Do you know? A study from Florida state university found that mindfully washing the dishes increases the inspiration levels in people by 25% and decreases their nervousness level by 27%. Yes, you read it right! Practicing mindfulness in our daily life could do such wonders!
Excited to know how mindfulness can change your life for the better? Stay with me.
What exactly is Mindfulness?
The meaning is quite straightforward – Fill your mind with what you do. Mindfulness is the awareness. It’s basically being aware of what you do at the present moment. Most importantly, not getting overwhelmed by what’s going on around you or the past or future thoughts.
It’s not an art but an in-built support system that everyone of us are blessed with. All you need to do is to access it the best possible way and experience the benefits. From real life experiences to scientific studies, it’s proven that being mindful can improve your way of living in every single aspect.
So, before moving on to how it can change your life, I have a good news for you. And, that is, you don’t have to change to instill mindfulness into your life. The things that demands change threaten us. Solutions that comes with changing ourselves to what we are not have always gone wrong. Happy to announce that mindfulness isn’t one among them.
With that good note, I’m going to take you thru how mindfulness can change your life.
Oh, I got that question too. Are the merits even Legit? Yes, it’s better to question than trusting blindly. I do that too. That’s why I back every single benefit with a scientific proof. Go ahead
1. Improves your Focus, concentration and cognitive flexibility
With all the technologies and media available in our hands, we’re provided with everything to get distracted easily. A social media post, a message, a single ring on mobile, and what not. Staying focused, which actually was once a natural process, became a skill today. Yes, schools and offices are conducting sessions on that. And, with this pandemic situation, the effect is huge.
It’s become harder for us to focus on what we do without getting distracted. Keeping hold of attention on one thing at a time is even more complex. And, that’s when mindfulness comes to the rescue. It helps us stay focused and strengthen our hold on attention. With focus, we can finish a task in half of the time that we usually take to do our tasks mindlessly.
There was a study conducted by two scientists on the relationship between meditation, mindfulness, and cognitive flexibility. They organized a stroop test, a concentration test and an endurance test among the group of meditators and non-meditators. And, guess what, experienced mindfulness meditators scored significantly higher across the tests. With that, they concluded, Mindfulness has a greater impact in improving attentional functions and cognitive flexibility.
2. Lowers Stress
Our lives are getting exponentially stressful with each passing day. With our days becoming busier, tasks tougher, relationships harder, stress has become inevitable. But, this is definitely not the right way of living.
Our daily schedules are filled up with numerous exhausting tasks. The world is moving fast and so do we. We often end-up in situations which we can’t handle and stress become the obvious by-product of it. The clutter around us and within us need to be cleared to respond to any situation in the right way.
There was an interesting study conducted on “Daily stress and the mindfulness benefits“. They observed a group of 143 adults over 20 days to check whether mindfulness can create any positive impact on people’s response to daily stressful events. The results showed that those who practiced mindfulness, respond better and calmer.
3. Reduces nervousness:
Anxiety has become very common today. If you sit back and reflect on why we become anxious, it would either be related to past experiences or our fear about future. You cannot be in the present moment and become anxious. There can be any rarest of the scenarios.
I know forgetting past traumas can be hard. Also, dealing with the uncertain future is tough. But, being in the present moment is what it takes to get rid of both indirectly. Mindfulness is exactly this – being here and now. Whenever you feel anxious, pause and check your thoughts. And, if you’re not living the moment, bring back your awareness to what you do and where you are.
Here is my personal favorite.A study from Florida state university found that mindfully washing the dishes increases the inspiration levels in people by 25% and decreases their nervousness level by 27%. The results also claimed that positive effects could be increased and negative effects could be decreased thru intentionally engaging in a range of activities i.e., mindfulness.
When just one activity a day could do this difference, the results would blow your mind, if you start living in the moment. It all takes just that.
4. Changes your Brain Chemistry:
Mindfulness can change the density of grey matter in the hippocampus area of your brain. Mindfulness is all it takes to rewire your brain. How cool is that?
A Study published in psychiatry Research-Neuroimaging, found that mindful meditation could change one’s brain chemistry. The MRI scans of people, who practiced mindful meditation for 30 mins a day, showed growth in the hippocampus – the area related to memory and learning. And, not just that. it also reduced the density of gray matter in the amygdala – the area related to anxiety and stress. A group that did not practice it, showed no changes.
Brain is the most complex part of the human body. How amazing is that, to know, you could change the design of your brain by practicing mindfulness? So, come, let’s be in the present moment and restructure our brain 🙂
5. Helps fight diseases:
I strongly believe, all our health issues start from within. Our busy lifestyle disconnected us from our inner self. With work occupying all our time, we forget to be present. And, taking care of body became one of the least priorities.
Most of our health ailments are also strongly connected to the way we feel. Can you believe being mindful of what we do can prevent and fight diseases? Harvard medical school researchers have done a study to investigate this.
A control group was asked to practice relaxation methods like meditation, mindfulness and yoga every day. After 2 months, their body began to change. They found that ‘disease-fighting genes’ were active in them when compared to those who didn’t practice any form of relaxation. These genes helped them fight inflammation, kill diseased cells and protect the body from cancer.
And, the interesting fact is that, the benefits of relaxation methods were increasing with regular practice. Wanna know how relaxation can have these powerful effects? Because relaxation increases the level of feel-good chemicals such as serotonin and to the growth hormones that repair cells and tissue.
Now, we know why Ayurveda (from India) follows the remedies of relaxation by meditation and repetitive mantras. Looking to build a stronger immune system or healing from a disease? A simple solution could be practicing mindfulness.
Conclusion:
It’s undeniable to accept the fact that, mindfulness can change your life dramatically in every single aspect. And, its not limited to these 5 benefits but there is an ocean of them to add.
Do you still think mindfulness is overrated? You need to experience it and start living the life filled with bliss. Start by mindful breathing – Breathe in and out. And, repeat until you bring your awareness to the present moment.
Which one of these benefits fascinated you? Let me know in the comments.