Over the past few years, ‘mindfulness’ has become the latest buzzword in mental health, and for good reasons. It’s no surprise that stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems have increased worldwide.
We are all looking for solutions to combat daily stress and anxiety, and there is no shortage of options. Enter mindfulness: Mindfulness is a powerful, research-based tool that can help tremendously to improve your mental health.
Now, you might be thinking, “Okay, that’s great, but does it actually work?”.
Well, the research on mindfulness is promising. A number of studies have shown that practising mindfulness can positively impact mental health, particularly anxiety and depression.
Let’s take a deeper look into the healing effects of mindfulness on mental health, but first, let’s define mindfulness.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness, often associated with ancient Buddhist practices, has gained immense popularity in recent years.
Mindfulness is defined as “the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis”.
This practice aims to train the mind to become fully present without judgement. It’s about paying attention to our thoughts and feelings in each moment and accepting them as they are.
If you tend to incessantly dwell on the past or the future, you may be thinking that focusing on the present, moment-by-moment, sounds impossible. It takes practice for sure, but developing mindfulness in your everyday life is not only possible, but it also provides an array of healing effects on mental health.
What are the healing effects of mindfulness on mental health?
Research has shown that incorporating mindfulness into our lives can profoundly impact our mental and emotional health.
Let’s take a look at the most common healing effects.
Reduces stress and anxiety
The uptick of stress and anxiety has undoubtedly increased in our fast-paced lives. Mindfulness-based interventions have consistently shown encouraging results in reducing stress and anxiety levels.
Research suggests that mindfulness practice activates the body’s relaxation response, helping to counteract the detrimental effects of chronic stress.
This makes sense. When you bring attention to the ‘right now’, you will learn to observe your anxieties more clearly and objectively. It comes down to a mindset shift. This shift in perspective helps you to respond to stressors in a more grounded way, thus reducing the impact of stress on your mental and physical health.
Moreover, studies have found that mindfulness-based interventions, such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), can effectively prevent relapse in those with a history of anxiety disorders.
By cultivating mindfulness, you will develop resilience and coping mechanisms to help you deal with anxious thoughts and emotions.
Supports emotional regulation
Our ability to regulate our emotions can greatly impact our mental well-being. Often, our unconscious goal is to suppress emotions, but suppressing emotions never ends well.
Mindfulness practice does the opposite. It helps you observe and accept your emotions and learn how to regulate them in healthy ways.
Another goal of mindfulness is learning to observe your emotions without judgement. You will learn how to create space for self-reflection and compassion. The magic happens when you begin to look at your life through a more objective lens and can understand why you feel the emotions you feel. By developing this non-reactive stance, you gain the ability to respond to emotions more constructively.
Now for brain research! Research has shown that mindfulness strengthens the prefrontal cortex, the brain region regulating cognitive and emotion control. This evidence suggests that a regular mindfulness practice can enhance our ability to regulate our emotions, allowing us to respond rather than react impulsively.
Mindfulness also fosters a sense of self-compassion and acceptance, both vital parts of emotional health. By simply observing our thoughts and emotions, without judgement, we learn to treat ourselves with kindness and understanding, like we would a close friend.
This shift in self-perception promotes emotional resilience and supports better mental health.
Improves focus and cognitive function
Maintaining focus and cognitive function can certainly be challenging in a world filled with distractions. However, research shows that mindfulness can improve attention and cognitive ability.
Regular mindfulness practice has been associated with increased attention span and improved working memory. By training your mind to focus on the present moment, you can become better equipped to resist distractions and focus on what you are doing.
Research has also shown that mindfulness can enhance cognitive flexibility – the ability to adapt and switch between different tasks or perspectives. This flexibility allows for more creative problem-solving and adaptive thinking.
Perhaps most promising is the research that has indicated that mindfulness practice can lead to changes in the brain’s structure and function. Interestingly, neuroimaging studies have shown that those with a long-term mindfulness practice exhibit increased grey matter in brain regions associated with attention, emotion regulation, and cognitive processing.
These findings are huge – they show that mindfulness has the potential to actually reshape the brain and enhance cognitive function. (For more reading on this research, check out this study – it’s fascinating.)
Boosts resilience and self-awareness
Mental health challenges can often lead to a negative self-image and a lack of resilience in everyday life. Mindfulness can serve as the antidote here by offering a path toward cultivating self-compassion and building resilience.
Through mindfulness practice, you will naturally develop more self-awareness and self-acceptance. By observing your thoughts and emotions without judgement, you will begin to identify negative and self-critical thought patterns. This increased self-awareness will allow you to develop a kinder and more compassionate relationship with yourself.
Additionally, mindfulness encourages you to foster a sense of gratitude for the present moment. By training the mind to focus on the here and now, you will learn to find joy and contentment in your circumstances. This mindshift can profoundly impact your mental and emotional well-being.
Getting started: how to cultivate mindfulness in daily life
Okay, so you understand the research on the positive effects of mindfulness, and you’re wondering how to apply it to your life.
If you’re ready to embrace the healing power of mindfulness, here are some practical steps to get you started:
Start with small moments
Just start small. Think about your day and all your activities. Begin by dedicating short periods throughout the day to be fully present and aware of your surroundings and experiences. For example, if you have a ten-minute drive or walk to work, begin there.
Connect with your breath
Set aside a few minutes each day to sit quietly and focus on your breath, observing its rhythm and sensation. Take a few deep, healing breaths where you breathe in for a count of five, exhale slowly for a count of five, and then hold for a count of five before inhaling again. It might feel weird at first, but it does get easier with practice.
Simple mindful breathing exercises are a valuable tool that can help anchor you in the present moment and relieve stress, anytime you need it.
Engage in mindful activities
Think of the activities you do every day, like eating, walking, cleaning, or gardening. Pay attention to the sensations, sounds, and smells involved in these activities, immersing yourself fully in the present moment. Work on bringing your attention to the here and now and letting go of distractions. As mentioned before, start small with five minutes. You can work up from there.
Explore guided mindfulness resources
It can be helpful when first exploring mindfulness to use a mindfulness app or online resource that offers guided meditations and mindfulness exercises to support your practice. Here are a few you can try out, to find out what works best for you:
- Headspace
- Calm
- Healthy Minds Program
- Insight Timer
- 10% Happier
Foster self-compassion
Approach your mindfulness practice with a compassionate, non-judgmental attitude. Be gentle with yourself through the process as you learn to cultivate a sense of inner peace in your daily life. Remember that mindfulness is a journey, not a destination.
What is the bottom line?
Mindfulness is not about achieving perfection or reaching some far-off state of enlightenment. It’s about embracing the messy journey of being human.
The healing effects of mindfulness on mental health are well-documented and supported by scientific research. By embracing mindfulness, we can:
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Enhance emotional regulation
- Improve focus and cognitive function
- Nurture resilience and self-awareness
Begin by taking a deep breath, gently observing your thoughts, and bringing your attention to the present moment. The mindfulness journey can be truly transformative, and you have nothing to lose (except anxiety and stress, of course!).
How can Camino Recovery help?
At Camino Recovery, we believe in the power of connection – with others and ourselves. Our team of dedicated clinicians work together to provide holistic care that addresses the root causes of mental health problems.
We offer a wide range of therapeutic approaches to meet the diverse needs of our clients, from traditional talk therapy to more experiential methods like art therapy and equine therapy – all in a place where you can find a sense of safety, community and deep understanding.
If you or a loved one are struggling with mental health challenges, call us today for a free, confidential consultation and to find out more about the treatment programs we offer.
Don specialized in addiction studies, earning an MDiv and a master's in Management, Administration, and Counseling. As a priest, he supported Step 5s in local treatment centers for nearly 40 years, excelling in "family systems work" in the addiction field.
Additionally, Don pioneered equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) in the US and UK during the 1990s. He authored "Equine Utilized Psychotherapy: Dance with those that run with laughter" and gained media recognition, including appearances on 'the Trisha Show' and features in The Daily Telegraph.
In the early 2000s, Don and his wife, Meena, founded Camino Recovery in Spain, providing tailored addiction treatment programs aimed at fostering happier lives.