Stress is something that we all experience at some point in our lives. In our day-to-day activities, several things can make us feel stressed out. They could be preparing for a presentation, worrying about bills, being stuck in traffic, and so on. Stress saps our energy and, when left, can lead to illnesses, and hinder us from enjoying our lives.
That is why we must deal with it before it overwhelms us. We can do this is by incorporating mindfulness into our daily lives.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a meditation technique that involves paying full attention to the current moment: our breath, the sensations on our body, our thoughts, and our feelings and accepting them without trying to interpret them or pass judgment. Mindfulness consists of two things: attention and acceptance.
Research has shown that acceptance is key for mindfulness to be effective. Acceptance involves accepting our thoughts and feelings without trying to rationalize or pass judgment. Noting them and letting them go.
Can Mindfulness reduce stress?
Although mindfulness has its roots in Buddhist philosophy, over the years, scientists have become increasingly interested in the practice and its potential benefits.
Khoury et al., in their research, discovered that mindfulness-based therapy is effective in treating psychological problems like anxiety, depression, and stress.
Not only does mindfulness reduce stress, it can help reduce pain as well. In another research, Davis et al. compared the effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Pain, Arthritis Education, and Mindfulness in reducing pain. Mindfulness was more effective in reducing pain, fatigue, and stress reactivity in individuals with Arthritis compared to the other interventions.
How Does Mindfulness Reduce Stress?
The part of our nervous system that controls our involuntary activities is the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system consists of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. These two perform opposite yet complementary functions.
The sympathetic nervous system activates when we encounter stressful events: our heart rates increase, we sweat a lot more, and our muscles may begin to tremble.
This response is supposed to be short-lived as the parasympathetic nervous system activates to bring us back to a state of calm and relaxation.
But in our world where there is an influx of stressors, this relaxation response doesn’t occur often enough.
This is where Mindfulness comes in. With Mindfulness, we can learn to tone down our sympathetic nervous system and activate our parasympathetic nervous system so that stress does not overwhelm us and lead to more severe conditions.
Mindfulness Can Change Your Brain
Aside from stress, research suggests Mindfulness can help reduce insomnia, high blood pressure, job burnout and improve sleep and attention. Another exciting effect of mindfulness is that it can change the structure and function of our brain.
Our brain has plasticity. That is, it can rewire itself as a result of experience.
Research suggests that mindfulness meditation every day for 6 to 12 months may lead to changes in the structure and function of our brain. Mindfulness meditation can increase gray matter density in the hippocampus and other frontal regions of the brain. This has the potential to improve learning, memory, and cognition.
In one study, participants underwent mindfulness meditation training for three months. During which they learned how to focus on the present moment with acceptance. After the training, they participated in an attentional blink task where they were presented with images rapidly, one after the other. Usually, most people can’t pay attention to all the target images because of the speed at which they are presented.
However, participants were able to pick up significantly more of the target images than they could before the mindfulness training. This shows that mindfulness meditation can change our brain to be more attentive.
Do Therapists Recommend Mindfulness?
Although mindfulness began as a spiritual practice, therapists have incorporated it into therapeutic interventions because of its benefits in alleviating psychological problems.
One way therapists integrate mindfulness into therapeutic intervention is the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. Individuals in this program have weekly group classes and mindfulness exercises to practice at home every day. MBSR lasts for eight weeks and teaches participants to be mindful through a combination of meditation and yoga.
Therapists also use Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) to treat individuals with depression.
Getting Started with Mindfulness
With all the impressive benefits, it is no surprise that you would want to get started with mindfulness.
Mindfulness classes are available in yoga centers and athletic clubs.
Some mindfulness-based interventions are available online, although there is not enough research to show their effectiveness.
You can try practicing mindfulness on your own by incorporating it into your daily life. You can turn every moment into a mindfulness practice just by paying attention without judgment, like when taking a shower or eating a meal.
Here are some tips to help you get started with mindfulness:
1) Set aside some time: To practice mindfulness, you don’t need any special equipment. Pick a space where you can be alone for up to 30 minutes.
2) Choose your posture: Position yourself in a way that you would be alert and at ease at the same time.
3) Observe the present moment: Take the moment as it is. Allow yourself to notice the aliveness of your body. Anchor your focus to the sensations in different parts of your body.
3) If judgments arise, note them and let them roll by. The goal is not to make your mind blank but to focus and accept your sensations and thoughts.
4) When your mind wanders, note it and let it go. Return to observing the present moment as it is.
5) Be kind to yourself and don’t judge yourself for whatever thoughts come.
Mindfulness may seem difficult at first, but the benefits are worth it. You can start with 5 minutes and work your way up to 30 minutes. You can practice mindfulness meditation every day for six months until it becomes effortless and a part of you.