What is Mindfulness?

Let's clear something up right away: Mindfulness isn't about emptying your mind (because, seriously, has anyone ever managed that?). It's not about sitting cross-legged for hours, chanting mantras and ohms, or becoming so zen that nothing bothers you anymore. And it definitely isn't about adding another thing to your to-do list.

See, I could tell you that mindfulness can help you be happier, kinder, less stressed, or less stuck - and I’d probably be right. But for me and many others who I’ve learned from and practised with, it all boils down to one thing: choice.

You know those times when you're trying to watch a movie but your brain's busy worrying about the bill you need to pay, the phonecall you need to make (oh no, the dread!), or the text you have to respond to? Or when you’re rushing without really knowing… why you’re rushing? Or those days when you just snap at everyone out of nowhere (or is it?).

Now, we’re not aiming to change what the mind does (PSA: we can’t) - but we do want to learn to learn its tricks so we can reset and come back to the meeting or the movie more quickly (if we want to!).

So, what may happen is that you still worry, but notice, and either make a note so you don’t forget, or manage to chill the F out. You may still rush, but notice, and slow down, or choose to continue to rush if that means you’ll catch the last train. And you may still find yourself sniggering at everyone, but notice, and say to yourself kindly and maybe with a bit of humour, “Ah, I was being a bit of an idiot, maybe I’ll stop”.

Good news is, you don't need to be naturally calm, good at meditation (is there even such a thing?), or particularly patient to benefit from mindfulness. You just need to be curious about how your mind works and willing to give it a go. Because mindfulness isn't about becoming a different person - it's about getting to know who you already are, chaos and all.

“Be aware and don’t cling.”

— Joseph Goldstein

This quote here may be the simplest way to explain mindfulness, and I love it. To add a bit more detail, mindfulness is really about being aware, or paying attention, on purpose, to whatever you are experiencing as you are experiencing it, moment to moment, without judgement. These experiences can be anything, from sounds (construction work / birds chirping) to thoughts (productive stuff like finally deciding to apply for a new job / definitely unhelpful stuff like replaying that time you got ghosted) or physical sensations (itching and pain / fluffy blanket on skin) . 

What helped me in wrapping my mind around it are the nine attitudes to bring when cultivating mindfulness, according to Jon Kabat-Zinn, an emeritus professor of medicine who developed the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 1979. These attitudes are: non-judging, patience, beginner's mind, trust, non-striving, acceptance, letting go, gratitude and generosity - you can watch Jon Kabat-Zinn talking about them here because he does it much better than I ever could.

So, in a nutshell…

Mindfulness is…

  • A skill, a quality, a state of being

  • Being aware, without judgement, of whatever your experience is in the present moment - thoughts, emotions, sensations, urges

  • Creating the possibility of choosing how to respond to these experiences, so we don’t react automatically anymore

Mindfulness is not…

  • A "technique"

  • Distraction - you are not trying to get rid of thoughts, clear your mind, think about something else etc. Our minds come up with thoughts all the time, we can’t control this - so we won’t try (not even zen masters can)

  • Relaxation - you are not trying to feel calm, get rid of anxiety etc. If that happens, great side-effect, but not our aim

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

— Viktor E. Frankl

Mindfulness in a (can we just say it?) crumbling world

It’s really important to recognise the wider context in which we humans operate nowadays - with * all this * (huge societal and environmental challenges, including inequality and injustice in all its forms, and the climate crisis) going on. Two main issues related to mindfulness jump out here: 1) Mindfulness research has mostly focused on outcomes related to individual wellbeing, and 2) Mindfulness as an approach has had limited accessibility to various societal groups.

Which isn’t great, on the surface. But the mindfulness community has recognised its responsibilities, and has been trying to figure out how the benefits of mindfulness practice on the individual may translate to an awareness of bias and in turn, maybe, to prosocial behaviour - essentially, being a better fellow human.

If you’re keen, this article presents qute well the mindfulness community’s thinking around this (although just fyi, it’s aimed at mindfulness practitioners): Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Our Time: A Curriculum that is up to the Task

Evidence base - aka no airy-fairy BS

Your wellbeing is too important to leave to chance or to pseudoscientific nonsense. So, it’s really important to me that you know that mindfulness in general, and certain mindfulness–based programmes and courses in particular, have a strong evidence base. This means that they’ve been rigorously studied by scientists, who have found evidence that supports their effectiveness for a whole host of difficulties that people can go through.

Mindfulness has been found to have help with both mental health and physical health, in a variety of different people, including adults, children, veterans, athletes, people living with psychiatric or neurological disorders, as well as cancer. Here are the benefits that have been found:

  • Psychological health/subjective well-being/improved mood in general

  • Prevention of mental health problems

  • Reduction in anxiety and depression, stress, and burnout symptoms

  • Improved self-confidence

  • Reduction in worrying and rumination (which are known to contribute to many mental health difficulties)

  • Reduced emotional reactivity

  • Improved behavioural regulation - including impulse control and managing urges such as in addictions and substance use difficulties

  • Better focus and attention

  • Improved productivity and creativity

  • Improved interpersonal effectiveness

  • Increase in self-compassion

  • Improved sleep

  • Better ways of coping with chronic pain

  • Benefits to the immune system and inflammation

  • Benefits to blood pressure and risk of heart disease

  • Improved cognitive functioning

  • Potential protection against brain function decline due to aging and/or stress

If you’re interested in reading more, I suggest the following articles, including some peer-reviewed ones in scientific journals:

I get that you may not be a science nerd, and you don’t have to be - but it is really important that you know that studies cannot demonstrate or prove any of these claims, but just add to the evidence - some of which may be of better quality, and some not so much. Here is an article in The Scientific American which talks about exactly this.