Why Mindfulness Is Essential to Self-Care

“Mindfulness isn’t difficult. We just need to remember to do it.” - Sharon Salzber

“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

Mindfulness is much talked about, especially in today’s chaotic, fast-paced and busy world. Do you juggle what seem like a million things at once? Or do you feel like you almost always have too much on your plate? Are you stressed, worried, or unhappy? Mindfulness can help you.

Being mindful essentially means being fully aware of what is happening right now, in the present, without any judgment. Studies show that people who are mindful are happier and have a greater sense of well-being than others. If you practice mindfulness (for instance, through meditation), you are likely to be more satisfied in life and less likely to experience any emotional distress. This is because mindfulness can instill a sense of control, helping you manage your emotions better. Importantly, being mindful can help you feel more connected with others, improving your social support system - in turn making you happier.

Mindfulness has many benefits, but it might be difficult to achieve. Everyone has an inborn ability to be mindful, but for some, this ability is more strongly developed. This means that many of you might struggle with even simple meditation, while others might find it rather easy to achieve.

But there’s hope for those who think that mindful meditation is just ‘not their thing’. You can learn to be more mindful by following a few simple steps:

Try to merely observe

Mindfulness involves observing your thoughts and feelings, which can help you develop an awareness of yourself. This, in turn, will enable you to distance yourself from your thoughts and feelings, so that you can deal with them better. Becoming aware can help you break free from negative thinking patterns, allowing you to direct your attention to more positive thoughts and feelings.

Look at your thoughts objectively

Developing an awareness of your thoughts and feelings can help you attain clarity about yourself, your needs, goals and desires. When you learn to look at your thoughts and feelings objectively and clearly, you are more ‘in sync’ with yourself - and can easily attain mindfulness.

Accept your emotions 

When you have negative thoughts or feelings, you may try to avoid or deny them - which can be an unhealthy way of coping in the long run. Mindfulness, on the other hand, requires that you intentionally focus on such thoughts or feelings.. The idea is that when you become accepting of your thoughts or feelings, instead of trying to fight them, you are likely to feel at ease and experience a sense of calm.

Practice being non-judgmental

A non-judgmental attitude is the cornerstone of mindfulness. In order to be truly mindful and fully aware in the present moment, you need to look at yourself and what’s happening around you without any judgement. The moment you judge, you shut yourself off from a fresh, unbiased perspective of the situation, and this can prevent you from accepting what is happening. Instead, try letting things flow - let your ‘judgments’ come and go, and don’t pay too much heed to them. This way, you can experience a greater sense of calm and well-being.

Be in the present 

You have the power to control your attention. Mindfulness involves being attentive right now - that is, focusing on the present. If your mind wanders to someplace else - that is, if you find yourself feeling sad about something that already happened or worried about something that is yet to come - you simply have to bring your mind back to the present. Additionally, when you pay attention, you are also likely to remember things better. This is why mindfulness is associated with better memory. In fact, when you are present and attentive, you are better able to remember positive events and deal with stress effectively.

Conclusion

Mindfulness is not something you might achieve the first time you try it. It’s a skill that you can develop with hard work and regular practice. It might be difficult at first, but once you get a hang of it, you will find yourself feeling calmer and happier. 

If you need more help getting the most out of mindfulness, you can consult our expert therapists and psychiatrists who can enable you to live life to the fullest.