How Mindfulness and Compassion can reduce stress and improve wellbeing
Improves attention and focus
We spend a lot of our time thinking and worrying. The vast majority of this is repetitive and distracting and in most cases the root cause of the stress we experience. We can increase our capacity for attention and focus by being intentionally ‘mindful’ of the present moment.
Creativity boost
Learning something new, a change of scenery, ‘practicing’ and using open questions, are all known ways to boost creativity. Living life mindfully and having a regular meditation practice, will bring you into regular contact with these. And certain mindfulness meditation practices are known to stimulate divergent thinking, a key driver of creativity.
Connection with people and communities
We are hardwired as humans to form attachments with others. And those attachments we build through relationships, are crucial for our emotional and social development. By positively developing the relationship we have ‘with ourselves’ (we are often our own harshest critic!) and then extending empathetic and compassionate behaviours towards family, friends, colleagues and our communities; we build more, secure, trusting and emotionally resilient relationships.
Better regulate our emotions
As humans, we often react to our emotions and deal with the fallout later. And when we descend into a spiral of negativity, it is hard to climb back up. Mindfulness trains us to observe our emotions, without judgement and by not pushing them away or resisting, we can respond more self-supportively to a variety of emotional states.
Supports physical and mental wellbeing
When coping with physical pain and illness, or mental stress, we mostly seek advice, support and answers from external sources. And we need this of course! But it also helps to recognise our own mind-body connection and capacity to alleviate symptoms. Beyond helping with mental and emotional symptoms, Mindfulness has been applied effectively as a complementary treatment for a number of conditions, from cancer and diabetes to chronic pain and hypertension.
Build waves of resilience
Our busy modern lives are full of challenges, setbacks and stressful moments. And with global events rolling on repeat on social media, this ‘ever present’ threat can increase feelings of stress, social isolation and loneliness. Through regular mindfulness and compassion practice, we equip our bodies and brains with resilience building tools and resources. These help us to reduce over-thinking, form supportive relationships and gain enough emotional balance and perspective, so we can respond positively to change and adversity.
