What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.
Whenever you bring awareness to what you’re directly experiencing via your senses, or to your state of mind via your thoughts and emotions, you’re being mindful. And there’s growing research showing that when you train your brain to be mindful, you’re actually remodeling the physical structure of your brain.
“It’s easy to stop noticing the world around us. It’s also easy to lose touch with the way our bodies are feeling and to end up living ‘in our heads’ – caught up in our thoughts without stopping to notice how those thoughts are driving our emotions and behavior.
The aim of mindfulness is not to quiet the mind or attempt to achieve a state of eternal calm. The goal is simple: we’re aiming to pay attention to the present moment, without judgment. Easier said than done, we know.
Our minds often get carried away in thought. That’s why mindfulness is the practice of returning, again and again, to the present moment.
Don’t judge yourself for whatever thoughts crop up, just practice recognizing when your mind has wandered off, and gently bring it back.
Mindful eating (Food Meditation)
- Establish a routine and practice mindful eating
- In times of uncertainty, it is normal to feel anxious, sad, stressed, and scared. Maintaining a normal daily routine can help manage some of this stress. One way we can do this is by sticking to regular mealtimes and planning meals in advance. This can help us better control hunger levels, meet our nutrient requirements, and allow us to get the most out of the food we have, reducing food waste.
- During long periods of stress may find ourselves eating more than we need. Plus, staying at home for longer periods may also lead us to snack out of boredom. Practicing mindful eating can be a useful strategy to maintain a healthy relationship with food and to help us balance our energy intake.
- Here are some tips to help you practice more mindful eating:
- Don’t eat on the go – it’s difficult to be aware of how much you are eating. Have a seat.
- Resist eating straight from the bag/box. Serve your food – you’ll be able to see and appreciate what and how much you’re eating.
- Remove distractions. Turn off the TV and everything else with a screen, like computers, phones, etc. while eating.
- Gratitude to God and all those who are responsible for bringing the food to your plate.
- Watch the food with love.
- Take small bites and chew well, while focusing on the smell, taste, and texture of the food. Try to get 30 chews out of each bite.
- Try putting your utensils down after each bite. Don’t pick them back up until you’ve swallowed what you already have in your mouth.
- Don’t try to finish the whole plate. If you feel full, safely keep the leftovers.
Mindfulness Meditation:
Mindfulness is one of the most popular meditation techniques. It has two main parts: attention and acceptance. The attention piece is about tuning into your experiences to focus on what’s happening in the present moment. It typically involves directing your awareness to your breath, your thoughts, the physical sensations in your body and the feelings you are experiencing. The acceptance piece involves observing those feelings and sensations without judgment. Instead of responding or reacting to those thoughts or feelings, you aim to note them and let them go.
Researchers reviewed more than 200 studies of mindfulness among healthy people and found mindfulness-based therapy was especially effective for
reducing stress, anxiety, and depression
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272735813000731?via=ihub)
Mindfulness can also help treat people with specific problems including
depression, pain, smoking, and addiction.