What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness involves training our attention and attitude
Being mindful is paying attention to the present moment with openness and curiosity. It’s a state that encourages us to slow down, focus on the moment, accept things as they are and act with intention. When we do this, we may find we are able to think more about the here and now. Mindfulness may evoke strong feelings for some people. It’s important to be gentle with yourself about whether mindfulness works for you.
What does it mean to be ‘unmindful’?
To better understand what it means to be mindful, it helps to know what ‘unmindful’ means. When we’re inattentive, distracted and disengaged from the present moment, the mind unconsciously slips into what’s called ‘default mode’ – we’re physically doing one thing, but the mind is somewhere else. For example, someone might be speaking to us, but we’re not listening. We might be reading a book but not taking in the words on the page. A lot of default mode mental activity involves worrying about the past and future. This is one of the main reasons there’s so much default mode mental activity in states like anxiety and depression.
Mindfulness can help us switch off ‘default mode’
It’s a practical way to notice thoughts, physical sensations, sights, sounds, smells, or anything else you might not normally notice. When we focus on the present moment, we switch off default mode. It gets us back on task, helps the body relax and helps us respond to the moment. While mindfulness might sound simple, it may not come easily to us. You may have noticed that the ability to focus on the present moment can come naturally to some children and young people. While we might be hurrying them to get to their early learning service or school on time, they’ll stop to look at butterflies, flowers or bugs. They are in that moment with no worries about the past or future. As adults, however, we’re often thinking about what we need to do next or what we wish we’d done differently.
Mindfulness takes practise
Mindfulness is about consciously choosing where our attention lies, rather than allowing it to be dominated by concerns that distract us from the present moment. It allows us to stay open, curious and flexible about the moment.
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What are the benefits?
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Why should educators consider practising mindfulness?
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