There are many of us who have a lot on our plates, like balancing work projects, taking care of the kids or older family members, and getting to grips with tasks like cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, and paying bills.
Along with attending appointments, going to school events, and joining in with family get-togethers.
And believe it or not, there are some people that even display their ability to multitask as a kind of productivity badge of honour.
Ok, so we may be getting loads done, but as we jump from one job to the next, our minds wander all over the place, and we just end up tired and stressed out.
Most of the time when our minds wander off, we are either thinking about things that have happened in the past or making new plans for what we are going to do next.
These thoughts about the past and the future clog our minds, distract us from the present moment, and hinder us from noticing the small pleasures of everyday life.
This often leads to many people coasting through their daily routines almost like they’re on autopilot, not really focusing on the actual journey itself.
But remember, life is essentially this journey.
And practicing mindfulness can help us take off those blindfolds and be more fully engaged in our day-to-day experiences.
Mindfulness is a way of thinking that is rooted in Buddhism.
It involves being aware of your thoughts, feelings, experiences, and surroundings without being judgmental (Hofmann & Gomez, 2017).
And so, when we are being mindful, we pay attention to what is going on right now rather than dwelling on the past or fretting about the future.
Even though we are able to practice mindfulness anywhere and at any time, it can be a bit difficult to grasp initially.
But, the good news is that mindfulness is a skill that anybody can get good at, and practicing mindfulness meditation is one of the best ways to achieve it.
In simple terms, mindfulness meditation is a specific way of meditating that helps you to be able to focus your attention.
It helps you to notice your breath, physical sensations, and thoughts in a non-judgmental way.
Regular practice of mindfulness meditation can bring you a lot of benefits to your overall well-being.
Let’s have a look at some of the science-backed benefits of this practice.
5 Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation
Improving your attention span:
Mindfulness is about paying close attention to what’s going on right now.
So, practicing mindfulness can train our brains to stay more focused on our tasks.
To test this concept, researchers observed the brain activity of people who were new to meditation before and after an eight-week mindfulness meditation program.
What they discovered was that after the training, these individuals showed better brain activity patterns that helped them ignore distractions and concentrate better (Kerr et al., 2011).
Increases our brain function:
Mindfulness meditation doesn’t just help with concentration; it also appears to have broader effects on the brain.
In a different study, researchers examined how practicing mindfulness affected the amount of gray matter (the part of the brain containing neuron cell bodies) in various brain regions of the participants.
What they noticed was that after eight weeks of mindfulness training, there was an increase in the density of gray matter in areas of the brain linked to learning, memory, and managing emotions (Hölzel et al., 2011).
Produces better sleep quality:
Do you ever find yourself tossing and turning in bed as your mind wanders back and forth from one thought to another?
Research suggests that mindfulness could help you to get a night of better sleep.
A meta-analysis evaluated 18 different research studies that used mindfulness meditation interventions to test the effectiveness of mindfulness on sleep quality.
The analysis indicated that mindfulness meditation may help to alleviate some parts of sleep disturbance (Rusch et al., 2019).
Can relieve stress and anxiety:
Are you trying to find ways to manage your daily stress and anxiety?
Well, mindfulness might be just what you need.
By practicing mindfulness, you can become less reactive to challenging situations, which can lower your stress and anxiety levels (Kabat-Zinn, Massion & Kristeller, 1992).
In fact, a thorough analysis of multiple studies discovered that mindfulness-based methods are effective in reducing the severity of anxiety and depression symptoms across various groups of people.
These techniques consistently performed better than non-evidence-based treatments and control conditions (Hofmann & Gomez, 2017).
Helps chronic pain sufferers:
Mindfulness techniques are now being used more and more in pain management therapies.
A thorough review of well-organized trials indicated that although mindfulness meditation might not completely eliminate pain, it can significantly enhance the overall quality of life for those individuals who are dealing with chronic pain (Hilton et al., 2017).
To Sum it Up
Mindfulness meditation might feel tough when you first start.
But regular practice can help us stay focused on the present moment and become more in tune with our thoughts, emotions, and the world around us.
While it’s not a magical solution for all problems, developing mindfulness through meditation can bring several advantages to our physical and mental well-being.
The crucial step is making it a part of your daily routine.
References
● Hilton, L., Hempel, S., Ewing, B. A., Apaydin, E., Xenakis, L., Newberry, S., Colaiaco, B., Maher, A. R., Shanman, R. M., Sorbero, M. E., & Maglione, M. A. (2017). Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Annals of Behavioral Medicine: a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 51(2), 199–213.
● Hofmann, S. G., & Gómez, A. F. (2017). Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Anxiety and Depression. The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 40(4), 739–749.
● Hölzel, B. K., Carmody, J., Vangel, M., Congleton, C., Yerramsetti, S. M., Gard, T., & Lazar, S. W. (2011). Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry research: neuroimaging, 191(1), 36-43.
● Kerr, C. E., Jones, S. R., Wan, Q., Pritchett, D. L., Wasserman, R. H., Wexler, A., … & Moore, C. I. (2011). Effects of mindfulness meditation training on anticipatory alpha modulation in primary somatosensory cortex. Brain Research Bulletin, 85(3-4), 96-103.
● Rusch, H. L., Rosario, M., Levison, L. M., Olivera, A., Livingston, W. S., Wu, T., & Gill, J. M. (2019). The effect of mindfulness meditation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1445(1), 5–16.
