Odds are, you probably have!
Mindfulness has become more and more popular in recent decades and has become almost a sort of buzzword. But what does it really mean? How can it be practised? And what may be benefits of it, especially for young people?
“a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations”
-Oxford English Dictionary
Mindfulness is believed to have its origins in Buddhism, with meditation practices still being a common technique to practise it. Scientifically speaking mindfulness is likely a way to teach our brain to listen inward (interoception) and understand our internal thoughts and sensations.
It encourages being present in the moment and acknowledging how our brain and body feel.
Why is this useful?
The ability to look inward is crucial for self regulation. Psychologists suggest that our ability to be mindful can support good mental health, reduce stress and spiralling thoughts and improves our overall emotion understanding and regulation.
This in turn can support young people better cope with the complexities of being a young person!
In conditions such as ADHD practising mindfulness, as in actively training it, has even shown promise to reduce symptoms! Practising listening inward in a calm and controlled environment can help the brain build pathways that come in handy when interoception is needed to cope or problem-solve.
How can I practise it?
Mindfulness is different for everyone and everyone can benefit from it differently. But there are some commonly used methods that can support identifying what an individual could benefit from:
Guided meditation can be a good place to start! Here are some links to get you started:
Youtube also has a great range to offer!
Mindful colouring can help calm and relieve anxiety by focusing attention on details, the weight of the pencil, the shapes and shades on the paper and using repetitive motions.
Reminding ourselves to practice being mindful can be something that just occurs naturally…
…when exercising. How do my muscles feel? How am I breathing? Does it hurt anywhere?
…while eating. What is the texture of the food? Do I feel less hungry now? How does it taste?
…anywhere really! Reminding ourselves to look inward every once in a while can be great practice.
Increasing interoception through mindfulness can be a powerful everyday tool that can support anyone and give us an opportunity to do something for ourselves and increase our well-being.
Why not give it a try sometime?