An important aspect of your mindset is the concept of mindfulness.
The term mindfulness gets used a lot in relation to meditation practices. That’s not what I’m talking about here, though there is a relationship, and mindfulness meditation can be a great tool to help develop mindfulness.
So, what is it?
Mindlessness
First, let’s talk about what it’s not! Mindlessness.
You get in the car to drive home, and when you arrive, have no memory of the journey. Mindlessness. You get in the car to go to the shops and automatically start driving along the route to work instead. Mindlessness. You eat a meal in front of the television and have no real experience of the tastes and textures of the food. Mindlessness. You make an assumption about someone, their abilities, views or beliefs based on their appearance. Mindlessness. A doctor tells you that you have some disease or condition, and you accept it without challenge because they are the expert. Mindlessness. You assume that as you get older your health will fail, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Mindlessness.
Mindset quote
“It is not primarily our physical selves that limit us but rather our mindset about our physical limits.
— Ellen J. Langer, Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility
Mindfulness
Mindfulness, then, is simply about being aware.
You can practice it through meditation, but it does not require that you do.
It is about putting effort into noticing details - things you can see, hear, feel, smell, taste. Your thoughts and feelings in the moment, and how they shift and change. Most importantly, it is about noticing these things in context.
You do not just have shoulder pain, your shoulder hurts when you lie on it in bed, and when you lift things to the side, but not when you are at rest or lift things out in front of your body.
You are not just anxious, but feel agitated in new social situations, and comfortable and relaxed with your own company and the company of familiar friends.
Hopefully, you get the idea.
Mindfulness is a part of being able to recognise the belief systems we hold, and the attitudes in operation for us. And when you are mindful of them, you have the capacity to change their hold on you. You have a choice.
Mindset: further reading
This article is part of a series about how our attitudes, beliefs and mindset can affect our health.
There is a fascinating and growing body of evidence that there is a much stronger relationship between our minds and our bodies than perhaps we have been led to believe.
I hope that these articles stimulate some new thoughts and ideas for you, or perhaps shore up what you already knew.
Read more:
Want some one-on-one advice about mindfulness?
Contact Thrive or book an appointment at our clinic in Canberra.