There are so many ways to define mindfulness, either by basing it on what it is or what it is not. If we can break the word into two parts, we can see that it is ″mindful″ (a root) and ″ness″ (an amplifier)
Mindfulness is the art of being available and wholly immersed in whatever one could be doing, free from interruption, distraction, or judgment. Mindfulness allows us to create some space within ourselves and our responses, making us aware of our reactions. When one is mindful, they are aware of whatever is going on within their environment.
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Why Mindfulness?
Well, one could wonder why they should include mindfulness in their lives. The answer is simple yet complex. Human beings like to control their lives. When they are unaware of what is going on in their lives, they tend to be more frustrated. One way to create such awareness and alertness, or a sense of control, is to breathe in and out intentionally, that is, being mindful. The objective of mindfulness is to wake up to the internal operations of our psychological, passionate, and physical procedures.
Benefits of Mindfulness
Below are some of the benefits of mindfulness:
- Mindfulness boosts the brain.
- Mindfulness fuels creativity.
- Mindfulness helps you set the flow and brings engagement in whatever you do.
- It boosts confidence and concentration.
- It makes your body feel relaxed.
- It helps you manage your anger, frustration or even excitement!
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How to Practice Mindfulness
Meditation
One cannot talk about mindfulness without talking about meditation, since it is a proven way of practicing mindfulness. Meditation is a way of calming the mind, making it still and breathing intentionally. So many people complain and say that they cannot free the mind from thoughts, but that can be handled. When meditating, one focuses on breathing intentionally. You can count your breaths or mentally repeat a mantra or focus words just in case thoughts might want to distract you. Remember, the goal is to be aware of what you are doing without getting distracted or carried away. There are so many apps which are beginner friendly and can help one to meditate. One of them is an app called Simple Habit. You can also join guided meditation challenges either by Dr Deepak Chopra or others.
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S.T.O.P Technique
This acronym encircles a very good way to practice mindfulness, especially when there is an emotion you want to control/manage.
S stands for Stop whatever you are doing. Not abruptly, but gently.
T stands for Take deep breaths, breathing in through the nose and breathing out through the mouth, making it sounds like a sigh.
O stands for Observe every thought and emotion you are feeling at the moment. It is one of the ways to manage them.
P stands for Proceed by doing what could help you improve or handle the situation. Either walk away or continue with what you were doing but now in a quite relaxed state.
Other Ways to Practice Mindfulness
There are also other ways to quieten one′s mind or ″recharge one′s batteries″ hence practising mindfulness. You can walk in nature, spend time in greener areas or by water bodies. Journaling and creating visualization boards, employing a self-care routine, playing soft piano sounds, praying or painting, are also ways to practise mindfulness. The goal here is to do this intentionally and quietly.
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Conclusion
Mindfulness is glued on building muscle to be available and conscious in your life. Practising it makes your life better, hence making you get a deep sense of connection to your higher self. As this note comes to an end, you are invited to take five deep breaths: inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. Do this always whenever you are about to burst out with anger or any other negative emotion. Again, the next time your phone rings, try to pause and think about it a little bit before jumping to answer it or snooze your alarm. Now, congratulations on majoring in the art of breathing in and out intentionally!
References
Lise Nova Berwadushime is a Rwandan writer of poems and children’s stories. She draws her inspiration from nature, real-life situations, emotions, and kids’ innocence. She has a bachelor’s degree in Biology with honours in biochemistry which she obtained from the University of Rwanda – College of science and technology. Lise Nova works as a freelance translator and content creator and when she is not working, she enjoys listening to music and/or watching cooking videos.
