Mindfulness

Wat is exactly meant by this?

The definition which is most often used, originates from Jon Kabat-Zinn:

" Paying attention in a particular way

on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally "

We are all familiar with it; those moments that you are totally not present. That you started eating chips, and suddenly, the bag appears almost empty. Or that you got into the car, and before you are aware, you arrived at work, without remembering exactly how you got there. These are common examples of the automatic pilot (the doing-mode). In our busy modern lives, we constantly try to fulfil a lot of different roles at the same time. Therefore, it is quite easy to lose present moment awareness; like when we are trying our best to combine household tasks, finances and other -sometimes conflicting- demands. As humans, we are often 'not present' in our lives. We are spending a lot of time in the past ('If only I had...') or the future ('I must not forget to call him back'). We tend to overlook things, ignore what our bodily sensations are trying to tell us, an we are giving ourselves hard times when criticising ourselves over and over again...

Becoming aware of your thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations (the being-mode), might not sound very useful at first. However, when becoming aware of what arises in the present moment, we are able to make more conscious decisions on what subsequent action to take. This can save us a lot of energy during our lifetime, for example by suspending our judgments and thoughts of self-criticism, or by taking more short breaks so that you can work more efficiently. This, among others, can have an incredible positive impact on our lives.

To immediately undermine two common misconceptions:

No, mindfulness is not a religion & No, it is also not a passive way to live your life.
Its' roots are in Buddhism, which entails a lot of great wisdom. Mindfulness is being aware, taking responsibility of our choices and choosing to approach difficulties at times when you were previously inclined to avoid them.

In short, you need courage when choosing this path. Courage and perseverance.

I wish you a powerful journey!

Literature

Want to know more?


A beginner's guide to mindfulness
| Ernst Bohlmeijer & Monique Hulsbergen |

Mindfulness in a Frantic world
| Mark Williams & Danny Penman |

Research

The number of scientific studies on mindfulness is increasing exponentially. The official 8-wk mindfulnesstraining has proven effective in many areas, in particular for relapse prevention in depression (MBCT). Moreover, 8-wk mindfulnesstrainings (MBCT/MBSR) can lead to better mental health by, among others:

~ Reduced stress and rumination
~ Improved focus
~ Increased (self)compassion