On Mindfulness - What’s it all about?
The big thing in wellness nowadays is mindfulness and meditation. Everyone talks about it, everyone’s tried it, and even more annoyingly, everyone says that you should try it too. It’s touted as a cure-all for anxiety and concentration issues, you name it. It’s a trend that is sticking around. Is it all it’s cracked up to be?
Although incredibly trendy, Mindfulness is not new. With its roots in ancient Buddhist practices, mindfulness is a form of meditation. Most simply, it is the act of bringing awareness to the present moment. By contrast, meditation is the act of facilitating consciousness and improving concentration with the goal of self-regulating your mind. Mindfulness is one technique, among many, that can help facilitate the form of consciousness that people who meditate are trying to attain.
That said, there is considerable overlap between the two, so the confusion in understandable. Mindfulness is often referred to as meditation and vice versa, as they are both generally trying to achieve similar things. However, one way to think about it is that Meditation is the umbrella term under which Mindfulness falls under, while mindfulness is a technique used to meditate among others, such as visualization, breath work, yoga, and more.
A Little History on Mindfulness
It is thought that forms of meditation predate ancient history, although earliest records of it can be found in the oldest texts of Hinduism, dating back to 1700 BCE. Later on, different forms of mediation began to develop mostly in India and China with Buddhism and Taoism. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that the Western world began to delve into the benefits of Mindfulness with such pioneers as Thick Nhat Hanh and Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Common Myths & Misconceptions
You Must Sit Still for Mindfulness.
Mindfulness can be practiced sitting down or standing up, while walking, in the shower, or while you’re on the go. You don’t have to sit still to practice mindfulness although you can if you want to. There are countless walking mindfulness meditations that people use, such as bringing awareness to your feet as you put one foot in front of the other or focusing on the movement of your hands as you walk. Although many people like to sit while meditating, it certainly isn’t a prerequisite, especially with mindfulness.
Your Mind Needs to be Quiet.
This is a common misconception. Some forms of mediation actually engage with the chatter in your mind as a way of observing it. The idea is that non-judgmental observation creates some distance between your thoughts and yourself. This distance can give you the space that is needed to take an extra moment before acting mindlessly on your thoughts or feelings. This is much more effective than trying to stop your thoughts altogether. As the saying goes, if you try to stop thinking about the pink elephant, a thousand more pink elephants will pop up in your mind. So rather than fight with your thoughts, mindfulness teaches you to join with them instead, observing them and watching to see if they will pass naturally.
You must practice every single day.
Although it’s helpful to have a regular practice, you don’t need to do it every single day in order to get some benefit from it. Pausing to take a mindfulness break here and there for a minute or two can often make enough of a difference that you’ll be able to think more clearly and feel more centered than you did previously. If you decide to try it, practice when you can, even if you just start with 3 minutes at a time. A little bit is better than nothing.
What about Kids or People with ADHD? They can’t possibly meditate?
Again, not true. If it is done correctly, mindfulness has been shown to benefit both kids, people with ADHD, and even kids with ADHD, as shown in this study by Santonastaso (2020). It’s essentially the practice of increasing your awareness of yourself, and increasing your ability to direct your attention to where it needs to go. This is incredibly beneficial for people with attention issues. However, the approach may need to be modified a bit. For example, a kid with the hyperactive form of ADHD could use an object that they like, such as a sensory toy or other object, and be asked to describe everything they can about the object. Ask them to do this while they focus on walking or breathing. There are lots of ways to use it with kids and adults with ADHD.
It’s gonna be really, really boring!
And my personal favorite: What if it’s boring?! Maybe it’s hard to pause for a moment, or maybe you are worried about what will happen if you sit still and your mind wanders. Remember, mindfulness is not focusing on nothing, nor is it the act of sweeping away all thoughts and feelings as if they don’t exist. It is simply the ability to draw your attention to the present moment. This is often done by focusing on some part or rhythm in your body (e.g. your breath) or on an external object if focusing inwards feels overwhelming. It’s the act of slowing down and pausing long enough to focus on the “here and now” and, maybe, gain a sense of peacefulness.
Mindfulness Exercises to Try:
Walking Meditation. As you are walking on your way home from work or the grocery store, shift your attention to the feeling of your feet hitting the floor. If ti helps anchor your focus, try counting, 1, 2, 1, 2 as each foot hits the ground. Do this for a few minutes at first, then longer if you feel like extending it.
While Brushing your Teeth. Instead of going on autopilot, shift your focus to the feeling of the toothbrush brushing your teeth. Say to yourself (silently) “brush” with each brush stroke, then focus on each individual tooth as you are brushing it. Do this until the end of your brushing routine.
In the Shower. While washing your hair in the shower, focus on each stroke on your head noticing the soap, foam, edges of the water from the shower head. Try counting each stroke to anchor your attention more firmly to washing your hair.
Eating. Take one piece of chocolate (this can be done with anything like a raisin, nut or other piece of food). Hold the chocolate in your hand, notice weight and how it feels. Put it in your mouth and without chewing just yet, notice the edges and shape and texture. Chew the chocolate noticing how it falls apart as you chew. Swallow noticing how it travels down your throat to your stomach. Then pause for a moment afterwards noticing any aftertaste or anything else that comes to your awareness. (Developed originally by Jon Kabat-Zinn).
References
About Thich Nhat Hanh. Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/thich-nhat-hanh
Jon Kabat-Zinn, About the Author. Guided Mindfulness Meditation Practices with Jon Kabat-Zinn. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://www.mindfulnesscds.com/pages/about-the-author
Lecia Bushak. Mindfulness and Meditation: The Difference Between These Two Pathways to Peace and Wellbeing. Medical Daily. March 10, 2016. Accessed on August 8, 2022. https://www.medicaldaily.com/mindfulness-meditation-differences-377346
Santonastaso O, Zaccari V, Crescentini C, Fabbro F, Capurso V, Vicari S, Menghini D. Clinical Application of Mindfulness-Oriented Meditation: A Preliminary Study in Children with ADHD. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Sep 22;17(18):6916. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17186916. PMID: 32971803; PMCID: PMC7557753.
The contents of this blog are for informational purposes only. This blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment that can be provided by your own mental health practitioner. If you have any specific concerns about your mental health, you should consult your doctor and you should not delay seeking medical advice, or treatment for your mental health, because of information on this blog.
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Sabrina Tropper, LMHC
Sabrina Tropper, LMHC is a therapist and the founder of Counseling Works NYC. She works with individuals in New York who are experiencing relationship troubles, life transitions, or trauma.