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Keeping mindfulness in mind: The importance of tapping into your awareness and being present

By Published On: January 28th, 2025

The idea of mindfulness has become incredibly mainstream in recent years, meaning that more and more people have had access to this vital concept. But with more discussion about what it means to practice mindfulness and “be mindful,” it’s important to clarify the intention behind mindfulness and highlight how it can benefit your day-to-day life.*

While the concept has become increasingly popular in recent years, this definition of mindfulness from 2012, written by Daphne M. Davis, PhD, and Jeffrey A. Hayes, PhD for the American Psychological Association (APA), is both pertinent and clear: “a moment-to-moment awareness of one’s experience without judgment.” 

They also distinguish mindfulness from the typical associations with the term. Originally a Buddhist concept founded around 2,600 years ago, Davis and Hayes explained. “In this sense, mindfulness is a state and not a trait. While it might be promoted by certain practices or activities, such as meditation, it is not equivalent to or synonymous with them.”

How mindfulness can help you

So, why might it be a good idea to take on mindfulness practices in your own life? One main reason is the sheer abundance of research out there that affirms the relationship between mindfulness and a multitude of health and wellness benefits.

According to News in Health, treatments that focus on mindfulness have been found to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, while also being associated with lowering blood pressure, improving sleep, and even potentially helping people deal with pain.

Additionally, Davis and Hayes outline numerous specific benefits found in existing mindfulness research, including a reduction of rumination and stress, a boost to working memory, strengthened focus, decreased emotional reactivity, improved cognitive flexibility, and satisfaction in relationships. They also noted that “[m]indfulness has been shown to enhance self-insight, morality, intuition and fear modulation, all functions associated with the brain’s middle prefrontal lobe area.”

The APA, with the help of psychologists J. David Creswell PhD and Bassam Koury PhD, has illuminated numerous other benefits, too, many of which encompass mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). Their research shows that in addition to stress, anxiety, and depression, mindfulness can help with addiction, pain, fatigue, chronic pain, and overall physical health, and that these practices might even help boost immunity and shorten recovery times from cold or flu.

Delving a bit deeper

In “Effects of Mindfulness on Psychological Health: A Review of Empirical Studies” for Clinical Psychology Review, Shian-Ling Keng, Moria J. Smoski, and Clive J. Robins examined correlational studies, clinical intervention studies, and laboratory-based, experimental studies about mindfulness to determine the nature of its effects on psychological well-being. 

Keng, Smoski, and Robins explained that when it comes to correlational research findings, “mindfulness is positively associated with a variety of indicators of psychological health, such as higher levels of positive affect, life satisfaction, vitality, and adaptive emotion regulation.”

Photo by iStock user Benjavisa.

These conclusions were solidified by clinical intervention research findings, as well as laboratory research. A majority of the latter indicated “that brief mindfulness training, whether in the form of a short, guided meditation practice or in the form of instructions to adopt an accepting attitude toward internal experiences, can have an immediate positive effect on recovery from dysphoric mood and level of emotional reactivity to aversive stimuli.” 

The scholars added another key benefit to mindfulness, too: the low barrier to entry, meaning that you don’t need “extensive prior training in mindfulness to experience some immediate benefits of mindfulness training.”

Overall, Keng, Smoski, and Robins’ findings determined that all research methods suggested a positive association between mindfulness and psychological health: “These effects ranged from increased subjective well-being, reduced psychological symptoms and emotional reactivity, to improved regulation of behavior.”

News in Health even points out the possibility for mindfulness to improve physical health through more informed decision making. An eight-week mindfulness program for people with high blood pressure, which was organized by the director of Brown University’s Mindfulness Center, Dr. Eric Loucks, and his team, found that increased awareness of habits, including eating, led participants to opt for healthier diets after the course.

Loucks also added that healthier choices—whether it’s what you eat, how much you exercise, or the types of goals you set—can be more easily integrated into day-to-day life through mindfulness and heightened awareness.

I want to try mindfulness. Now what?

So, the science and evidence supporting mindfulness is overwhelmingly clear. It can be great for your wellbeing in a variety of ways! But how can you take on mindfulness practices in a way that works for you?

It’s an important question, because what works for one person might not work for the next when it comes to accomplishing a state of mindfulness. The APA describes one of the most popular mindfulness practices—and one that tends to become synonymous with mindfulness in mainstream culture: mindfulness meditation.

This particular type of meditation is broken down into two elements. The first part, attention, requires a focus on the present, and “typically involves directing your awareness to your breath, your thoughts, the physical sensations in your body and the feelings you are experiencing.”

Then, you incorporate the second component, acceptance. The idea is that you not only gain awareness of the present moment and all that comes with it, but that you don’t judge or react to any of these thoughts or feelings—rather, you simply observe. 

The APA recommends an array of mindfulness approaches to get started, including connecting with mindfulness-based community activities and classes or finding a therapist that is trained in mindfulness therapy. There are also online resources available to explore, but, as with anything, there are many different kinds of classes, therapists, and apps out there. What works for you is totally dependent on your own preferences and circumstances.

I personally have used the Calm app for mindfulness meditations, as well as their soundscapes, and have really enjoyed them. A blog post by Calm (which was clinically reviewed by Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, MBA) recommends many different approaches to achieving a mindful state. You can truly infuse mindfulness into a variety of daily activities, like counting various things that your senses pick up around you (known as the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise) or practicing a walking meditation.

Photo by iStock user Kilc32.

Many sources, including Calm, Mind—a mental health charity in the UK—and News in Health also emphasize the benefits of mindful eating, movement, and more. These simply require paying specific attention to what you’re eating on a sensory level, or the various physical feelings you experience as your body moves. Body scan meditations are another beneficial exercise that allows you to become more in tune with your body’s physical sensations from head to toe while maintaining an attentive mind. You can make something as simple as driving or drawing a mindfulness practice—and you can even incorporate gratitude into your mindfulness practice by focusing on what makes you feel thankful.

Indeed, the basis of mindfulness, attention and acceptance, lies at the core of the practice. So, when it comes to working on it, there are so many possibilities. Some of my most mindful moments are during my Pilates exercises, or while I’m enjoying a cup of tea, or as I’m driving home from work. 

In my experience, sometimes mindfulness sneaks up on you even when you aren’t necessarily trying to meditate, breathe deeply, or focus on observing your thoughts. But if you ever find mindfulness as an unexpected guest in your life, embrace it. And as Mind explained, worry less about practicing mindfulness “correctly” and more about practicing it in a way that works for you.

Cover photo by iStock user Benjavisa.

*Disclaimer: All medical claims made in this article are information provided by the subject. The information is general in nature and not specifically meant for any particular individual. You should always seek out medical assistance from a medical professional based on your individual needs and circumstances.