Mindfulness can improve your well-being

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the act of being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling at every moment — without interpretation or judgment.

Spending too much time planning, problem-solving, daydreaming, or thinking negative or random thoughts can be draining. It can also make you more likely to experience stress, anxiety and symptoms of depression. Practising mindfulness exercises, on the other hand, can help you direct your attention away from this kind of thinking and engage with the world around you.

What are the benefits of mindfulness exercises?

Practising mindfulness exercises can have many possible benefits, including:

Reduced stress, anxiety and depression Less negative thinking and distraction Improved mood

What are ways to practise mindfulness? Pay attention. The next time you meet someone, listen closely to his or her words. Think about their meaning and uniqueness. Aim to develop a habit of understanding others and delaying your own judgments and criticisms.

Focus on your breathing. Sit in a quiet place with your back straight but relaxed. Feel your breath move in and out of your body. Let your awareness of everything else fall away. Pay attention to your nostrils as air passes in and out. Notice the way your abdomen expands and collapses with each breath. When your mind wanders, gently redirect your attention to your breath. Don’t judge yourself. Remember that you’re not trying to become anything — such as a good meditator. You’re simply becoming aware of what’s happening around you, breath by breath.

Awaken your senses. Get a raisin. Sit in a quiet place with your back straight but relaxed. Look at the raisin. Smell it, feel it and anticipate eating it. Taste the raisin, and slowly and deliberately chew it. Notice the way the raisin’s taste changes, your impulse to swallow the raisin, your response to that impulse and any thoughts or emotions that arise along the way.

Paying close attention to your senses and your body’s reaction to the raisin might reveal insight into your relationship with eating and food.

Aim to practise mindfulness every day for about six months. Over time, you might find that mindfulness becomes effortless.

Think of it as a commitment to reconnecting with and nurturing yourself.