Mindfulness is a type of meditation that can train a person to focus on their surroundings and the emotions they feel and accept them openly. The benefits of mindfulness meditation are not only limited to physical health, but also mental health.
If you spend too much time daydreaming or thinking about negative things, these habits can drain your mind and even energy. In addition, a thought pattern that tends to be negative can also increase your risk of experiencing stress, anxiety disorders, and depression.
To reduce stress and make you calmer, there are several ways you can do. One of these ways is mindfulness meditation.
How to Do Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation can be done by anyone without special requirements. This type of meditation can also be done anytime and anywhere, whether at home, office, or meditation class.
However, this meditation technique may be difficult for people who have certain psychological disorders, such as anxiety and depression. Therefore, people who experience psychological disorders should first consult a psychologist or psychiatrist.
Mindfulness meditation techniques are not much different from meditation in general. You can start by finding a comfortable sitting position, catch your breath, then focus on your heart rate or feel the sensation of air flowing as you inhale and exhale.
Next, focus on what's going on around you. You can also use the five senses to observe and feel the surrounding conditions.
You can also focus on the emotions you're feeling. Recognize how the emotion arises and accept whatever it is that causes you to be emotional.
Do this for about 3-5 minutes, then refocus your thoughts. If done regularly and appropriately, mindfulness methods can make you feel calmer and able to think more clearly.
Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation in Daily Life
Basically, mindfulness means being more aware of your surroundings, emotions, feelings, and the various problems you are facing. In addition, mindfulness can also provide a variety of benefits, including:
1. Train your mind and focus
Mindfulness techniques can be used to train you to be more focused on your surroundings and the thoughts that come to your mind.
If you often do something in a hurry, try to do it more relaxed and focused. Even though it can be difficult at times in the midst of a busy life, take some time to enjoy your surroundings with your five senses.
For example, when you are eating your favorite food, make it more enjoyable and focus solely on that food.
Take time to smell food, feel the texture or taste of food, don't rush when eating, and avoid other activities while eating, such as playing games or reply to a text message.
2. Enjoy life
Thinking about the past will only waste energy and trigger stress. Therefore, try to focus on living your life right now with an open mind, an open mind, and give your best in every activity or job.
By training your mind in a mindfulness way, you will feel calmer and less stressed. This can make you enjoy life more.
3. Loving yourself
Loving yourself does not mean being selfish and showing indifference to others. Self-love actually means respecting and loving yourself as you are, regardless of your shortcomings.
If all this time you still can't love yourself, you can try mindfulness methods to get to know and open up more. Not only that, mindfulness techniques are also known to increase your self-confidence.
4. Reduce stress
Excessive stress is certainly not good for the health of the body, both physically and mentally. To reduce and control stress better, you can try mindfulness techniques.
Unlike other meditation techniques that focus on distracting yourself, mindfulness techniques actually encourage you to focus more on the stress you are feeling and open your mind to deal with stress in a more positive way.
If done correctly and regularly, mindfulness meditation can even prevent and relieve symptoms of mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety disorders. Mindfulness meditation is even good for dealing with anxiety and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you still have questions about mindfulness or are confused about how to apply it, you can consult a psychologist or doctor. In addition, you can also read books or watch video tutorials on how to do mindfulness meditation properly.