Mindfulness is deliberately focusing on and paying attention to one thing in the moment, without judging the experience. When we are being mindful, we notice without judgement, when our mind wanders to other things and gently guide it back to the focus.
Life can get busy. That often means we rush through things without stopping to notice what is going on in the moment. When we’re also going through difficulties, it can be even harder to focus. We might constantly be planning what we need to do next or thinking over and over about something from the past.
So when out on a mindful walk for example, we would really notice all the small details, the colour of the leaves on the trees, the sound of the crunching ground beneath your feet, the spring flowers starting to bloom at the base of the trees, the distant noise of the traffic. It could be really easy to be distracted from this moment if you start thinking about things you need to put on your to-do list or what your next task of the day is, but by taking time to connect to the present moment it helps us to discover a sense of peace and enjoyment.
There has been lots of research around the effects of mindfulness, here’s some of the benefits people experience when they regularly practice mindfulness:
- Feeling calmer and relaxed
- Increased levels of energy and enthusiasm for life
- An increase in compassion for themselves, others and the planet
- Feeling more confident and accepting of themselves
- A lower risk of experiencing both physical and psychological distress, such as depression, anxiety, chronic pain, addiction.
Here are a few ways to start being more mindful:
Take a moment to focus on things, noticing finer details of something that you’ve not noticed before. The sensations you experience as you take a deep breath in, the weight of your body on a chair. Very often we do things on auto-pilot and we don’t notice what is actually happening in the moment.
Paying attention to taste, texture, sight and smells of the food you eat. Maybe start by noticing the different textures of the items that make up your meal, or when drinking a tea or coffee, paying attention to the temperature of the liquid and the sensation of the drink in your mouth and as you swallow.
Paying attention to the feeling of your body moving, noticing the breeze on your skin, noticing the different smells and colours around you.
Really focusing on the picture you are colouring in, the colours you are using, fully participating in the activity, noticing if your mind wanders elsewhere and gently guiding it back to the colouring you are doing. You can get some free colouring pages here.
Things that might help
Local library service
Some publications available by your local library that you might find helpful:
Jon Kabat-Zinn (Full catastrophe Living),
Tich Nacht Han (The Miracle of Mindfulness),
Mark G Williams (Mindfulness. A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World) and
Ruby Wax (e.g. A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled).