Mindful or mind-full? Two so very different things. We all know what ‘mind full’ is, but not everyone knows what being mindful entails. It is very much in the wind at the moment, and for a very good reason! This extremely simple technique has proven to have so many health benefits you will struggle to believe them all. So what is it really, and is it for everyone? 

Mindfulness is our ability to pay deliberate attention to the present moment with qualities like compassion, acceptance, patience, kindness and curiosity. The practice of mindfulness can be done in  many different ways and we will help you find the technique that will work the best for you. All you need for now is to make a decision whether you would want to do it or not. To help you answer that question, I will ask you another one. Would you like any of the following benefits:

• increased focus and concentration
• reduced stress
• reduced anxiety and depression 
• improved memory
• improved emotional awareness
• improved overall happiness

Would you? If you are still not sure, what if I told you it is easy and demands minimal effort and time? How would having a quieter mind improve your life? I know from working with my own patients in London, a city driven by rushing around, business and GSD, that most people think they do not have time or think mindfulness is a weird hippie thing. For you left brain high achievers – when do you think your mind functions at its best and you have your best ideas? When it is relaxed and not full of clutter that takes our focus away from a present task!!

Although the concept of mindfulness for some people can appear hard work, its actually one aspect of health that requires the least time and effort. Actually if you put a lot of effort into it, it is not mindfulness. Yeey! What great news! What is needed though are the four simple steps below.

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1. Schedule It

My first tip if you are a complete beginner is to schedule it in your diary. Just like you make time to exercise and get your biceps big, it takes a bit of time and practise. Start with 2-5 minutes of breathing at the same time everyday. It could be anywhere and anytime, just make time for it. Make those minutes a time where you are just being where you are, and focus on your breath. Just be there and see what what your mind does. Your mind will wander!! That is normal as it is used to being busy. It doe not matter where your mind has wandered to, however your job is to become aware your mind has wandered and gently return your focus back to you breath and not become attached to thoughts as they pass through. Observe the thought, become aware you focus has wandered, and return to the breath.

2. Patience

Getting better at something takes time, so don’t expect miracles the first time you try. Practice makes master at this, again it is the same as going to the gym, it will take a while before your biceps look like Popeye. Over time you will find your mind does not wander so much and it is easier to stay on track. This will then reflect in your mental state in everyday activities as your brain will be better trained to focus on the one task at hand, instead of bouncing from one thought to the next and the next.. So actually you will find you GSD more effectively!

3. Consistency

Last beginner tip is to keep it consistent. If you make it into a routine, like you do with your sleeping routine, which we will cover in a later post, it will be so much easier. If your body knows it is coming everyday, it will prepare for it and you will progress quicker. Again, the same as exercising – you get fit through regular training and consistency.

4. You Don’t Have To Be Buddha

We get it. Sitting cross legged, humming and entering a different galaxy can seem a bit unrealistic. Lying down in a calm and quiet environment definitely has it’s benefits of practising this skill as you devote your attention to the goal of quietening your mind which is why we advocate doing atleast 10 minutes a day. However you can still acquire the same benefits without doing this. Doing something which engages you fully in that activity, so that you become lost in it without thinking of other things has been shown to bring around the same benefits. This is especially true of activities which stimulate the right side of our brains which involve being creative, imagination and intuition, and take us away from the task orientated and analytical left side. However don’t worry too much about that, just find an activity that you know that makes your brain switch off, makes you feel better and more relaxed after and make sure you schedule it regularly into your week to balance out the to do lists and stress. For me this is climbing. But it could be art, music, dancing, going for a walk, exercise or socialising..

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Try it out guys and let me know how it goes. I meditated before writing this post and the words fell into place while I was doing it because my mind was relaxed. It really is that amazing!

Dr Judith