You find a lot about mindfulness online. There are people who devote their lives to do research on this topic and among these, there are the ones who choose to live mindfully.
I am no expert in mindfulness, though as a specialist in mental health, it is a subject that has caught my interest. Even more since I become a mom, where my kids are my mindfulness mentors. And if living mindfully turns out to be so positive as they say, then we would be crazy not to pursue it.
Because I love the depths of the human mind as much as I love science, I decided to do my own research on the topic - nothing too complicated or extensive, rather something that everyone with a laptop can do.
Today I am sharing a few of my findings with you. They may not come as a surprise, but they throw some scientific light into the topic.
On the one hand, we have what I call personal benefits. For instance, in various studies it was found that after being exposed to mindfulness trainings and exercises, reduced stress as well as less chances of burnout are reported. In addition, these participants show an increased cognitive flexibility and a higher self-regulation, meaning that they have an ability to stay more focused than before and have less stressful thoughts being able to remain calmer.
On the professional side, again there were groups of individuals undergoing different mindfulness practices and exercises, and again this exposure is correlated to higher productivity, higher job satisfaction in general as well as organizational improvements such as increased team cooperation and positive organization climate. There is even one study in which participants mention how they perceive the pressure of deadlines and the general workload as being lower.
If you take the word of the research above (there is so much more you can find online!), the benefits of mindfulness seem pretty obvious. What would be the reasons to not become more mindful?! Perhaps the question here is more around the how. Is mindfulness only related to meditation or yoga? Not really!
There are many ways of being more mindful and living more mindfully. Such as through breathing, laughing, contact with nature. This week's episode will be dedicated to a few strategies falling under this topic. So stay tuned!
And in the meanwhile, think of one thing you can start doing right now to include mindfulness into your everyday life.
