10 Powerful Benefits of Practicing Mindfulness Every Day, According to Psychology

You might have heard the term – “mindfulness” a lot these days on magazine covers,  from Instagram influencers and a lot of other places. Are you one of those people who think of a person sitting alone on a mountaintop when you hear the word – mindfulness? Let us first understand what mindfulness is exactly. Mindfulness is completely focusing on the moment that you are in the present and being aware of everything that is going on around you.  

Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what  you are doing. (Wherever You Go, There You Are) 

Jon Kabat Zinn

In simpler words, it means paying attention to what you are feeling or what thoughts are coming to your mind. One of the essential things to keep in mind during mindfulness is not judging anything. This non-judgemental approach helps you focus on the present moment, it helps you forget about what is going to happen in the future, what went wrong in the past and how the present moment could have been better.

For better understanding, imagine that the human mind is like a big, evergreen forest. Just like the forest is filled with different trees, animals and water bodies in the same way our mind is also filled with different thoughts and feelings. Mindfulness is accepting different thoughts and feelings without putting the label of good or bad to it.

It acknowledges that just like some creatures destroy the harmony of the forest our mind also has some disturbing times. You must understand that these bad times will pass and you need not get caught up in them. In the world of psychology, mindfulness is an effective tool against dealing with depression and other serious mental health conditions. Various research has shown how incorporating mindfulness in daily life can have a positive impact on your life. 

10 Psychological benefits of Practising Mindfulness daily

1. Reduces stress 

When you change your mind about stress, you can change your body’s response to  stress. 

Kelly McGonigal

We are constantly surrounded by stress – work stress, academic stress, family stress, etc. While the reason for stress keeps changing the negative effects it has on our mind and body remain the same. Several research conducted have shown that Mindfulness is an effective solution to deal with stress. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a therapy designed specially to manage stress.  

For example – Vikram was going to have a very tough week. He had assignment submissions and his final exams are just around the corner. He knows throughout the week he is going to be very stressed. So every day before starting his work he practices mindfulness. He is focused on his breathing. He tries to completely focus on whatever task he is doing. This helps him better concentrate on his work and helps in reducing his stress. Mindfulness makes it easier to respond to our day-to-day stressors. It helps in improving our mood and increases our quality of life in general. 

Read More: Mindfulness: Why It’s Important and How to Practice 

2. Boosts resilience  

Life is not a smooth ride, setbacks happen but what matters is how we come out of the situation. The capacity to bounce back after a crisis is called as Resilience. 

Example – Ragini was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 25. Her entire world came crashing down with this one news. Her dreams, career, family everything flashed in front of her. But she was not one to give up. She decided to not succumb to the cancer and her journey towards recovery began.  

With the help of medicines, there was one more thing that helped her in her battle against cancer. That is – mindfulness. She practiced mindfulness daily which helped her bounce back from this major setback in life. Mindfulness increased her resilience to deal with the disease and get back to normal life. Mindfulness cannot change the situation but it increases our capacity to deal with it better.

Read More: 10 Meditation Techniques Everyone can (and should) Explore

3. Decreased chances of burnout 

Work sometimes does take a toll on our physical and mental health. With all the deadlines, meetings, and presentations it can get chaotic in our minds. Burnout happens due to unmanaged stress at work. Mindfulness is like our personal best friend. Just the way our best friend checks on us if we are not in a good headspace in the same way mindfulness is a way to check what is happening to us. It makes us aware of whether we are burned sad or stressed.  

Example – Aryan is a clinical psychologist. Every day he has to deal with different kinds of clients. Dealing with the client’s trauma every day can cause him emotional fatigue. To prevent getting burnout he tries to incorporate mindfulness into his day-to-day life. This practice helps him relax and recharge his mind and reduces his chances of facing burnout. Mindfulness is like a charger. It helps us know that our mind’s battery is running out and also recharges us for the next challenge.  

4. Improves sleep quality  

Not getting enough sleep is like a universal problem. Good sleep is an important element in keeping us happy and healthy. Mindfulness can help you in getting good rest. Proper rest will improve your mood which  will in turn improve the quality of your work and relationships. 

Example – Mansea is a brilliant student. She is great at academics, good at extra-curricular activities and an even better friend. But there is an issue.  Every time her head hits the pillow, every thought of the universe seems to race through her mind. She can’t sleep well. This makes her feel constantly exhausted. To solve her sleep problem, Mansea decides to try mindfulness. She tries to focus and calm down her thoughts before going to sleep. This helps her have a peaceful sleep and makes  her energetic all day.  

Mindfulness will quiet the noise of your thoughts and let you have a deep sleep. Practicing mindfulness will help you clear out your mind before going to sleep.

Read More: Psychologists Speak on How much sleep we actually need

5. Positive effect on attention 

Breathe out unwanted thoughts with your exhale and re-focus your attention  directly on what is important right now, at this moment.

Amit Ray

Are you someone who finds it difficult to give attention to one thing for a long time? Then mindfulness maybe the answer you have been looking for to solve this problem. Mindfulness is believed to enhance the attention span of an individual.  

Example – Sharvari is a film studies student. Her coursework requires her to watch a lot of movies and analyse them. She loves her course but she often finds herself getting distracted  in the middle of the movie which causes her to miss on the details. Her friend recommended her to try some mindfulness exercises to solve her problem. On her friend’s advice, Sharvari does try some mindfulness exercises and within a few months she could see the difference. Mindfulness allowed her to completely concentrate on her work. It helped her focus on the movies without getting distracted. Mindfulness exercises had a positive effect on her attention span.  

Read More: How Social Media Affects Our Attention Span

According to the research conducted by Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, mindfulness meditation improves the attention. Practicing mindfulness meditation daily will for sure show an improvement in your  attention. 

6. Decrease anxiety  

Anxiety was born in the very same moment as mankind. And since we will never be able  to master it, we will have to learn to live with it—just as we have learned to live with  storms.

Paulo Coelho

We all get anxious sometime or the other. Be it a presentation, an important exam, or any  special event. It is normal but when that feeling starts to accompany you everywhere you go  it is a sign to seek help. Mindfulness can be a good guide that will help you navigate your  road through anxiety.  

Example – Radha is a classical dancer. She has always loved dance. She has done a great  number of shows all over the India. But even today when she has to perform on the stage her anxiety level rises. In her profession it is important that she does not let anything affect her stage performance.  To manage her anxiety, Radha inculcated mindfulness in her day to day life. Before going on the stage, she focuses on her breathing and tries to completely be in the  moment. This helps her with the physical symptoms of anxiety like fast breathing, increased heart beats and sweaty palms. Mindfulness helps her in giving her best on the stage. 

Mindfulness helps you understand your feelings at the moment without suppressing or  labelling them. It can also make you aware of the reasons of your anxiety.  

7. Better emotional regulation  

Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Emotions control a large part of our lives. It affects the way we talk, respond and behave. If these emotions are not used consciously it can cause a lot of issues. It can make you act  impulsively, say things that you don’t mean and ruin your work and personal relations. It is  essential that our emotions are regulated. Mindfulness makes you aware of your emotions and understand them better. 

Read More: 7 Characteristics of Emotionally Intelligent People, According to Psychology

Example – Sameer and Komal have been in a relationship for 9 months. Both of them love  and care for each other. But, whenever they have a fight, Komal cannot control her  emotions and listen to other person’s perspective. This causes them to have prolonged fights without coming to a solution. Komal understanding that she reacts impulsively decides to take a pause and reflect on what she is feeling whenever they have a fight. This technique of mindfulness allows her to  respond calmly without letting her emotions overpower her.  

By being mindful of our emotions we can manage them better. It will help you accept your  emotions the way they are. Mindfulness will encourage you to become more balanced and  give clarity to you about yourself.  

8. Improved physical health  

Now seeing the term – mindfulness you might think that it is only related to your mind but  you are in for a surprise. Mindfulness also helps in improving your physical health. 

Example – Raj got injured while playing football. The pain makes him feel frustrated and  irritated. By practicing mindfulness, he pays attention to the sensations in his body without labelling them as good or bad. This assists him in managing his pain and improves his  physical health.  

Mindfulness helps in reducing stress, control your blood pressure, assist in treatment of  heart diseases and relieve chronic pain. Mindfulness also helps in improving your immune system.  

Read More: How Meditation Changes Your Brain

9. Help in dealing with addiction 

It’s never too late to turn on the light. Your ability to break an unhealthy habit or turn off  an old tape doesn’t depend on how long it has been running; a shift in perspective doesn’t  depend on how long you’ve held on to the old view.

Sharon Salzberg 

Addiction can disrupt an individual’s life. It can cause them problems in their work and personal life. But there is always a road back from addiction and mindfulness can help you in  this journey of recovery. 

Example – Payal used to smoke a lot of cigerrates and now wants to quit this bad habit. Mindfulness became her support through this journey. It helped her understand her urges of smoking and what triggers her to smoke. This knowledge allowed her to address her issues without giving in to her cravings.  

Mindfulness will aid you in understanding your thoughts that makes you go back to your addiction. It will also assist in recognizing your triggers and cravings. Regular mindfulness practice will also decrease chances of relapse. Mindfulness will  strengthen the journey of recovery.  

10. Reduces Negative Symptoms 

As mentioned before, mindfulness helps in regulating your emotions. We are faced with a lot of negative emotions in our daily life. Mindfulness helps us in understanding the negative emotions, knowing the cause of negative emotions and also aid  in managing them properly. 

Example – Kaivalya has been feeling really low these days. He feels sad and has no  motivation to work. It seems like everything around him is negative. On the advice of his  therapist, he started practicing mindfulness. It allowed him to understand his emotions  better and gradually decrease the intensity of negative emotions like sadness and  hopelessness. 

Mindfulness encourages in accepting your emotions the way they are without labelling  them as good and bad. Acknowledging negative emotions will lead to healthier coping  styles. 

Conclusion  

In today’s chaotic world, where multitasking has become a way of life mindfulness is the calm. Mindfulness will remind you to breathe, be in the moment, concentrate on your  thoughts and feelings and be completely aware of yourself as well as your surroundings. It will be your guiding light in dark times; it will help you deal with your problems and pain  like your best friend. Like a teacher, mindfulness will teach you to regulate your emotions  and alleviate your anxiety. Mindfulness like your parent will help you in your journey of  recovery from addiction.  

In short, you can call mindfulness as your friend, guide and philosopher in your life. One of the additional incentives of mindfulness that it is free of cost. It does not require  fancy equipment or accessories. It is something that everyone can practice. One of the important things to keep in mind is be consistent. Mindfulness is not a painkiller  that will solve all your problems in one dose. It is something that you require to practice  daily to see the results. But these results will be long term, so it is worth the wait.  

In the end, keep in mind that – 

We can talk about mindfulness or write at length about it, but to truly understand  mindfulness, we have to experience it directly. 

 Ronald D. Siegel, Christopher K. Germer, Andrew Olendzki,2009