5 ways Mindfulness can help you through everyday life

Over the past few years, Mindfulness has grown in popularity. Defined by Jon Kabat-Zinn as “nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment,” mindfulness allows us to recognise our own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors as they arise without getting stuck in our usual, automatic reactions. One could think it is a part of the trend, but I’ve come to believe there is something really important in the idea of being mindful.

So here’s 5 ways Mindfulness can help you through everyday life 

1) Reduces cold & flu symptoms

We’re all sniffling a bit as we’re right in the height of cold season. Mindfulness meditation and a bit of exercise could reduce the effects of our colds. Research has shown that people who engage in the practices miss fewer days of work from acute respiratory infections, and also experience a shortened duration and severity of symptoms.

2) Get to know your true self (As scary as that sounds)

Mindfulness helps us get to know our true selves. It can help us see beyond the person we see in the mirror and helps us to really objectively analyze ourselves. Studies have shown that Mindfulness can help us overcome common “blind spots,” which can heighten or diminish our own flaws beyond reality.

3) Get a better nights sleep

Mindfulness can help us sleep better. Studies have shown that Mindfulness training can not only help us control our emotions and moods better, but it can also help us sleep better at night. People who considered themselves to having a more mindful approach to life felt they had better control over their emotions and behaviors during the day. This higher mindfulness was associated with lower activation at bedtime, which could have benefits for sleep quality and improve ones sleep.

4) Helps with pain management

It’s sounds counter intuitive but by focusing your awareness towards the feeling in your sore back or aching tummy makes it much easier to bear. If you turn your back on pain, it gets mixed with resentment, wishing, blame, and other kinds of mental issues. This is what turns pain into suffering. When you focus your attention onto the pain, it’s amazing how it takes the edge off. It’s still pain, but you know you can handle it.  According to a 2011 study published in the April issue of the Journal of Neuroscience just 80 minutes of mindful meditation could cut pain perception nearly in half.

5) Makes the slog in the gym more manageable 

Your gym workout or TRX class might sometimes seem like an insurmountable mountain to climb, but that’s only when you focus on it. When you’re actually doing it, you’re never required to do more than a single moment’s action. You never have to actually “do” a whole workout at all, or even a set — and in fact you can’t. At no point do you have to do any more than complete the current rep. Keep this in your mind.

Join Sophia Pallaro who will host a 4 weeks course on a ‘Introduction to Mindfulness’ starting Thursday February 18th. This course will explore different mindfulness practices that can help us be more present in and aware of ourselves and our surroundings.