Mindfulness: Your Simple Guide to Inner Balance and Peaceful Living

How do you start your morning? Do you get up with the 5th alarm, hating the whole world, brush your teeth, grab some coffee, and rush to work? You don’t know how to stop worrying about everything, turn off problem-solving mode, and learn to live without self-deprecating psychological babble? This is what mindfulness can help with.

Despite its Buddhist origins, mindfulness meditation has gained popularity in the West since the 1990s and is now a psychologically supported, secular method of self-knowledge that does not rely on any official belief system.  Let’s look at how we can become more mindful and the benefits of mindfulness in everyday life.

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What is Mindfulness & the Purpose of Mindfulness? 

Mindfulness is the ability to stay in the present, entirely focused on your emotions, needs, and feelings at the moment in a spirit of friendliness and curiosity. All people possess this ability, but occasionally we live our lives as though they are running on autopilot, responding to situations and becoming enmeshed in them without even realizing it.

By engaging in mindfulness practices, you can manage negative thoughts, reduce anxiety, and become less distracted by the commotion around you. As neuroscientist Sam Harris once stated, “The quality of our lives is largely determined by the way we pay attention to the present moment. “ 

Meaning of Mindfulness in Psychology

What is mindfulness-based therapy? It’s a broad term that involves several treatment methods, like cognitive behavior therapy or dialectical behavior therapy, stress reduction, and meditation practices. All of them teach us to control our thoughts, conscious awareness, and change how we feel, act, and live. Here’s how you learn to do it.

• Observe your thoughts. Notice how they come and go without emotional involvement. Mindfulness meditation practice helps you stay in touch with reality without becoming engrossed in obsessive thoughts, such as about cheating, or fixating on potential future scenarios.

• Feel your body. Pay attention to the bodily sensations in different parts of your body, and quite soon, you’ll understand how to tell if nausea is from anxiety and why you feel shallow breathing right now.

• Separate you and your thoughts. Drifting thoughts don’t define who you are. When practicing mindfulness, you’ll understand that the meaning of your life is much more complicated than constant overthinking.

• Learn to respond to your thoughts. Mindfulness is about choosing the emotion you want and letting go of distressing thoughts.

What is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)?

This mindfulness meditation works as a series of meditation practices that lower stress levels and help deal with depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and other disorders. For example, studies prove that MBSR can reduce stress connected to chronic illnesses like cancer, hypertension, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, etc. [1]

Jon Kabat-Zinn developed mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. It consists of two main components: mindfulness meditation practice and yoga. 

MBSR is usually practiced during group sessions with certified trainers, but you can also try some of its aspects alone. Though extensively employed in clinical settings and researched for its positive effects on well-being, MBSR is not categorized as a form of psychotherapy but rather as an educational intervention.

What is Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)?

This approach combines mindfulness and cognitive-behavioral therapy to help people disengage from automatic actions and thoughts to conscious ones and mindful awareness. MBCT involves different practices like breath control, shifting attention, and meditation.

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is best suited for patients who have experienced mental disorders before, particularly depression,  and want to reduce the risk of relapse. Also, MBCT helps treat adults with ADHD. [2]

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5 Benefits of Mindfulness to Live a Better Life

Here are the mental health benefits of spending 5-10 minutes daily practicing mindfulness.

1. Improved focus

Our thoughts like to drift away, and mindfulness is a great skill to snap them back and regain your focus and mindful awareness. The attention-related area where alterations in activity and/or structure in response to mindfulness meditation are most frequently observed is the anterior cingulate cortex. [3] 

2. Lower stress level

Research suggests that mindfulness-based interventions improve emotion regulation and reduce stress. Different mindfulness meditation engagement patterns are seen in the fronto-limbic networks involved in these processes [4].

When you change self-destructive, negative thoughts into nurturing, nonjudgmental, and positive ones, your states and problems begin to improve.

3. Better self-awareness

What do you feel now? Are you tired, energetic, or relaxed? Are you happy, worried, or maybe sad? Can you say your feelings out loud? Many of us might not notice changes in our mental and physical state over a day, and understand that something goes wrong when it’s too late. Mindfulness helps us change it.

“Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn, American professor and founder of MBSR.

4. Ability to cope with negative thoughts

Additionally, mindfulness helps you choose your thoughts and feelings rather than reacting irrationally all at once and helps you see things objectively. What’s more, this practice can help with understanding human emotions and turning your attention to what you want to feel at a particular moment. In this manner, your ability to control your emotions will be given more weight.

5. Better sleep

If you struggle to fall asleep and stay awake all night, mindfulness is a great option for you. 

It increases the length and quality of sleep while helping you rest better. Studies have shown that mindfulness has a positive effect on improving insomnia and fatigue. [5] So, you’ll finally stop asking yourself, “Why do I wake up tired?”

6 Types of Mindfulness Techniques

Now that you understand the difference between the two terms, let’s explore different types of emotional awareness practices that you can easily integrate into your daily life.

Mindfulness activities include breathing, journaling, movement, and visualization. Learn more about these mindfulness techniques below.

1. Mindful Breathing

Concentrating on your breathing is one of the first things we recommend to develop mindfulness skills. Close your eyes and feel how your lungs fill with air. Breathe out slowly. Repeat. Stop thinking about what’s going on around you; all that matters is your breath. Do this simple mindfulness exercise every time you feel overwhelmed or stressed.

2. Mindful Journaling 

Your journal shouldn’t necessarily be ideal and well-organized. More importantly, it should help you organize things inside your head and focus on your sensations, feelings, and emotions.

3. Mindful Movement

Mindful movement is about concentrating on your physical sensations while doing something. From walking and stretching to running and cycling, or even mindful eating, you can be aware and stay focused during any activity. Notice your feelings and bodily sensations; it’ll let you clear your head and feel better, and positive emotions.

4. Visualization

It’s a mindful practice that helps reduce stress and make your journey to your goals faster.

• The first approach implies that you focus on a specific object for a set time and study it in detail. Some people consider this mindfulness meditation practice perfect for beginners, as it’s easier than focusing on the breath.

• The second approach means that you imagine the scene, sights, sounds, and everything you want or need without judgment. Visualization can inspire you to pursue your dreams and help you achieve them.

5. Body scan

A guided mindfulness exercise in which you gradually focus your attention on different parts of your body, from head to toe, to notice sensations without judgments.

How to practice:

• Get into a relaxed position in a peaceful, cozy area.
• Take a few deep breaths to begin, and then slowly move your attention to each part of your body.
• Without making any changes, acknowledge any tension or feelings and accept them.

6. Mindfulness meditation

Meditation teaches us to take control of our thoughts, and this exercise helps us focus on specific things or objects, especially when our thoughts tend to wander and race.

1. To start meditation, sit comfortably, choose comfortable clothes, relax your body, and keep your back straight. 
2. Set a timer for 5 minutes and analyze your progress over time. Focus on your body, avoiding judging and observing every part. Pay attention to your breath and notice brain chatter. Focus on breathing and expand your awareness of the whole body.
3. After the time is over, thank yourself for this. Take a deep breath and open your eyes, feeling every movement and noticing emotions.

So, what is mindfulness meditation training? Read the article on how to meditate to discover more about it, and try simple examples. 

What is the Difference between Meditation and Mindfulness?

This confusing question has a simpler answer: mindfulness is a state, and meditation is an exercise to reach it. While the first one encourages awareness of our sensations and thoughts, the second one helps us develop the skill of constant awareness. 

Meditation	Mindfulness
The exercise of turning your attention inward by focusing on something.	The state of being in the present, focusing on what’s happening around.
A person does it for a specific time.	A general feeling integrated into daily life.
Can be therapeutic, spiritual, or for specific goals.	Helps with stress reduction and emotional regulation.

4 Tips to Start with Mindfulness

What is a mindfulness activity? It’s a daily commitment to what’s essential for you: emotional intelligence, psychological stability, and overall well-being. We’ve compiled a list of the most important tips to keep in mind when starting mindfulness training.

1. Find 5 minutes for practicing mindfulness

Make mindfulness practices a routine thing. To stay focused during the day, you need to train your concentration and present moment awareness. Let’s think about it like the gym. For your muscles to grow, you need to work them at least 2-3 times a week and increase the weight.

The same thing is true with mindfulness. Add practices to your calendar and grow your “mental muscles” daily. Perceive it as time for yourself and your happiness, and you’ll see the first results quite soon.

2. Be kind to yourself and practice self-compassion.

All great journeys start from the first step. Like the gym, mindfulness is all about consistency and discipline. Don’t push your limits and hurry yourself up. You don’t need to become a guru of concentration in a week. Just add a little bit of self-love and kindness in everyday life.

3. Turn it into the way you live

The practice of mindfulness is more than just 5, 10, or even 30 minutes a day. It’s your whole lifestyle. Being mindful means staying attentive to your sensations and emotions. Learn to notice them, analyze them, and do something to feel better in the moment. Mindfulness teaches you to stop tolerating things you don’t like. 

4. Have fun 

Mindfulness can become boring if you do the same thing in everyday life. This way, you’ll always discover something new and will be involved in the process of self-improvement.

• Try new mindfulness practices
• Change the place and time
• Note your achievements
• Practice mindfulness with friends and share the results
• Discover more about famous mindfulness teachers and their mindfulness programs

Bottom Line

Now, you can easily answer the question, “What is true about mindfulness in daily life, sport, and exercise?” You’re ready to develop your focus and concentration skills and learn to stay in the present moment.

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Awareness is the foundation of mindfulness. With Breeze’s daily emotion check-ins, users can pinpoint their current feelings, consider potential reasons, and spot recurring trends. Instead of long meditations, Breeze provides short, actionable exercises to help you pause, breathe, and reconnect throughout the day.

Sources:

1. Niazi, A. K., & Niazi, S. K. (2011). Mindfulness-based stress reduction: a non-pharmacological approach for chronic illnesses. North American journal of medical sciences 
2. Bachmann, K., Lam, A. P., & Philipsen, A. (2016). Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and the Adult ADHD Brain: A Neuropsychotherapeutic Perspective. Frontiers in psychiatry. 
3. Marchand W. R. (2014). Neural mechanisms of mindfulness and meditation: Evidence from neuroimaging studies. World journal of radiology.
4. Sanilevici M, Reuveni O, Lev-Ari S, Golland Y, Levit-Binnun N. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Increases Mental Wellbeing and Emotion Regulation During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Synchronous Online Intervention Study. Front Psychol. 2021 
5. Black DS, O’Reilly GA, Olmstead R, Breen EC, Irwin MR. Mindfulness Meditation and Improvement in Sleep Quality and Daytime Impairment Among Older Adults With Sleep Disturbances: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2015