What does being Mindful mean?

What does being Mindful Mean? Well Mindfulness involves paying attention to what’s going on inside and outside ourselves, moment by moment.

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 behaviour.

An important part of mindfulness is reconnecting with our bodies and the sensations they experience. This means paying attention to the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the present moment. That might be something as simple as noticing the feeling of the fresh air on your face when you go outside.

Becoming more aware of the present moment can help us enjoy the world around us more and understand ourselves better.

When we become more aware of the present moment, we begin to experience afresh things that we have been taking for granted.

Mindfulness also allows us to become more aware of the stream of thoughts and feelings that we experience, and to see how we can become entangled in that stream in ways that are not helpful.

This lets us stand back from our thoughts and start to see their patterns. Gradually, we can train ourselves to notice when our thoughts are taking over and realise that thoughts are simply "mental events" that do not have to control us.

Mindfulness can help us deal with issues more productively. We can ask: "Is trying to solve this by brooding about it helpful, or am I just getting caught up in my thoughts?"

Awareness of this kind may also help us notice signs of stress or anxiety earlier and deal with them better

Reminding yourself to be in the present moment and to take notice of your thoughts, feelings, body sensations and the world around you is the first step to mindfulness.

Disclaimer The information I (Enchanted Wicks) share is for the purpose of general interest, and is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment by a licensed medical practitioner.

While every effort has been made to provide accurate and up to date information, no expressed or implied guarantee as to the effects of the suggestion can be given, either now or in the future.