The benefits of mindfulness
Mindfulness has enjoyed a tremendous popularity in the past decade. It moved from the Buddhist concept founded over 2000 years ago to the psychotherapy construct today. Mindfulness refers to a psychological state of awareness in order to bring mental processes under greater voluntary control. Being more aware and awake in the present moment allows us to experience a greater sense of acceptance that fosters calmness and relaxation.
Extensive scientific research has shown that the practice of mindfulness contributes to:
- reduced rumination. Sometimes we replay in our mind situations that happened in the past that cause us negative emotions, isolation and enter the vicious cycle of depression. Without deliberate awareness of what our mind is doing, rumination pulls us away from the present moment and we miss precious moments from our lives. Mindfulness can help us overcome rumination and, consequently, experience fewer depressive symptoms.
- reduced stress. If stress causes you to feel tense, anxious, worried, mindful breathing initiates relaxation by slowing down our breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, allowing your body to engage restorative functions that bring your body back to a baseline state and enter a state of calmness.
- increased ability to focus. Mindfulness meditation improves our executive attention, reduces mind - wandering, improves our working memory and reading.
- reduced emotional reactivity. Mindfulness is teaching us to hold our negative thoughts and emotions in a state of awareness that allows us to accept them in a nonjudgemental and nonreactive way. This practice is correlated with self- compassion.
- increased relationship satisfaction. Our increased ability to respond well to relationship stress is positively associated with increased ability to communicate better with our partners and, consequently, with relationship satisfaction.
- improved sleep. Mindfulness is a strategy that helps manage many health issues, such as insomnia. Breathing methods, guided imagery, and other strategies that allow our body to relax have a significant positive impact on our ability to rest well at night time.
Mindfulness is a powerful way of regaining mental balance and growth. It teaches us to be fully and observe what is happening outside and inside of us in a non-judgemental way. By achieving this awareness, we can notice our thoughts and emotions more easily.
