Now that we’ve established some foundational concepts on self-care and well-being, as well as given a brief introduction to mindfulness, let’s really unpack the subject.
Once again, mindfulness is another one of those buzzword concepts that has been around for a while and fluctuates in popularity within the mainstream. To be honest, I started out as a skeptic and thought the whole idea of mindful behavior and the positive psychology approach was all a bit hokey…that is until the early 2010’s when I started actively working in the field!
Yes, that is not only my research you are looking at, but me presenting at a global health conference the very concepts I was skeptical of! It is these very concepts I’d like to talk a little bit more about, as well as how I came around to the idea of mindfulness and its benefits, and discuss the merits—and shortcomings—of some articles that can be found about mindfulness today.
What Is Mindfulness?
To add to the previous blog post introducing mindfulness, we can briefly define mindfulness as being aware in the face of what is happening in the present (Fargo, 2022). Mindfulness therefore can look like a lot of things to different people, but some key points to keep in mind when starting your journey into a mindful practice are (Mindful, 2022):
No purchase necessary.
Mindfulness can be practiced anywhere for free. All it requires is a little time, space, and your own self!
Quieting your mind doesn’t have to be the goal.
While we all wish we could achieve instant nirvana on our first try, many of us will feel difficulty sitting with our thoughts, and that’s ok! All we are aiming to achieve is to be present in the moment without judgment.
Minds wander.
And on that note, you’ll likely find that as you settle into a mindful moment or practice, you’ll find your mind wandering—especially at first. With how fast paced our lives often are, it’s hard to be present in the here and now, and that’s to be expected. We have lives, and things to get done, to-do lists to complete and the list goes on. This is expected and ok too. What matters is the moment you register that your mind is wandering, you gently and without judgment consciously bring yourself back into the present moment. This takes some practice but believe me when I say like riding a bike it will get easier!
Our minds can be a judgmental space.
You’ll notice I keep mentioning “without judgment.” Easier said than done right? You might find yourself frustrated with a wandering mind or feel you’re not doing something “right,” but simply label thoughts as “thinking” or feelings as “feeling,” allow these to pass, and bring yourself back to the present moment.
Did I mention minds like to wander?
Before you start practicing mindfulness, it will seem that this point is overstated, but trust me when I say it is not unusual to have to corral a wandering mind, but if we gently lead it back to the present again and again, it will get easier in time.
Mindfulness Today: How Major Publications Get It Right (And Wrong)
With our groundwork set, what can we expect to see in the mainstream media on mindfulness today? As with any subject relating to well-being, the results can be mixed. An amazing compendium of knowledge on the subject is Alicia Nortje’s “How to Practice Mindfulness: 11 Practical Steps and Tips” (2020). Not only does this article go in-depth on how to start practicing mindfulness as a beginner, but it includes tips on how to practice in different settings, such as in the classroom and while working from home. While a bit of a lengthy read, I absolutely recommend it if you are at all interested in the subject.
On the other end of the spectrum however is an article by Good Housekeeping titled “4 no-nonsense mindfulness tips for beginners” (2017). While this article may seem promising—and does in fact have some valuable insights—the article itself is very superficial in its analysis of mindfulness and recommends tips that may be difficult for beginners, leading to frustration and ultimately dismissal of the practice altogether.
In short, the following infographic by Mindful (2022) serves as an excellent example of how to take the first steps in your mindfulness practice:
Infographic by Mindful
If you’re interested in learning more about mindfulness and starting your journey to a more mindful you, I highly recommend the Mashable article “5 easy ways to start practicing mindfulness now” (Ruiz, 2022), Psychology Today’s article “Mindfulness for Beginners” (Hendriksen, 2017), MindOwl’s article “Mindfulness Meditation: a short guide with all you need to know about it” (Bastos & Garratt-Stanley, 2022), or any of the references linked below. Best of luck to you, and don’t be afraid to get out there and start learning!
References
Bastos, F., & Garratt-Stanley, F. (2022, March 14). Mindfulness meditation: A short guide with all you need to know about it. MindOwl. Retrieved January 23, 2023, from https://mindowl.org/mindfulness-meditation/
Fargo, S. (2022, December 13). 8 mindfulness exercises for Beginners (+infographic). Mindfulness Exercises. https://mindfulnessexercises.com/8-mindfulness-exercises-for-beginners/
Good Housekeeping. (2017, May 23). 4 no-nonsense mindfulness tips for beginners. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/health/health-advice/a569001/mindfulness-tips-for-beginners/
Hendriksen, E. (2017, July 12). Mindfulness for beginners. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/how-be-yourself/201707/mindfulness-beginners
Mindful. (2022, October 4). How to practice mindfulness. https://www.mindful.org/how-to-practice-mindfulness/
Nortje, A. (2022, July 2). How to practice mindfulness: 10 practical steps and tips. PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/how-to-practice-mindfulness/
Ruiz, R. (2022, January 24). 5 easy ways to start practicing mindfulness now. Mashable. https://mashable.com/article/mindfulness-exercises-for-beginners[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]