Often mindfulness is compared with meditation. But meditation is one of the ways to practice mindfulness. In this article, I will try to put some light on the meaning of mindfulness and its benefits.

Definition

First, let’s look at some of the famous definitions of mindfulness.

Mindfulness means to return to the present moment.

psychologytoday.com

Mindfulness is a technique you can learn which involves making a special effort to notice what’s happening in the present moment (in your mind, body and surroundings) – without judging anything.

mind.org

“The awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally” (Kabat-Zinn, in Purser, 2015).

mentalhealthindia.net

Mindfulness encompasses two key ingredients: awareness and acceptance. Awareness is the knowledge and ability to focus attention on one’s inner processes and experiences, such as the experience of the present moment. Acceptance is the ability to observe and accept—rather than judge or avoid—those streams of thought.

psychologytoday.com

“A receptive attention to and awareness of present events and experience,”

Lingtao Yu and Mary Zellmer-Bruhn, Harvard Business Review

“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.”

Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday by Jon Kabat-Zinn

As we can see, to live in the present moment is not just a common but important component of all definitions. Practising meditation actually help us to connect to the present moment. When we learn to focus on breathing, we are, indeed, experiencing the absolute present moment. Similarly, in our everyday work, we have to learn to be present and especially when we get driven by our train of thought we have to learn to get back where we should suppose to be.

What is the meaning of Mindfulness

Ellen Langer is professor of psychology at the Harvard University. She has done extensive research on mindfulness over 40 years. In her interview given to Harvard Business Review, she explains about mindfulness as,¹

Mindfulness is the process of actively noticing new things. When you do that, it puts you in the present. It makes you more sensitive to context and perspective. It’s the essence of engagement. And it’s energy-begetting, not energy-consuming. The mistake most people make is to assume it’s stressful and exhausting—all this thinking. But what’s stressful is all the mindless negative evaluations we make and the worry that we’ll find problems and not be able to solve them.

She further also adds,

We all seek stability. We want to hold things still, thinking that if we do, we can control them. But since everything is always changing, that doesn’t work. Actually, it causes you to lose control.

Take the work processes. When people say, “This is the way to do it,” that’s not true. There are always many ways, and the way you choose should depend on the current context. You can’t solve today’s problems with yesterday’s solutions. So when someone says, “Learn this so it’s second nature,” let a bell go off in your head, because that means mindlessness. The rules you were given were the rules that worked for the person who created them, and the more different you are from that person, the worse they’re going to work for you. When you’re mindful, rules, routines, and goals guide you; they don’t govern you.

Benefits of Mindfulness

In my previous article on Self-awareness, I have written self-awareness is an important component of Emotional Intelligence. It is the process where we start the journey of knowing oneself. Which guides us to be more mindful about our thoughts, emotions, motivational factors about us and about our surroundings as well.

1. According to neuroscientist research, practising mindfulness affects brain areas connected to a sense of self, complex thinking, perception, emotion regulation, self-analysis, body awareness.
2. Attentiveness– Through practice, mindfulness can amplify your focus. You can be more attentive to the work your doing.
3. Pain management– In his audiobook, Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief, Jon Kabat-Zinn explain how mindfulness may help to manage chronic pain and help patients improve their quality of life.
4. Increase telomerase– mindfulness meditation has actually been proven to increase telomerase, the “caps” at the end of our genes, which, in turn, can reduce cell damage and lengthen our lives.²
5. Improve immune system– Mindfulness enhances our immune system and making us better able to fight against the disease.
6. Concentration- It improves our concentration and decreases the ruminative thought loop.

Best Books

1. Ellen Langer (Amazon) –

2. Jon Kabat-Zinn (Amazon)-

3. Harvard Business Review –

Footnotes:

1. Harvard Business Review, Mind-fulness.
2. Lisa Firestone, PhD, psychologytoday.com