What Is Mindfulness? A Practical Guide to Understanding and Practicing It

What Actually IS Mindfulness?

I know, I know… It seems like everywhere you look, therapists are recommending mindfulness. While I LOVE helping people build a solid, workable mindfulness practice, it is important to remember that it is not meant to be a cure-all. Simply put, mindfulness is about paying attention, on purpose, to one thing at a time, with compassionate curiosity. It involves noticing your thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgement, and being open to whatever you experience in that moment.

A singing bowl is often used in more formal mindfulness and meditation practices

Unfortunately, mindfulness is NOT meant to help you relax, to fall asleep faster, or even to make you feel better. Then why am I recommending it? Because developing a mindfulness practice, or at least learning how to practice mindfulness in both every day and difficult moments, can help you learn to relate to your feelings better. As I tell my clients, it may not help you feel better, but it may help you feel your feelings better (or more effectively).

While mindfulness has roots in ancient traditions, modern psychology has integrated it into various evidence-based therapies. However, part of the paradox of mindfulness is that when you practice it, you are simply noticing your experience without trying to change or control the situation. In doing so, your unhelpful thoughts, feelings, and urges can have less of a hold on you; you can then choose to behave in a more thoughtful, wise, and values-driven manner without your emotions being in control. When we try to “use” mindfulness as a tool, rather than simply practicing being mindful to our experiences, we are no longer being mindful – instead, we are holding on to an agenda to change or control our experience, rather than trying to notice and accept it with compassion.

While mindfulness may not "cure" everything, there are certainly many benefits to learning to practice it!

The Benefits of Mindfulness and Meditation

Research has shown that practicing mindfulness can:

✅ Reduce stress and anxiety

✅ Improve emotional regulation

✅ Enhance focus and attention

✅ Strengthen resilience to distress

✅ Increase overall well-being and life satisfaction

These benefits make mindfulness a valuable skill for children, teens, and adults navigating life's challenges.

Meditation is just one way to practice mindfulness

How to Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness can be practiced in both formal and informal ways:

Formal Mindfulness Practices:

• Meditation: Sitting or lying down while focusing on your breath, bodily sensations, or a guided meditation.

• Body Scan: Bringing awareness to different parts of your body, noticing tension or sensations.

• Mindful Walking: Paying attention to each step, the feeling of the ground beneath you, and your surroundings.
  

Informal Mindfulness Practices:

• Mindful Eating: Savoring each bite of food, noticing textures, flavors, and smells.

• Mindful Breathing: Taking a few deep breaths throughout the day to ground yourself.

• Engaging in the Present Moment: Fully focusing on a conversation, your child’s laughter, or the feel of water while washing dishes.
  

Mindfulness in Evidence-Based Therapies

Several psychological treatments incorporate mindfulness to help individuals manage distress and increase psychological flexibility:

🔹 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): In ACT (pronounced as “act”), we identify behaviors that you can engage in that will take you closer to your values by making room for discomfort, rather than engaging in experiential avoidance. Mindfulness is one of the primary ways to facilitate this process, by learning how to observe and accept difficult thoughts, feelings, and memories. ACT was originally created by Dr. Steven C. Hayes. You can find more information about it here: https://contextualscience.org/act

🔹 Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): MBSR is a structured program for people with chronic stress and health concerns developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn that combines mindfulness meditation and body awareness to reduce stress and improve mental health. Dr. Kabat-Zinn’s describes the MBSR program in great detail in his book, Full Catastrophe Living. https://jonkabat-zinn.com/offerings/books/

🔹 Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT): MCBT is designed to prevent relapse in depression by integrating mindfulness with cognitive-behavioral strategies to disrupt negative thought patterns. This program was developed by Drs.  Zindel Segal, Mark Williams, and John Teasdale; you can learn more about it here: https://www.mbct.com/

🔹 Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): DBT incorporates mindfulness as a core skill to help individuals with emotional dysregulation become more aware of their thoughts, emotions, and reactions, and begin to make decisions that are based on their “wise mind” goals to build a life worth living. DBT was created by Dr. Marsha Linehan; you can find more information about DBT here: https://www.abct.org/fact-sheets/dialectical-behavior-therapy/

Getting Started

Mindfulness doesn’t require long meditation sessions or perfect focus. It’s about bringing small moments of awareness into your daily life. Whether through deep breaths before a stressful meeting or appreciating the warmth of your morning coffee, mindfulness can be woven into everyday experiences to enhance well-being.

One of my favorite ways to practice mindfulness is by talking a short walk in a nearby park, during which I pay attention to the different sounds, smells, and sights I can observe. Another favorite mindfulness activity is just simply playing with my children without distractions for 5 minutes, trying to experience the world through their eyes.

There are so many ways to practice being mindful. Which mindfulness practice will you try today?