain clarity, learn patience, reignite our curiosity and learn the ability to let go.

Mindfulness and goal achievement

Mindfulness also helps you to create a balance with the goals you are striving towards. Goals are vital in moving us towards our aspirations as they give us direction, focus and motivation. However, goals need to be malleable and adjustable. As we grow and adjust to our own development, that brings with it new situations, and we need to stay aware of the impact the present moment has on our goals.

If we are too firmly fixed on our goals, we do not allow our goals to grow, develop or even change direction. Mindfulness can bring you back to the present moment. It can help us to let go of some of the stresses involved in change and working towards our dreams and aspirations, and give us the space to think creatively and clearly. The mind needs that space to rejuvenate itself and support conscious decision-making towards our goals.

Research

There is research into the positive effects of mindfulness on our body and mind. Some studies suggest mindfulness practices may help calm stress responses and support emotional regulation. These days, mindfulness tools are used in many settings, including healthcare, workplaces and education.

Many have, myself included, experienced the benefits of practising being mindful. I used to feel overwhelmed by my own thoughts until I found a way to access what I then used to call “headspace”, where my brain was able to let go of thoughts, especially negative ones, without judgement, and feel ready for another wonderful and mindful day.

Connecting to our purpose

Learning how to be mindful is finely interwoven with the different ways of understanding, finding and creating yourself too. It enables us to gain clarity into ourselves that helps us make sense of what it is we want out of this life, instead of following dogma. Through mindfulness, we are able to centre ourselves and be clearer on what it is we want and why it is we want it. Mindfulness connects us to that authentic and unique self inside that allows us to be who we are and, in return, guides us towards our purpose.

The skill of being mindful

Mindfulness is a skill in itself and needs to be learned and practised regularly. Here are a few easy ways to practise mindfulness daily.

• A really easy way to start practising mindfulness is to start noticing what is going on around you without judgement. When you are walking to the train in the morning, start by noticing things you encounter on your way, such as a bird singing or a smile.
• If you catch yourself starting to think about your to-do list, just return to noticing what is happening around you, without questioning the meaning or reasons for what you are observing.
• This can then be transferred to a 10-minute mindfulness session at home where you close your eyes, sit upright, feet parallel, hands in your lap and start to notice your breathing. Follow your breath as it moves in and out of your lungs. Breathe deep into your belly and relax your belly. Breathe into each body part, one at a time. Thoughts will appear, but kindly return your focus to your breathing. Then move your attention to feeling all your body parts, starting from your toes all the way to your fingertips and back to the neck. Feel where tension lies and relax these parts of your body, breathing into them.

Be kind to yourself and remember that, with practice, mindfulness can become easier. Susan Grandfield encourages us to spend at least 10 minutes a day practising mindfulness and increasing it as we grow.

I have found mindfulness a huge relief, enabling me to connect to my inner wisdom in the silence of my mind, connected to my body. Once you practise mindfulness regularly, you may notice how your mind begins to welcome these relaxing times and is able, outside of the sessions, to return faster to a space where you allow yourself to be free from intense thought and instead focus on the beauty of life.