How Mindfulness Can Help You Think Less & Live More

Does your mind ever feel constantly cluttered with negative thoughts and worries? Stress and anxiety can affect anyone of us at any time. Luckily there are ways you can slow down your mind and overcome your worries.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness has been around for thousands of years and stems from Buddhist practices. It is a mental state achieved by focussing your awareness on the present moment, whilst being able to notice and accept feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. The idea is not to push away unwanted feelings but to instead acknowledge these feelings without passing judgement, in order to move on.

Unfortunately, we may not always have full control of our lives. But we can gain control of our minds by using mindfulness, which in turn will allow us to work with our mind and body, to learn to live with more appreciation and less anxiety.

Mindfulness focuses on intentionally living with awareness in the present moment, without passing judgement or attachment.

The fantastic thing about mindfulness is that it can be practised anywhere, and the results can be life changing. For those sceptics out there, scientific research shows that mindfulness is useful for reducing stress, anxiety and depression.

You may be thinking, "how on earth will acknowledging my feelings cure my depression?". The answer is that mindfulness helps us not cling onto what's pleasant, and helps us not condemn what is unpleasant. As we grow older we stop living in the "now". We begin ruminating about past experiences and worrying about future events that are simply not relevant to the present moment.

Take children for example. By observing kids you can notice how carefree and happy they are. Yes, they may be young, but they are always living in the now. No regrets and no worries. Children are constantly being mindful, which helps them tolerate the aspects of the external world.

Practicing mindfulness daily can help us enjoy a wakeful, healthier and happier life.

How you can practice mindfulness

Mindfulness can be practised individually or taught in a group course or as part of one-to-one therapy. There's a wide variety of books, videos and online courses available so there's simply no excuse not to try out this great technique!

Meditation

Quite possibly my favourite way to practice being mindful. Meditation is an amazing way to relax the mind body and soul. Not only is it beneficial for one's mental wellbeing, it also positively impacts the physical being and is a great way to help with sleep. Meditation is essentially bringing your attention to all of the sensations in your body, whilst becoming aware of your surroundings. For more information, check out my blog post on meditation and why it's good for you!

Walking meditation (great for when you're out and about!)

This follows the same concept as meditation, can be done when you're on the go if you are feeling a bit anxious. Whilst walking, try focusing on your steps. Become aware of your body sensations and movements. Notice any tension, aches or pains within your body. Become aware of any emotions you may be feeling and allow yourselves to feel these emotions without passing judgement. If you catch yourself starting to worry or become anxious again, redirect your focus back to your body.

Mindfulness movement:

A great way to stay active and also positively impact your mind. Examples include yoga, martial arts, spiritual dancing, horseback riding and walking.

These are just a few examples of the many ways you can practice mindfulness. I highly recommend practising these techniques regularly in order to live a happy, stress-free life.

Experience your emotions, embrace them, and let them pass through you.