Mindfulness for mental wellbeingIt can be easy to rush through life without stopping to notice much. Often people can actually use this as a strategy to avoid the discomfort that can accompany stillness. However the research is finding more and more that paying more attention to the present moment – to your own thoughts and feelings, and to the world around you – can improve your mental wellbeing. Show
Some people call this awareness “mindfulness,” and you can take steps to develop it in your own life. Mindfulness, sometimes also called “present-centredness,” can help us enjoy the world more and understand ourselves better. Being mindful, and becoming more aware of the present moment, means noticing the sights, smells, sounds and tastes that you experience, as well as the thoughts, feelings and sensations that occur from one moment to the next. Mindfulness for mental wellbeing, or being aware of yourself and the world, is one of the five evidence-based steps we can all take to improve our mental wellbeing. What is mindfulness?Mark Williams, professor of clinical psychology at the Oxford Mindfulness Centre and Welcome principal research fellow at the University of Oxford, says:
Professor Williams says that mindfulness can be an antidote to the “tunnel vision” that can develop in our daily lives, especially when we are busy, stressed or tired.
How can mindfulness help?Becoming more aware of the present moment can help us enjoy the world around us more, and understand ourselves better.
Studies have found that mindfulness programmes – in which participants are taught mindfulness practices across a series of weeks – can bring about reductions in stress and improvements in mood. How you can practise mindfulnessReminding yourself to take notice – of your thoughts, feelings and body sensations, and the world around you – is the first step to mindfulness.
It can be helpful to pick a time – the morning journey to work or a walk at lunchtime – during which you decide to be aware of the sensations created by the world around you. Trying new things – sitting in a different seat in meetings, going somewhere new for lunch – can also help you notice the world in a new way.
You can practise this anywhere, but it can be especially helpful to take a mindful approach if you realise that, for several minutes, you have been “trapped” in re-living past problems or “pre-living” future worries. To develop an awareness of thoughts and feelings, some people find it helpful to silently name them: “Here is the thought that I might fail that exam.” Or, “Here is anxiety.” Formal mindfulness practicesAs well as practising mindfulness in daily life, it can be helpful to set aside time for a more formal mindfulness practice. Several practices can help create a new awareness of body sensations, thoughts and feelings. They include:
Living Well mindfulness resourcesWe have developed several mindfulness based resources throughout this website, including:
5 steps to mental wellbeingThis page is part of a series called the five steps for mental wellbeing. There are other steps we can all take to improve our mental wellbeing. Check out the other pages in this series:
What is the awareness of the sensations thoughts and feelings that we experience at a given moment?Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.
What is a continuous flow of changing sensations images thoughts and feelings?Stream of Consciousness- Term used by William James to describe the mind as a continuous flow of changing sensations, images, thoughts and feelings.
Which part of the brain is awareness typically associated?Neuroscientists have believed that three brain regions are critical for self-awareness: the insular cortex, the anterior cingulate cortex, and the medial prefrontal cortex.
What refers to individuals understanding that they and others think feel perceive and have private experiences?theory of mind. Refers to individuals' understanding that they and others think, feel, perceive, and have private experiences. metacognition. An internal process using your consciousness awareness to reflect on your personal thoughts.
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