Mindfulness is about being more aware of things in the present moment. In terms of emotional wellbeing it’s being aware of what’s going on in your mind – your thoughts and feelings – at any given moment without getting carried away. This can be really helpful for dealing with uncomfortable thoughts and feelings – rather than allowing them to spiral out of control and make us feel really bad, we can be aware of them and accept them for what they are. It takes practice to really notice the benefits, but even 10 minutes a day is enough.
Focussing on our breathing is a good way of becoming more mindful. Try this simple meditation exercise:
- Sit with your back straight (but not tense) and your eyes closed
- Notice the feeling of your breath coming in and going out; focus on your belly rising and falling or the cold air on your nostrils
- Whenever you think about something else, bring your attention back to the breath. Try not to criticise yourself – it’s completely normal to get distracted, this is how our minds work. The practice is simply to notice that our mind has wandered and to bring our focus back to the breath
You will find lots of guided meditation videos online, and there are apps, for example Headspace.