What is Mindfulness, Why & Who Can Practice It?

Mindfulness can be a benefit to anyone, but the following people may find it particularly helpful:

Those who are carers or in the caring professions; When we are looking after others, it can be very difficult to make time for ourselves.

Those who have a history of reaped bouts of depression; mindfulness many not prevent a future relapse, but hopefully it will help you spot the warning signs of depression sooner and so the relapse will be shorter and less sever.

Those who suffer from anxiety; We become anxious when we dwell on the past or worry about the future. The “what ifs” and “if only” can tie us up in knots. In mindfulness, the emphasis on the present moment can stop the downward spiral, and focusing on the sensations you feel in your body can help pull you out of the negative mind-set.

Those who suffer from a chronic illness or condition; Mindfulness can help us learn to live with illness rather than be consumed by it. By noticing the moment to moment changes in the mind and body we are better able to make use of those times, and also to recognise when it is better to rest and recuperate.

Those who suffer with chronic or intermittent pain; We increase our suffering with the stories we tell ourselves about pain; and we tense the body to withstand and resist pain and in doing so create additional stress and tension elsewhere. Mindfulness can help us move up close to the pain so that we become more familiar with its characteristics and notice the stories we tell ourselves, which enables us to become less caught up in it. Pain is present, but we are much more than the pain.

Those who feel stressed or overwhelmed; Mindfulness can help deactivate the stress reaction.

Those who are going through a period of change in their life; Participants often come to the course when something has changed in their life, perhaps children have left home, or they have been mad redundant, or a relationship has come to an end. The seemingly solid ground of their day to day life has shifted.

Those who realise they would like something to be different in their life, even if they are not sure what; These people have not been formally diagnosed with anything specific

Anna Black (2015) “The little pocket book of mindfulness”