In a world that constantly demands our attention, mindfulness has become something of a ‘trendy’ enigma. I often hear conversations about people saying they are trying to be mindful, and on social networks it’s become synonymous with influencers promoting wellbeing. But what does being mindful really mean?
Many people imagine mindfulness as sitting cross-legged on a cushion, emptying the mind of all their thoughts. This isn’t right, and in fact, this misunderstanding often leads people to believe that mindfulness “isn’t for them.” The truth is mindfulness is a simple yet powerful practice that can benefit everyone.
The Origins of Mindfulness
Mindfulness has its roots in ancient Buddhist meditation practices, particularly in Vipassana and Zen traditions. However, its modern application has been shaped by psychological research and therapeutic interventions. Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn was instrumental in bringing mindfulness into Western medicine, developing Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in the late 1970’s to help individuals cope with pain and stress. Since then, mindfulness has been integrated into various psychological therapies, demonstrating its effectiveness in treating a wide range of conditions.
What Is Mindfulness?
So, what do we mean when we talk about mindfulness. Mindfulness is the practice of intentionally focusing attention, to what is happening in the present moment without judgment or reaction. It is about paying close attention to thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and the surrounding environment, accepting these experiences as they are rather than trying to change or suppress them. So you might notice thoughts (even ones that you don’t like) and sit with the thought without trying to stop the thought because you ‘don’t like it’ or without telling yourself it’s a ‘bad thought’ or without trying to fix a problem that the thought highlights. You don’t have to silence your thoughts; rather, you observe them with curiosity and kindness.
Mindfulness is a skill that allows individuals to cultivate a deeper sense of awareness and presence, reducing the automatic reactions that often govern behaviour. Instead of dwelling on the past or anxiously anticipating the future, mindfulness helps individuals remain engaged in what is happening now.
It’s not about achieving a perfectly calm or blank mind, nor is it about forcing positivity. It’s about learning to be present with whatever is happening, whether pleasant or unpleasant, and responding to it with greater clarity and acceptance.
The Core Elements of Mindfulness
When we are being mindful, we try and have these four elements. They sound so simple and yet in our everyday life we tend to have our thoughts wander into the future or the past, we tend to judge or push away our thoughts, and we struggle to stop rumination or catastrophising. So being mindful is actually the opposite to how many of us have learnt to live our lives. These are the four core elements of being mindful.
Present Moment Awareness – Bringing full attention to what is happening right now rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.
Non-Judgmental Observation – Accepting experiences without labelling them as good or bad.
Acceptance and Openness – Allowing thoughts and feelings to arise without resistance or avoidance.
Intentional Focus – Choosing to direct attention in a conscious way, such as on the breath or body sensations.
What Mindfulness Isn’t
I think its also important to highlight what mindfulness isn't because these myths often get in the way of people trying to be mindful and I hear it dismissed as ‘psychobabble’.
Mindfulness is not relaxation. While it can bring a sense of calm, its purpose is awareness, not stress relief. Many people mistakenly believe they are doing it wrong if they don’t feel instantly relaxed, but mindfulness is about learning to engage fully with whatever is happening in the present.
Mindfulness is not about emptying your mind. Your mind will think and produce thoughts almost constantly – did you know that’s its job? Mindfulness teaches you to notice thoughts rather than being controlled by them. Instead of fighting thoughts, you learn to acknowledge them and let them pass.
Mindfulness is not a quick fix. It takes practice and patience to develop the skill of mindfulness. Some benefits can be felt quickly, but true change comes with consistent practice over time.
Mindfulness is not just meditation. Meditation is one way to practise mindfulness, but mindfulness can be incorporated into everyday tasks, making it accessible even to those who struggle with sitting still.
The Science Behind Mindfulness
Research has shown that mindfulness can have significant effects on both mental and physical health. I hear lots of scepticism about mindfulness and I must admit many years ago I was one of the biggest sceptics. However, with the advent of new technologies we can now see there is real biological changes within the brain, and as a psychologist I see real psychological benefit to the people I work with, brought about by mindfulness.
Studies using MRI scans have found that regular mindfulness practice can:
Reduce activity in the amygdala, the brain’s fear centre, leading to lower stress and anxiety levels.
Strengthen the prefrontal cortex, improving attention, decision-making, and emotional regulation.
Enhance neuroplasticity, allowing the brain to adapt and form new, healthier patterns of thinking.
Mindfulness in Therapy
Because of the psychological benefit of mindfulness (imagine being able to not get caught up in past events or future worries caused by your thoughts), mindfulness has been integrated into several evidence-based therapeutic approaches, including:
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): Developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, MBSR is an eight-week program designed to help individuals manage stress, pain, and illness.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT): A blend of mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) that helps prevent relapse in people with recurrent depression.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Uses mindfulness principles to help individuals accept their thoughts and emotions rather than struggling against them.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT): Incorporates mindfulness to help people regulate emotions, particularly those with borderline personality disorder and other emotional dysregulation difficulties.
Common Challenges People Face with Mindfulness
Many people, including myself, find mindfulness difficult at first, and that’s completely normal. I would class myself as having a ‘busy mind’ and as a ‘woman of action’, so to try and practice the art of paying attention without judgement or action was difficult at the start. I found all the common struggles with mindfulness applied to myself, and I came so close many times on giving it up ‘as a bad job’. Some of the most common struggles include:
Feeling like you’re “failing” because thoughts keep popping up. The goal isn’t to stop thoughts; it’s to notice them and bring attention back to the present. Over time, you learn to relate differently to your thoughts. If you notice your mind has wandered off the tendency can be to tell yourself your are no good at this and give up but mindfulness isnt about not having that thought but about noticing it and choosing to pay attention to it without acting or judging or moving your attention back to where you intended it to be.
Restlessness or boredom. Sitting still and focusing on the present can feel strange, especially in a fast-paced world. This discomfort is part of the learning process. Let’s be honest many of us fill boredom by engaging in conversation, watching tv, or grabbing our phones and scrolling. To give your brain time to be ‘bored’ can feel uncomfortable to start with and it will want to stop and relieve the boredom.
Believing it won’t work for them. Some people think mindfulness requires a specific personality type, but it’s a skill anyone can learn with practice. I often hear that people think they ‘aren’t the type’ and they often tell me they think its associated with Buddhism or ‘people that meditate’! I hear people with busy minds, or ADHD, or autism feel that ‘their brains’ work differently so it can’t be for them. But it can work for everyone, and the research shows this!
Struggling to find time. The idea of setting aside 10-20 minutes a day can feel daunting, but mindfulness can be woven into everyday tasks such as brushing your teeth or drinking a cup of tea.
How to Be Mindful in Everyday Life
So following on from that last point, you don’t need to meditate for hours to be mindful. Mindfulness, paying attention to the ‘here and now’ can be as part of the tasks you already do, say take no longer time. The problem is we spend so much of our time on ‘autopilot’, not paying attention to what we do. If I asked you did you pay attention to brushing your teeth today, what would you say? You can probably remember brushing your teeth today (because you do it every day), but did you think about what the toothpaste tasted like, did you notice how many times you brushed on each side? Or did you just scrub your teeth whilst thinking about other things? That means you weren’t being mindful to the present moment.
Here are some simple ways to incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine:
Mindful Breathing: Take a few moments to focus on your breath. Feel the air entering and leaving your body. This can be done while sitting, walking, or even driving.
Mindful Eating: Pay attention to the textures, flavours, and smells of your food rather than eating on autopilot. Chew slowly and savour each bite.
Mindful Walking: Notice the sensation of your feet touching the ground, the sounds around you, and the rhythm of your steps. This is particularly useful for those who find sitting meditation challenging.
Mindful Listening: Truly listen when someone speaks, rather than thinking about what you’ll say next. Give them your full attention.
Body Scan: Take a minute to check in with how your body feels, noticing areas of tension or relaxation. This can be especially helpful before bed to promote relaxation.
Why Mindfulness Requires Practice
Like any skill, mindfulness gets easier with regular practice. Do you drive? When you got in the car for the first time, I can imagine you really had to think about every gear change, about what your feet were doing, about where your hands were. Without practice from that first lesson would you have passed your test? No, you wouldn’t, and mindfulness is the same it takes practice, so your brain knows what you expect from it. At first, your mind may wander constantly. That’s normal. The key is gently bringing your focus back without frustration. Over time, your brain becomes better at staying present, and you’ll find it easier to manage stress, regulate emotions, and engage fully with life.
How Mindfulness Can Help with Mental and Physical Health
Being mindful has been shown to help with a wide range of psychological and physical conditions, including:
Anxiety and stress: Helps reduce worry and rumination by increasing awareness and emotional regulation. By bringing attention to the present, mindfulness reduces the tendency to dwell on past regrets or future uncertainties, fostering a sense of calm and control.
Depression: Encourages self-compassion and reduces negative thought patterns, particularly in preventing relapse. Mindfulness helps individuals disengage from repetitive negative thinking, which is a core feature of depression.
Chronic pain: Alters the way the brain processes pain, reducing suffering without eliminating sensation. Through mindfulness, individuals learn to observe pain with a non-judgmental awareness, helping to decrease emotional distress and suffering associated with chronic conditions.
Chronic illness: Helps people cope with the emotional impact of long-term health conditions. Mindfulness fosters a sense of acceptance, helping individuals manage the psychological burden that often accompanies chronic illnesses.
PTSD and trauma: Supports emotional regulation and reduces flashbacks by fostering present-moment awareness. Mindfulness encourages individuals to ground themselves in the present rather than being pulled into distressing memories from the past.
ADHD: Improves focus and impulse control through attention-training exercises. Mindfulness helps individuals with ADHD practice sustained attention and regulate impulsive behaviours, improving overall cognitive function.
Sleep problems: Reduces racing thoughts and promotes relaxation, improving sleep quality. By calming the mind and reducing physiological arousal, mindfulness helps create the conditions necessary for restful sleep.
Final Note: The Power of Mindfulness and Therapy
Mindfulness is more than just a practice—it is a transformative way of relating to oneself and the world. It allows us to step out of autopilot mode, break free from negative thought loops, and develop a greater sense of control over our responses.
Therapy can provide the support and structure needed to make mindfulness a meaningful part of everyday life. With guidance and practice, mindfulness can become a powerful tool in improving mental and emotional well-being, helping you live with greater clarity, balance, and ease.
As a clinical psychologist, I help people integrate mindfulness into their lives in a way that suits their unique needs. Mindfulness is just one of the tools that I have to help you if you feel you are struggling or just want to improve on what you already have. I help people navigate the frustrations of mindfulness practice, offering guidance on how to approach challenges with self-compassion.
Mindfulness is not just about learning techniques—it’s about cultivating a new way of experiencing life. If you’re curious about mindfulness but aren’t sure where to start, I’d be happy to help you find an approach that works for you.
Please feel free to get in touch. Until next time
Carla

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