You’ve probably heard people talk about mindfulness a lot now. But what does it actually mean?
Substitute the word mindfulness with noticing, and you’ve got you’re answer. because that’s all being mindful is: noticing in the here and now.
This could be noticing your physical sensations, noticing the world around you, paying particular attention to one or more senses — what you can see, hear, feel, smell or touch.
If your mind won’t settle, don’t worry, that’s completely normal. Just notice your thoughts and your being mindful!
The reason we encourage mindfulness is because the here and now provides relief. Relief from our busy thoughts or ruminations, relief from troublesome emotions or difficult situations we might find ourselves in. We evolved to require a lot of mindfulness to help us regulate and soothe, but busy modern life, rife with screen time and on tap entertainment means that we, as humans, are getting a lot less mindfulness than we probably need.
Some people love mindfulness meditations, but they’re not for everyone, which is where everyday mindfulness comes in. You can be mindful when eating, really focusing on the taste and texture of the food. You can be mindful when walking, taking in all the different sounds and colours, and you can be mindful when taking a shower, really noticing the feeling of the water against your skin, or the scent of the shower gel.
So next time you take a walk, or eat something, or take a shower, just notice the here and now, and you’re actively supporting your emotional wellbeing.