Everyone is talking about it, but only a few are doing it. We all know it could be something really good for us, but we have no time for that. We don’t need almost any training to do it properly, but we find it difficult. It could be done anywhere and it is completely free – but we still hesitate. Yes, we are talking about MINDFULNESS!
The benefits of mindfulness are many. It reduces stress, improves concentration, lowers the blood-pressure, makes you feel more confident, more relaxed, and fully present in the moment. Mindfulness increases your own self-esteem, empathy towards others, sense of wholeness with the rest of the world, and apparently can bring many other qualities to our lives.
The Forbes Journal looked at some research done by various universities around the world and published an article listing 6 Scientifically Proven Benefits Of Mindfulness And Meditation. They are:
- Reduced anxiety
- Reduced implicit age and race bias
- Prevention of depression
- Increased body satisfaction
- Improved cognition
- Reduced brain distractions
Let’s leave science to scientists and look at using mindfulness in improving our daily lives. The modern age of multitasking does not give much space and time for us to focus our attention on one single or simple thing. Our own attention span has become limited to 140 tweet characters, while most of us use even less. On average only 28. We want everything and we want it now!
The aim of mindfulness is to get out of a rut in life by living in the present moment. Our judgemental minds often get carried away wondering about different things, ideas, and possible scenarios. By being kind to our wandering mind, we need to gently bring it back to the present moment and enjoy a flower in the park, that small green plant in the office, big trees around us, buildings we pass by so many times without ever remembering the color of their walls or the shape of their roofs.
A simple stroll, like the one I took around one of Vienna’s districts yesterday, after a long day spent in the office, can relax and calm you down. Literally, any activity or event in your day can be turned into a mindfulness practice. A walk through nature, talk to a friend, children’s laughter, learning a new thing, reading an interesting book, painting, a long car ride, writing a computer program, building cabinets, drinking cold water, and even your own stream of ever-changing thoughts could be used for achieving mindfulness, coming up with new and creative ideas, and for building better tomorrow for you and people around you.
So don’t hesitate and wait for the right place and the right time to come and practice mindfulness. It is already with you, here and now!
“Perfection of character is this: to live each day as if it were your last, without frenzy, without apathy, without pretense.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
