Mindfulness

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is being present in the here and now. It involves purposeful attention to the present moment, free of judgment, without the contamination of thoughts about our past, our future, or social comparison.

The benefits of mindfulness

Allows the individual to pay more attention to the task at hand and perform better. Improved mood, concentration, memory, and immune function. Reducing fatigue, stress, blood pressure and inflammation.

Mindful practices

Anything can be a mindfulness activity if your attention is fixed on the present moment e.g., Breathing exercises (box breathing), meditation, body scans, 5 things you can feel hear or see exercises, stretching, arts and crafts, walking, running, weightlifting, prayer, driving, gardening, working, video games, puzzles, reading a book, playing a musical instrument and many more.

Resources

Books: The Happiness Trap (Russ Harris), ACT Daily Journal (Hill and Sorensen)

Apps: Smiling minds 3+ years, Plumb village, Calm

Podcasts: Cass Dunn: Crappy to happy podcast, Shaun Donaghy: mindfulness for beginners

Mindfulness at work

You practice mindfulness on your commute, at your desk and during breaks. Mindful activities are a great way to break up the day, you might want to consider doing a mindfulness task in-between transitions between tasks at work. Remember anything can be a mindfulness activity so you’ll be able to come up with a mindful task that is feasible for any work environment.

Common misconceptions about mindfulness

In today’s online climate many health and wellness influencers will tell you they have the secret to achieving mindfulness. Mindfulness does not involve a stepped program, dieting, or supplements, you do not need to reach a higher plain of existence nor modify your lifestyle or identity to be more mindful.

For further support and assistance, please call the Psychealth Helpline, details below.

Phone: 1800 497 197 (AUS)/ 0800 466 400 (NZ)

Email: info@psychealth.com.au

Additional Resources

Practising mindfulness can increase your depth of relationships with family and friends and help you gain greater enjoyment from various experiences and encounters in life.

For more information about mindfulness, click here www.heliotropia.com.au

Mindfulness

What is Mindfulness