Mindfulness. The Power of Presence

If I were to ask you, "Where is your mind right now?", what would your answer be? Often, we find ourselves thinking about the past or anxiously anticipating the future. The idea of staying rooted in the present moment may seem elusive, but this is where the concept of mindfulness steps in.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness originates from Buddhist meditation practices and has been adopted in Western psychology due to its extensive benefits.
Although mindfulness and meditation are interrelated, it is important to note that they are not the same. Meditation is a practice, mindfulness is a skill, a way of being. Meditation, as a practice, can lead to a state of mindfulness.

In Buddhist culture, they refer to meditation as calming our ‘monkey brains’. Buddha described the human mind as being full of drunken monkeys, constantly chattering, distracting, and fighting. It sometimes feels like we are at war with our brains. And this is where mindfulness comes in

Kabat-Zinn, a renowned mindfulness scholar, defines mindfulness as the "awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally" (Kabat-Zinn, 1994).

Mindfulness is not about emptying our minds but rather about acknowledging our thoughts and feelings in a non-judgmental way. It's like watching a movie and observing the scenes pass by without trying to change the plot.

Simply put, mindfulness is not just about paying attention, it is about how we pay attention.

Mindfulness is about consciously shifting our attention to the present, observing our experiences, emotions, and thoughts without judgment or reaction. It is about being fully present in the here and now.

This sounds straightforward but can be challenging in practice, especially in our fast-paced, distraction-ridden world.

The Benefits of Mindfulness

The term "mindfulness" has gained some traction, and claiming to practice mindfulness has grown in popularity. And that’s not without good reason, as scientific research has shown that mindfulness has a wide range of benefits across various domains of life.

“Mindfulness training can improve mental activity and change brain connectivity and bodily processes”(Tang, 2018). In fact, as little as five mindfulness sessions have been shown to have positive effects on both the central and autonomic nervous systems, which control all of our involuntary reactions to stimuli, regulating our responses to stress and danger. (Tang, 2018).

Neuroscientists refer to our brain as neuroplastic—we have the ability to learn, unlearn, and grow our brains.
The realisation that we are not set in who we are—that we are ‘neuroplastic’ and that we can rewire our minds—is deeply engrained in the concept and meaning of mindfulness.

Mindfulness and Personal Health

A 2013 meta-analysis of over 200 studies by Goyal et al. revealed that mindfulness meditation programs had moderate evidence of improved anxiety, depression, and pain. Mindfulness practices like meditation and yoga have been linked to changes in the brain's structure and function, enhancing regions associated with attention, introspection, and sensory processing (Hölzel et al., 2011).

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Moreover, mindfulness helps manage stress. A study by Creswell and Lindsay (2014) found that mindfulness reduces cortisol levels, the hormone related to stress. Other benefits include improved immune function (Davidson et al., 2003), reduced blood pressure (Goldstein et al., 2012), and better sleep quality (Black et al., 2015).

Mindfulness at Work

“Fortune 500 companies such as Google, Proctor & Gamble, Aetna, Facebook, and General Mills have been implementing large-scale mindfulness programs over the past few years” (Shapiro, 2020, p. 155).

In the workplace, mindfulness improves pro focus, cognition, emotions, behaviour, and physiology. A study by Reb et al. (2015) found that it reduces emotional exhaustion, improves job satisfaction, and enhances job performance. By fostering a non-judgmental awareness of the present, mindfulness can help employees handle workplace stress and interactions more effectively. Google's "Search Inside Yourself" program is a prominent example of incorporating mindfulness in the workplace, with positive reports on employee wellbeing, productivity, and team dynamics.

Mindfulness in Schools

There is growing interest in mindfulness in the educational context.
Children today are subjected to unprecedented levels of worry, anxiety and stress. A study conducted by the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health and the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector in 2022, found that 23% of 5-10-year-olds and 39% of 11-16-year-olds were at risk of emotional problems; 23% of 5-10-year-olds and 26% 11-16 year-olds were likely to have anxiety problems.

There are many health benefits and cognitive benefits associated with mindfulness practice in schools. Studies have found that implementing wellbeing programmes which incorporate mindfulness in education increases academic results, increases reduces anxiety and stress, and reduces risk-taking behaviour such as self-harming alcohol and substance abuse.

Mindfulness in educational institutions promotes logical thought, intuition, and creativity. When age-appropriate mindfulness exercises and activities were implemented in schools, individuals with the lowest levels of attention, planning, and organization improved the most (Tang, 2018).

A study by Zenner et al. (2014) found that mindfulness interventions can improve children's cognitive performance and resilience to stress. Moreover, Schonert-Reichl and Lawlor (2010) reported that a mindfulness-based social and emotional learning program increased children's optimism and social-emotional competence.

Incorporating Mindfulness: Personal, Workplace, and Schools

Here are some easy, practical ways to incorporate mindfulness practice into your everyday life.

Personal Practice

Practising mindfulness in your personal life involves becoming fully engaged in whatever activity you are performing and observing your thoughts and emotions without judging them. Mindfulness can be as simple as paying full attention to your breath, the sensation of your feet touching the ground, or the taste and texture of the food you eat. To start a mindfulness meditation, find a quiet and comfortable place, sit in a relaxed posture, focus on your breath, and observe your thoughts and feelings without judgement.

Another simple practice is mindful eating: Let’s say you're eating an apple. Usually, we are distracted while we eat. We are busy planning our future, thinking about the past, or perhaps even scrolling through our phones. Now, with mindfulness, you'd take a moment to look at the apple, taking note of its colour, shape, and smell. As you bite into it, you focus on the sound it makes, the taste and texture in your mouth.
You're not thinking about anything else, just the act of eating the apple.

Mindfulness at Workplace

Applying mindfulness in a work environment can lead to improved focus, stress management, and interpersonal relations.
At work, you can practice mindfulness by dedicating a few minutes each day for mindful breaks, where you focus solely on your breath, taking stock of how you are feeling and letting go of work-related thoughts.

Let's consider a stressful situation at work. Perhaps you're about to give a major presentation. Ordinarily, your mind may be filled with worries about past presentations that didn't go well or fear of negative outcomes in the future. “What if I mess up , I blank out, I forget all of the statistics, they don’t understand me, etc etc” There are so many What ifs we could focus on. Instead with mindfulness, you would pause, focus on your breath, and become aware of the present moment. You note your anxiety without judging it or trying to suppress it.

This awareness allows you to manage your emotions better, reducing the overall stress of the situation. You proceed with your presentation, focusing on each slide, and each sentence as you go, rather than anticipating the audience's reaction or fearing mistakes.

Mindfulness practice can enhance productivity, decrease stress, and cultivate a more positive and supportive work environment.

Mindfulness in Schools

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In an educational setting, mindfulness can be implemented in various ways to help children manage stress, enhance focus, and improve emotional regulation.
Mindfulness can be taught through fun , interactive activities that direct student’s attention to sensory experiences such as "mindful listening" of ambient sounds or "mindful eating" of small food items.

An example could be a simple "mindful breathing" exercise. The teacher would use mindful listening or breathing exercise right after the break to help bring the children back to the present. moment or to resolve conflict in the classroom.

The teacher would guide the students to focus all their attention on their breath, noticing the sensation of the air flowing in and out of their nostrils or the rise and fall of their chests. If a child's attention drifts to what they had for lunch, for instance, they're taught to notice this distraction without judgment and gently bring their attention back to their breath. Repeated practice of such exercises can help students become more focused, help reduce anxiety, and self-regulate emotionally, providing them with essential skills not only for their school years but also for their later lives.

These examples illustrate how mindfulness can be applied across different facets of our lives to cultivate a more focused, peaceful, and present way of living. It's about intentionally living in the now - experiencing and accepting each moment as it comes.

The practice of mindfulness can serve as a powerful tool for enhancing our personal well-being, fostering a positive work environment, and developing resilience in children. By focusing on the present, we can navigate the complexity of our world with a calm and focused mind. Embracing mindfulness is not about reaching a destination but embarking on a lifelong journey of self-discovery and growth.

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References

• Adler, A. (2016). Teaching well-being increases academic performance: Evidence from Bhutan, Mexico, and Peru.

• Black, D.S., O’Reilly, G.A., Olmstead, R., Breen, E.C., & Irwin, M.R. (2015). Mindfulness meditation and improvement in sleep quality and daytime impairment among older adults with sleep disturbances. JAMA Internal Medicine, 175(4), 494-501.

• Creswell, J. D., & Lindsay, E. K. (2014). How Does Mindfulness Training Affect Health? A Mindfulness Stress Buffering Account. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 23(6), 401–407.

• Davidson, R.J., Kabat-Zinn, J., Schumacher, J., Rosenkranz, M., Muller, D., Santorelli, S.F., Urbanowski, F., Harrington, A., Bonus, K., & Sheridan, J.F. (2003). Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65(4), 564-570.

• Goldstein, C.M., Josephson, R., Xie, S., & Hughes, J.W. (2012). Current perspectives on the use of meditation to reduce blood pressure. International Journal of Hypertension, 2012.

• Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E.M., Gould, N.F., Rowland-Seymour, A., Sharma, R., Berger, Z., Sleicher, D., Maron, D.D., Shihab, H.M., Ranasinghe, P.D., Linn, S., Saha, S., Bass, E.B., & Haythornthwaite, J.A. (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine, 174(3), 357-368.

• Hölzel, B.K., Carmody, J., Vangel, M., Congleton, C., Yerramsetti, S.M., Gard, T., & Lazar, S.W. (2011). Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 191(1), 36-43.

• Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life. Hyperion.

• Reb, J., Narayanan, J., & Chaturvedi, S. (2014). Leading mindfully: Two studies on the influence of supervisor trait mindfulness on employee well-being and performance. Mindfulness, 5(1), 36-45.

• Schonert-Reichl, K. A., & Lawlor, M. S. (2010). The effects of a mindfulness-based education program on pre-and early adolescents’ well-being and social and emotional competence. Mindfulness, 1(3), 137-151.

• Shapiro, S. L. (2020). Rewire your mind: Discover the science + practice of mindfulness. London: Aster.

• Tang, Y. (2018). Neuroscience of mindfulness meditation: How the body and mind work together to change our … behaviour. Palgrave Macmillan.

• Zenner, C., Herrnleben-Kurz, S., & Walach, H. (2014). Mindfulness-based interventions in schools—a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 603.