Mindfulness and good mental health

 

  • 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England

  • 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (like anxiety and depression) in any given week in England


Studies show that practicing mindfulness can help to manage common mental health problems like depression, anxiety and feelings of stress. There is also some evidence that mindfulness could help with more complex mental health conditions, such as psychosis and bipolar disorder.

NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) place mindfulness as one of their preferred options in the treatment of anxiety and depression in the UK.

 

So, what is mindfulness?
Is it some mumbo jumbo hippie stuff where I need to chant and sit in a field of barley in my underwear sniffing flowers?

The answer is, not exactly.

Although mindfulness has its basses in Buddhism and is over 3,000 years old, it is now a thoroughly researched science and is used in many modern medical settings! There is a huge body of research into the benefits of mindfulness and its effects on mental health.

Let’s look a bit more into it.

Most people live on ‘Auto Pilot’. You know, arriving somewhere on the bike or in the car and thinking “Oh I’m here already”, or passing junction 26 on the motorway and thinking, “I don’t remember passing 24 or 25!”

You are there and are driving competently, but your mind wanders elsewhere.

Very often we do things automatically, without noticing what we’re doing. We churn out judgments about ourselves and others. We try to do ten things at once.

We frequently get so caught up in thoughts and feelings about the past or future that we get lost in them, disconnecting from what is happening now, right in front of us.

We create scenarios and stress ourselves with “What-if’s” and start believing our thoughts! All of which can be detrimental to our mental health

Well, the good news is, it doesn’t need to be like this. Mindfulness is a technique to deal with all of that and retrain your brain to not go to that place when things get on top of us. Mindfulness seeks to develop awareness of the present moment as, if we are in the present moment, we are not pondering over what’s happened and not worrying about what might happen.

Mindfulness is the practice of:

  • Stepping back from being lost in thought
  • Bringing your attention fully into the present moment
  • Observing whatever arises in awareness with friendly curiosity
  • It is non-judgmental and accepting of whatever arises be it pleasant or unpleasant

Mindfulness practice leads to:

  • Less worry about the past or future
  • Less criticism of self and others
  • More acceptance of the present moment as it is
  • A different way of relating to and coping with sensations, emotions, thoughts and feelings.
  • A greater sense of being a part of life

     

Why Mindfulness is important
The mind is an amazing tool but if we are unable to switch it off, it can play havoc with our mental state and overwhelm us. It is estimated that the average person thinks around 60,000 thoughts every day and they are just that – thoughts! But our mind has a way of making us believe they are reality with absolutely no evidence!

Few people live in the moment, we very often dwell on the past or imagine what good or bad the future will hold. Mindfulness can help to change all this. You learn first-hand how much the mind wanders, how it continuously shifts from one topic to another and how this mind wandering can allow negative thoughts and feelings to increase.

You will learn how to catch these negative thought patterns before they spiral out of control. You then learn how to bring the mind back to the present moment.

Mindfulness gives you a break from the intensity of distressing thoughts and emotions because you see that they are only PART of our ACTUAL present moment experience. As you gain some distance from the intensity of a problem – solutions are much easier to arrive at. Real-life benefits can include:

  • Your health improves
  • Blood pressure normalises
  • Heart rate reduces
  • Cardiovascular effectiveness increases
  • Enhanced immune system
  • Stress and anxiety reduces
  • Sleep and concentration improves
  • Stomach and bowel functions improve
  • Pain is easier to cope with

You will feel a greater sense of connectedness to life as a whole and simply feel HAPPIER for absolutely no reason whatsoever!

 

Who is mindfulness for?

Basically, anyone who would like to find a way of increasing their sense of wellbeing and living more fully, effectively and calmly. No previous experience of meditation is necessary and you can do mindfulness anywhere at any time!

You don’t need to buy the latest expensive equipment or the trendiest brand of gym wear, all you need is within you!

Mindfulness has been proven to reduce depression and anxiety symptoms and increase psychological well-being.

Isn’t it time you took a look?

CLICK HERE to download this article in .docx format