What is mindfulness?
Broadly, mindfulness refers to focusing your awareness on the present moment without judgement.
You can pay attention to the present moment by noticing what you're thinking, feeling or experiencing. For instance, you might notice that you’re thinking a lot of negative thoughts. You might notice that these thoughts are making you feel anxious. Perhaps you’re simply paying attention to the sounds or smells around you. Or noticing that you’re hungry or tired.
Once you’ve noticed something, the key is to not judge it. If you notice you’re feeling anxious, mindfulness is not giving yourself a hard time for the way you’re feeling. It's about making space for those thoughts and feelings. Instead of pushing them away or trying to solve them, you observe them and accept them. Then turn your mind to what you're doing in the present moment.
This can take practice! And it can take time to feel or notice the benefits. If you're experiencing a mental health issue or have past trauma, talk to your health professional. They can help decide if mindfulness is right for you and support you as you get started.
You can pay attention to the present moment by noticing what you're thinking, feeling or experiencing. For instance, you might notice that you’re thinking a lot of negative thoughts. You might notice that these thoughts are making you feel anxious. Perhaps you’re simply paying attention to the sounds or smells around you. Or noticing that you’re hungry or tired.
Once you’ve noticed something, the key is to not judge it. If you notice you’re feeling anxious, mindfulness is not giving yourself a hard time for the way you’re feeling. It's about making space for those thoughts and feelings. Instead of pushing them away or trying to solve them, you observe them and accept them. Then turn your mind to what you're doing in the present moment.
This can take practice! And it can take time to feel or notice the benefits. If you're experiencing a mental health issue or have past trauma, talk to your health professional. They can help decide if mindfulness is right for you and support you as you get started.
Meditation is a common way of practising mindfulness. But it is not the only way.
Mindfulness:
- is a way of being
- can be done anytime, anywhere
- can be guided or unguided
- can be practised in ways that don’t involve meditation.
