Mindfulness

“Mindfulness means moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness. It is cultivated by refining our capacity to pay attention, intentionally, in the present moment, and then sustaining that attention over time as best we can. In the process, we become more in touch with our life as it is unfolding”.  Jon Kabat-Zinn

Learning and practicing mindfulness can help people to break out of the cycle of anxiety, stress, unhappiness and exhaustion and make them less likely to experience repeated psychological distress as well as addiction, bipolar disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, insomnia, obsessive-compulsive disorder etc.

The core skills of mindfulness are deceptively simple, it is the ‘busyness’ of our minds that make it challenge.  For most of us the mind is like an untrained puppy – so in reality developing mindfulness takes a lot of practice!  At its heart mindfulness is about developing focus, and training the brain to pay attention to what we are experiencing in the present moment.

Practising mindfulness can help towards gaining greater awareness, understanding and acceptance of our emotions and can give us greater self-esteem.  

Don't worry if you don't like it straight away.  We spend so much time 'switched on' that truly taking a moment to empty your mind can be overwhelming. Take it slow and understand what works for you.

If you are struggling with mindfulness or feel you need more guidance, I have attached a self-help Pdf to this page, or you may benefit from speaking to a counsellor/therapist.  As a therapist I can help you understand more the aim of mindfulness, and suggest ways that work better for you and your lifestyle.

There are many Mindfulness apps available on the NHS website at: https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/