It is a practice which supports the capacity to stay focussed on what you are doing as you are doing it, a powerful antidote to the distractible nature of the mind and the information-overload in our digital world.
When practised regularly, it can bring more calm and effectiveness into everyday life, reducing stress and enhancing mental capacity.
Google has now trained over one thousand of its employees in mindfulness, recognising its significance in improving wellbeing and innovation in the work place.
It is initially practised through meditation, but it can also be applied to daily activities such as eating, walking or working.
Mindfulness is a simple, yet challenging discipline of noticing what you are doing when you are doing it and becoming master, rather than slave, to the impulses of your mind.
It may sound like an irritating cliché, but there is scientific rationale for this advice. The breath is not only a powerful indicator of one’s state of mind but also a helpful modulator.
During a busy day, take a few moments to consciously tune in to the breath. Feel three breaths move in and out of the body. Then slow down the exhalation which helps to trigger the relaxation response.
Extending the breath in this way sends a message to the parasympathetic nervous system (the system that opposes the stress response) to calm down the body.
Take moments in the day to disconnect from the flurry of to do lists and stressful thoughts and direct your attention externally by tuning in to your senses.
Listen to the sounds in the room, feel your body in space, see the space you are in, notice the temperature and smells.
By tuning in to your senses, just for a few moments, you give your mind a micro break from the stress of thinking.
~This article first appeared on Mindful in May~