The Power of Mindfulness: How to Incorporate Mindfulness into Your Daily Life
- Lisa Mason-Cooper
- Apr 3
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 16
Mindfulness - Being Present in the Modern World
In order to practice mindfulness, we need to understand what it is: for me, mindfulness is being aware without judgement; it is what happens when we stop the conveyor belt and pay attention to what is in front of us before it has to be switched on again; it is what happens when we are present in our lives and not moving from one thought or experience to the next, without truly feeling any of it.
Mindfulness means focusing on the present moment. We spend so much time ruminating about the past or worrying about the future, when we can only truly be in the present. This is often the basis for anxiety and depression, with anxiety being characterised by the non-stop movement of thoughts and depression being the stagnation of everything. We usually reside somewhere in between these two states, hopefully right in the middle at an extreme distance, but we are human and, as such, we experience highs and lows as a part of our lives, with these peaks and troughs punctuating moments of contentment. But how often do these moments of contentment pass by us with very little acknowledgement of them? How often are we not able to recall moments of our days because they just happened, then left, never to return? This is where mindfulness comes in.
Being mindful is about being aware of one thing at a time, whether it is the touch of a loved one’s hand, the chill of an ice cube on the tongue or even the pain from being physically or mentally hurt - things need to be acknowledged to be understood and appreciated - yes, even the bad things. This is not to say that we should, for example, keep hold of a negative emotion and allow it to fester, but we should acknowledge all emotions without judgement of ourselves, as this is the only way that we can understand who we are, understand the shape of each emotion and then, and only then, can we process it. Mindfulness can remind us to live - not exist on auto-pilot, drifting through tasks and actions without truly experiencing anything.
How can we practice mindfulness?
Being Mindful on the Move
While driving or walking, we can be more mindful of the route we take, the sounds we hear or the things we see - do not just smell the roses, pick them up, feel the petals and touch the thorns.
Mindful Breathing
When anxious, being mindful of our breathing can be a great focus as it is always present - we are breathing all the time. This is why mindfulness has become synonymous with meditation which, in its simplest form, is dedicated time spent clearing the mind, with breathing being the anchor that brings us back to focus. Meditation allows for us to be solely mindful of breathing and is scientifically proven to improve our mental health.
Technology
Be mindful of our use of technology. If we are in company, we should be mindful of being present with those we are with and not spend our time scrolling through information and images that we are unlikely to retain and which are therefore difficult to be mindful about. When we do use technology, we need to be very mindful as to why we are using it.
Mindfulness is proven to half the risk of developing depression and for those who already experience it, it stops that spiral of despair from descending further. It even has a positive effect on brain patterns, allowing for thoughts to be transient in the way that they should be as we are mindful of them as they move. Science informs us that it increases empathy, positive mood and that it can lead to a more fulfilling life.
This means that mindfulness is a wonderful resource as we need very little to be able to carry it out - no mats, no change of clothing, no device - just our breathing selves. We are only truly alive in the present and mindfulness does just that - it makes us feel alive.
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