Mindfulness: An Introduction and Some Techniques

Mindfulness has received vast amounts of attention in recent years, and it has become increasingly popular as a tool for managing psychological issues. As a result, there has been an explosion of interest in this approach by mental health professionals.

Definition and Explanation

You don't have to be Eckhart Tolle to live in the present moment. Fundamentally, mindfulness is a simple concept. One description is:

Present-moment, conscious or deliberate ongoing awareness of what's occurring inside and outside our bodies.

Mindfulness is not about the pursuit of 'feeling good'. But, it is associated with an attitude of acceptance and non-judgement of the present. In practice, this means suspending opinions on what is 'right' or 'wrong', what is 'wanted' or 'unwanted'. Instead, we simply try to observe things (e.g., a physical sensation) without labelling or evaluating.

So, while the concept is straightforward, achieving a mindful state of being is challenging.

It is easy to lose awareness of what's happening with the body and brain throughout our daily lives. For example, we have all experienced a wandering or blank mind. Alternatively, there is a tendency to stop consciously registering shoulder tension or a tight chest through prolonged periods of stress. In fact, it is quite common to lose touch with thoughts and feelings.

That loss of connection with the here and now can generate psychological distress. As a result, the mind wanders towards unhelpful thinking processes associated with anxiety and depression.

For example:

Mental time-travelling by predicting future disasters (e.g., I will mess up that job interview) or replaying perceived mistakes in the past (e.g., stuttering during a conversation)
Instead of simply acknowledging unpleasant emotional states, we can beat ourselves up for being angry, apprehensive, pessimistic, or sad.

Keeping focused on the moment by moment shifts in psychological states can help us manage problematic thinking patterns and other issues.

The public interest in mindfulness is matched by research activity. Evidence suggests a small to moderate positive effect of mindfulness on physical and mental health issues (1,2,3). This approach can also help reduce stress in day to day life. Certain mindfulness programmes delivered online also produce positive outcomes (4).

Being Present

Some people benefit from focusing on paying attention to the present. We are more likely to catch key thoughts and emotions (or unhelpful thinking patterns) when present-focused in daily life.

For example, some people beat themselves up for being anxious: Why did I get so nervous; Don't be stupid, there's nothing to worry about. Mindfulness can help bring us out of these unhelpful thinking patterns. A related approach to negative thoughts is notice, name and normalise.

Mindfulness vs Meditation

These terms are used interchangeably at times. There are similarities and differences, so there are no clear-cut ways to differentiate the two practices. More confusingly, related terms like 'mindfulness meditation' are common.

The main differences are that meditation often involves directing attention towards something specific (e.g., breathing, an object), whereas mindfulness may encourage wide, non-specific observation (but not always). There may be a more formal, deliberate practice element to meditation (but again, not always!).

Perhaps it's best not to get too concerned about definitions but focus more on finding exercises that are beneficial for you.

Intervention

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) was developed initially to reduce relapse rates for depression. This therapy combines modern therapeutic techniques with mindfulness meditation in structured sessions. MBCT was developed by researchers who drew upon the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn and his Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction programme (MBSR). Some practitioners use this approach for recurrent depression.

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The Workplace

Mindfulness practice has been applied to the workplace. Some companies provide skills programs for employees. However, there can be a limited benefit when mindfulness skills are promoted without reference to specific occupational challenges.

We find mindfulness skills are most useful at work when used to listen to the body for signs of psychological difficulties (e.g., low self-confidence). These problems tend to be more easily managed when caught early. Mindfulness is used to monitor early warning signs. Once detected, other psychological skills are used to tackle the problem of concern directly.

Workplace stress provides an excellent example of this approach.

Some people ignore the body as stress levels increase. This leads to an undetected build-up of physical and mental effects that impair performance. High stress levels are only acknowledged during a break from work (e.g., that evening, over the weekend). By then, it is too late to intervene.

We sometimes encourage people to take microbreaks via scheduled mindfulness exercises, such as a body scan. This pause helps to monitor signs of stress and promote early intervention.

Some exercises

Mindfulness can be a handy tool, but it does not work for everyone. Having said that, there are some great resources to test the water.

These exercises involve more than just taking a deep breath! Try this mindful eating guidance.

Here are another couple of common techniques. Close your eyes and try:

The body scan meditation is a good way to get back in contact with the body's feelings.
The expansion exercise is a method for 'sitting with' uncomfortable psychological and physical experiences.

We hope you found this introduction to mindfulness helpful. Enjoy the exercises. Don't expect miracles immediately, and definitely don't give yourself a hard time if mindfulness is not for you!

Quotes

Much has been said about meditation practices. Here are a few comments:

Live the actual moment. Only this actual moment is life. Thich Nhat Hanh

You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather. Pema Chodron

That's life: starting over, one breath at a time. Sharon Salzberg

Mindfulness is a pause. The space between stimulus and response. That's where choice lies. Tara Brach