The Power of Mindfulness
Staying in line with our conference theme this year, Power & Responsibility, a topic that is close to my heart is mindfulness. Mindfulness is an important tool that helps us address our responsibility to ourselves when taking care of our mental health, and it gives us the power to reshape the way we think.
History of Mindfulness:
The origin of Mindfulness points to Buddhist practices and teachings.[1] The word mindfulness comes from the Buddhist practice of Sati, which is also sometimes translated as “awareness.”[2] Sati was translated in the 1870s, but didn’t make its way to be popular in Western culture until the 1970s[3]. In the US in 2018, Meditation and Mindfulness were the fastest growing health trend, jumping from 4.1% to 14.1% of reported users from 2012 to 2017. Why is meditation and mindfulness catching on so quickly?[4]
Benefits of Mindfulness:
Mindfulness is a powerful tool to improve mental well-being. The effects of mindfulness continue to be researched, but some common benefits are listed below:
- Mindfulness reduces anxiety - Mindfulness was associated with greater benefits in reduction of stress and anxiety ratings than stress management education[5]
- Mindfulness can prevent recurring depressive episodes – MBCT (Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy) has demonstrated that it can prevent recurring depressive episodes better than placebo[6]
- Mindfulness improves attention – a 2018 study suggests that a brief meditation session may impact attention even in those who are new to meditation[7]
In today’s day and age where attention is fleeting and anxiety is rampant, take control of your mental health with mindfulness.
Links to learn more about mindfulness:
2. https://www.mindful.org/how-to-practice-mindfulness/
[1] https://mindrxiv.org/mfs63/
[2] https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/6245/sati
[3] https://psychcentral.com/lib/a-brief-history-of-mindfulness-in-the-usa-and-its-impact-on-our-lives#origins-of-mindfulness
[4] https://www.mindful.org/meditation-is-the-fastest-growing-health-trend-in-america/
[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23541163/