Benefits of a regular mindfulness practice

Why bother? It takes a lot of energy and time to start a new habit. This blog explores some of the evidence for the benefits of a regular mindfulness practice and how to get started.

Years ago I was in a high-pressure job, stressed, constantly busy and not very happy. Someone mentioned mindfulness and I thought I would give it a go. I did it for six weeks, saw amazing benefits (I was less stressed, less reactive and slept better).

But then I gave up, going back to my ‘old’ ways.

There is now a wealth of research on the various benefits of mindfulness practice.  So much so, it’s really hard to ignore how beneficial a regular mindfulness practice can be. So naturally, I talk about mindfulness quite a bit with my clients. 

In this section, the links will take you to various research papers. Of course these only give a snapshot of the research so if you would like to know more, send me a message and I will signpost to more resources.

To bust one common myth straight away: mindfulness is not about emptying your mind

It is a technique for building present-moment awareness that is incredibly useful in supporting the work of counselling and psychotherapy

Potential mental health benefits:

• Reduced anxiety

• Improved brain function

• Improved focus (feeling less distracted)

• Feeling more in control of challenging feelings (quicker to get back to a more regulated state)

• Less reactive

Other health potential benefits:

• Better sleep quality

• Managing chronic pain

• Lowers blood pressure

• Reduced risk of high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, stroke and coronary artery disease

Curious?

If you are keen to get started, Mind has some resources here and Patrizia Collard’s Little Book of Mindfulness is a lovely intro text.

Here are some guided practice suggestions (and it is worth checking with your employer, health insurer or gym to see if there is free or discounted access to these):

• Headspace (paid but currently you can try it for free)

• Calm (paid but currently you can try it for free)

• Balance (paid)

• Free Mindfulness Project (free)

Starting new habits – even if you know they are great for you – can be really hard. There may be some psychic furniture that needs to get re-arranged to make way for the new habit and here therapy can be helpful.