Welcome to your MCI Wellbeing Blog for June!
This month we are talking about mindfulness – what it is and how it can help you.
What is Mindfulness?
It’s so easy to get caught up in our thoughts and feelings then give ourselves a hard time about them. We become anxious that we did the wrong thing or said the wrong thing. We feel ashamed for our behaviour and wish we had done things differently. We get so caught up in our feelings that we become unable to take action. Usually when we are angry or upset or scared, we just react without even thinking about the effect that it will have on someone else or even ourselves. Being mindful allows us the space to take a break, collect our thoughts and decide what to do next.
Mindfulness means being aware of what you are thinking and feeling, but not reacting to it. This includes not judging the thought as being good or bad. It’s being in the present moment without worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. Dan Harris (author of 10% Happier) defines mindfulness as “the ability to know what’s happening in your head at any given moment without getting carried away by it”.