01 Aug 2023 Mental Health Series – #2 The Importance of Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of bringing one’s attention to the present moment. It encompasses two key ingredients: awareness and acceptance.
Awareness means focusing the attention on inner processes and forgetting the world around you.
Acceptance is the ability to observe your feelings without judgement.
What is the purpose of mindfulness? Mindfulness can bring you mental peace which reduces stress, anxiety or pain. It can help you to enjoy life more and understand yourself better. We can train ourselves to notice when our thoughts are taking over.
HOW COULD WE BE MORE MINDFUL?
- Remind yourself to take notice of your thoughts and feelings
- Make a routine out of it: focus on yourself for example in the morning before breakfast, or before you go to bed
- Watch your thoughts, and acknowledge that thoughts come and go
- Be in the moment and forget about the past problems and future worries
If you feel lost on your own and prefer guidance, there are guided meditations you can find online.
These guided meditations involve sitting silently and following the guidance to pay attention to your body and mind. There are lots of studies which state that meditation has a positive impact on stress.
My personal recommendation for guided meditations is Ajahn Brahm. He is a British-born Theravada Buddhist monk, teaching at the Buddhist Society of Western Australia. His meditations are free of charge and can be found at https://bswa.org/teachers/ajahn-brahm. You will find a variety of guided meditations on the website! Recentre yourself.
Anja Frauboese, Head of Corporate Communications & Marketing