What is Mindfulness? Types, Benefits, Practices

Mindfulness is a very simple, easy, and straightforward term. It refers to the fact that you know whatever you’re doing, are aware of the movements in your space, and paying attention to the things around you. Today, we’ll discuss what is mindfulness, its types, benefits, practices, and facts about mindfulness 

If the task is boring and annoying, then your mind would keep on wandering from here and there. In the other instance, you’ll have obsessive thoughts about the things that have just happened. The point is it doesn’t matter wherever your thoughts may take you, but your mind would bring you back whatever you’re doing or feeling. 

What is Mindfulness? 

Mindfulness is the capability of human beings to be fully aware of their current state in terms of where we are and what we’re doing. It’s not in a way of getting overly sensitive about the things happening around you. We can say that mindfulness is the process of developing momentary awareness of your surrounding environment, body sensations, feelings, emotions, and thoughts. 

Mindfulness requires you to accept your thoughts, feelings, and emotions and pay heed to them without a judgmental tone. For instance, by judgment, I mean that you shouldn’t analyze your thoughts that there’s no right or wrong way to think and feel at any time. When you practice mindfulness, then your mind and thought remain in the sensation of the current moment, rather than thinking about the past or future. 

Every human being is born with the trait of mindfulness. It’s not something that you have to imagine or visualize in your mind; you just have to find a way to access it. 

Benefits of Mindfulness 

Some of the main benefits of practicing mindfulness are as follows; 

• Perceiving your experiences with kindness
• Unleashes your natural curiosity about many things 
• It allows you to leave judgment aside 
• Putting the focus on the well beings of others 
• Getting insight into your own mind 
• Increases your performance
• Decrease the stress level 

Types of Mindfulness Practices 

We’re living in technology and busyness, and there are so many things going on in our mind, and we don’t have time to stop and live in the moment like smelling the rose flower. With mindfulness practices, we can slow things down and find meaning and enjoy happiness in our lives. Some of the main mindfulness practice habits that would be helpful are as follows; 

Sitting in the Morning 

Moring is the best time to practice mindfulness. It’s the time of the day when you’re fresh and you can find quietness and give yourself a few moments of mindfulness. You should avoid sleeping at the last minute, leaving the haste, and then rushing to work. 

You should get up a bit early, sit on the couch/sofa wherever you feel comfortable, be thankful for your day, and focus on your breathing. You can also perform meditation. That’s how you should start your day with the right frame of mind. 

Eating Mindfully 

Think about the last time when you ate your meal and be grateful for it. When you’re leading a busy life, then eating becomes the only fueling activity where you quickly visit the fast-food restaurant for the meal and then get back to work. 

Instead, you should cook, prepare food for yourself, and eat real-life by selecting different colors of ingredients and enjoying their flavors. When you eat, do it slowly and enjoy every sip and bite of it. It’s good for your digestion and it would relax your mind. You should avoid watching TV or checking out the notification on your smartphone. 

Spending time outside 

You should spend some time outside in order to achieve mindfulness. It doesn’t mean that you would have to visit some distant place. It could walk in the neighborhood, park, or a walking trail. It would allow you to be in the moment and connect with nature. While walking, you should focus on the small things like the wind, what you hear, and how the weather feels. 

Meditation 

Meditation is also a practice of mindfulness where you connect with your thoughts and mind. It may seem simple and easy, but it requires a lot of practice to focus on breathing by shutting down all the distractions. It benefits you in so many ways like low stress and anxiety level and achieves mental relaxation. 

One thing at a time 

The busyness compels us to perform multiple tasks at one time because of the shortage of time. When we divide our attention on various things, then we can’t focus on anything. In fact, many research studies have shown that mistakes and errors increase when you perform various things at one time. 

Therefore, you should do one thing at a time. When the work is over, take a short break, and then focus on the other task. This process of doing the work would increase your productivity and performance. 

Just feel your feelings 

Being mindful doesn’t mean that you should avoid your emotions and feelings. In fact, it requires you to accept your feelings as they are. You don’t have to impose happy emotions all the time. However, if you are not feeling good, then you should accept all types of your feelings and emotions like jealousy, anger, sadness, disappointment, failure, as they are and feel those feelings. You should be cautious about your actions and reactions. 

Create Something 

Practicing an innovative and creative hobby is a way of practicing mindfulness. It could be taking pictures, building things, painting, music, and drawing. The creative activity is a mindfulness practice in every possible way. For instance, when you meditate, walk, or spend time in nature, then more innovative ideas come to you. 

Perform Physical Activities you love 

If you do something that you love, then you can easily put your focus on it and be attentive to your awareness. It could be cycling, surfing, and playing games like football, basketball, etc. If you’re losing focus while performing such activities, then it means you’re missing the main objectives. However, when you focus on doing something that you love, and then it teaches you to practice the same mindfulness practice in other fields of life, and have a sense of control over your life. 

Facts about Mindfulness 

• Not Obscure: it doesn’t comprise any secret practices, it is simple as what we do and how we are. Many people call it with different names and it has taken many shapes and forms 
• Not a Special thing: it doesn’t require you to change and transform your identity, and it is something that everyone can do with simple practices, and it allows you to develop your inner qualities that would benefit your life. 
• Don’t need to change: it also doesn’t require you to change yourself and become someone that you’re not. In fact, it asks you to bring out the best version of yourself that you’re as a human being 
• Social phenomenon: it has the potential to transform our way of social life
• Anyone can do it: mindfulness practices don’t ask anyone to change their belief system and it brings out the best human qualities that a person could offer. It is so simple and easy to learn 
• Way of living: it isn’t just limited to some types of practices, in fact, it is a way of life, and you have to be mindful of everything you do in your life. When you do that, then it makes your life much simpler and easier 
• Proven way: you don’t have to approach mindfulness as a system of belief and faith. Personal experiences and research studies have proven that it improves your relationships and allows you to live a healthy life
• Ignites Innovation: we live in a complicated and uncertain world, mindfulness ignites your creativity so that you could deal with worldly problems in a low costly and effective way 

Mindfulness Not in your Head 

When we talk about mindfulness and its practices, then many people think that it only deals with thoughts and feelings. Something that exists only in only head and it doesn’t have to do with your body. 

In fact, mindfulness starts and ends with your physical body. It requires you to focus on things around you including your body. When you follow it rightly, then it makes you feel like your body is floating, and you don’t have to walk again. 

Conclusion: What is Mindfulness? Types, Benefits, Practices  

After an in-depth study of what is mindfulness, its various types of practices, benefits, and facts, we’ve realized that mindfulness is a very useful activity and plays a significant role in our lives. If you want to learn how to practice it, then you study its various types and follow whatever suits you best.