Mindfulness: is it all in your head?

Think about how often in a day you’re aware (and I mean really aware) of what’s going on around you.

“Mindfulness isn’t difficult. We just need to remember to do it.” This quote by Sharon Saltzberg illustrates just how simple, yet complicated our connection to mindfulness is. So why is this so hard for us? Why isn’t it inherent for our minds to stay consciously aware of anything?

A big reason: disconnection. So many things that are in our normal day-to-day lives disconnect us from ourselves. As humans, we love to be stimulated. Whether it’s our cell phones, TV, laptops, food, or alcohol, distraction and stimulation leaves us disconnected from what’s actually happening internally. When we lessen the distractions, our minds have time to start bringing up thoughts we might not want to be having, which makes us add in a distraction so we don’t have to think our thoughts. But this disconnection from our thoughts, our true wants and desires, leaves us in a worse place overall. It can leave us feeling hopeless, stuck, and unfulfilled in our everyday lives. It’s too easy to distract our minds from our deepest thoughts, and the way out of this (though difficult in the beginning) is through mindfulness.

The benefits of mindfulness range from reducing stress and lowering your risk of heart disease to trusting yourself again after years of self-sabotage. Symptoms of anxiety and depression can also lowered through the power of mindfulness. There are countless physical, emotional, and mental changes that can come about through a consistent mindfulness practice.

Mindfulness takes practice. A lot of practice. Easy ways to begin mindfulness is through present awareness. Take a minute to feel where your body is. Are your feet touching the ground? Are you sitting or standing? What sounds do you hear? What scents do you smell? Is the room cold or warm? Asking yourself some of these questions takes your mind out of the past and future and stabilizes it into the now, the present moment. Another way to do this is through meditation. By cultivating a daily meditation practice, your mind gets taken away from the distractions of everyday life and connects you back to your body.

Connecting back to yourself isn’t an easy journey after such a long time of disconnect, but there is no greater sense of peace and happiness than from being able to know yourself inside and out, feeling confident in your abilities and decisions, and staying rooted in the present moment. Mindfulness will guide you there.