Mindfulness is truly magic.
Only recently has the power of mindfulness has become more widely appreciated, and even more-so throughout this unexpected pandemic where people around the world were told that they had to isolate for months on end.
When discovering mindfulness, it allows the individual to uncover their underlying emotions and find their true selves. It reconnects oneself to the soul, and fills their being with light and consciousness.
How is mindfulness defined?
Mindfulness
/ˈmʌɪn(d)f(ʊ)lnəs/
noun
- The quality or state of being conscious of something.
- a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.
Mindfulness is overall defined by being conscious within the present moment, and taking notice of everything physical, emotional, and spiritual.
How can mindfulness truly be found?
Mindfulness is usually discovered through experiences that can be classified as a “spiritual awakening”, that tend to occur after one has reached their lowest point or when overcoming a difficult situation. When experiences like these happen, many usually cling unto the practice of mindfulness once it has been discovered as their saving grace, and it can ultimately change their lives.
Mindfulness can also, however, be practiced and incorporated into anyone’s life, at any given moment. All it takes is simply making the choice to be mindful, however with the many distractions that now exist, making this decision is harder than you think.
The simple mindful practice that can change your lie
With the countless distractions that easily distance us from living in the present moment, it is important to make the practice of mindfulness as simple as possible. A life changing practice that anyone can incorporate into their everyday life is journalling. This is something that holds great power and is accessible to anyone and everyone, however it is most definitely taken for granted.
Why journalling?
With more and more research being published around journalling, the proof that it has the ability to ease symptoms of depression, reduce stress, and enhance your sense of self and wellbeing, is only getting stronger.
Journalling for depression.
Journalling is a form of expressive writing, and it has been proven to reduce symptoms of depression, particularly in women that have experienced violence or trauma whether with their intimate partners, or with family and friends. (Koopman, Ismailji, Holmes, Classen, Palesh, & Wales, 2005). It has also been shown to help students in managing their stress and anxiety, therefore improving their engagement and enhance meaning found in the classroom (Flinchbaugh, Moore, Chang, & May, 2012).
Journalling works as a strong way of releasing any negative thoughts or pent up emotions that can feed into depression, therefore allowing your brain to maintain a more positive mindset.
Journalling for learning more about who you are.
As well as helping you release pent up emotions and allowing you to let go of any negative cycles of thinking, journalling can also support you in identifying what may be causing your low mood. An example of this is tracking what you are eating, or describing what hobbies make you happiest. Overall, this can increase self-awareness and prevent you from falling back into practices that are not beneficial toward your mental health.
Journalling for gratitude.
Being grateful is unfortunately something that many people do not practice enough. Making it a habit to list down all that you are grateful for can completely transform your perspective on everyday life. There is even research around this emotion that exhibits that it is impossible to be simultaneously stressed and grateful.
The bottom line
If you’ve yet to try journalling, these proven benefits that deem this seemingly simple practice to have a powerful impact on your mental health should hopefully steer you towards incorporating journalling into your daily routine.
Why not treat yourself to a morning of journalling your thoughts away, alongside a cosy bowl of porridge? See just how transformative this can be on your entire day.