Could Mindfulness Practice Be Your Key To Happiness?
By: Katie Pesek
Tags: Health, Mindfulness, Covid 19, Meditation, Stress Management

Mindfulness meditation is rooted in the original teachings of the Budah and has gained popularity in modern medicine as a means of stress and pain reduction. Mindfulness is defined by the American Psychological Association as;

“a moment-to-moment awareness of one’s experience without judgment.” (Davis & Hayes, 2012)

For my last semester in graduate school, I decided to take a class dedicated to learning about and practicing mindfulness. I thought it would be an easy A that required little to no effort, and I was wrong.

The semester I chose to take this course was also when I landed my big break as a nutritionist for a professional baseball team. The culture in professional sports is one where “the grind” never stops. I was expected to hustle and constantly work to prove my worth, and I was ready for it.

So, during my first mindfulness class, when we were asked to lay quietly and perform a body scan, I thought it was the biggest waste of time and was even getting a little angry. I could not stop thinking about everything else I could be doing with my time, which defeated the purpose of mindfulness altogether.

It took about 3 weeks of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program before I opened my heart to accept the practice of mindfulness and what it has to offer. And I wish I would have opened up to the practice sooner.

Focusing Attention

When I finally accepted the mindfulness practice, I began to pay attention to my present moment experience on purpose. Instead of filling my thoughts with my never-ending to-do list or worrying about the future, I was able to begin enjoying the current moment while I was in it.

I truly underestimated the power of focused attention and how what we give our attention to influences our lives. In the past, I would give a lot of attention to social media, unconsciously scrutinizing myself for not looking a certain way or being “further” along in life. This attitude kept me from enjoying the period of life I am currently living.

Now, I work daily to enjoy my youth, education, and relationship in their current phases. Only giving my attention to what is necessary and brings me joy.

Rumination

Another gift I gained from the mindfulness practice was decreased rumination. This is a benefit of mindfulness that has been extensively studied and shown to decrease stress and pain perception.

Rumination is described as preoccupying thought with past/future encounters, situations, and scenarios. For example, I spent so much time ruminating about negative encounters with a co-worker I couldn’t enjoy time with friends and family without talking about the situation.

With mindfulness, I learned how to focus attention on my present moment, preventing me from ruminating about the past or what the future may hold. When I took control of my thoughts, I was able to be in the moment with my family and friends truly. It felt like I had taken back my thoughts and happiness.

Love & Kindness

While I found a great appreciation for how the mindfulness practice taught me to look inward, I am more grateful for how the practice changed my outward perspective on life. I used to think the world was happening to me, but now I see how the world is happening for me.

Practicing love and kindness puts into perspective how our view of others influences our experience. Instead of that negative co-worker being rude and cruel, she became a wounded person who was acting out of fear, and I felt sorry for her.

Her choices and reactions no longer weighed on me, and I began wishing for her to find peace in the battle she was waging within herself.

Practicing love and kindness has allowed me to be unfazed by all the little annoyances I used to experience.

Going Forward

When beginning a mindfulness practice, it is so important to give yourself grace. My mentor always said the practice of mindfulness was the process of realizing your attention has wandered and bringing it back to the present moment, again, and again, and again.

Especially with everything going on in the world (a.k.a COVID-19), I have found the mindfulness practice invaluable and greatly challenging.

At times I find myself ruminating about how bad the world seems and falling into old habits of worrying about the future. Now, I have the tools to refocus my attention and only feed the thoughts concerning what I can control.

If you are looking to begin a mindfulness practice, I urge you to seek an MBSR program before using an app. Sharing this journey with others and having a strong mentor has been so helpful in my journey to mindfulness.

While I still have a lot to learn from the practice, I was amazed by how fast this practice impacted my life. I’ve only mentioned a few of the benefits mindfulness has that are being backed by science.

If you want to learn more, the resource below is a great place to start!

Davis, D., Hayes, J. (2012). What are the benefits of mindfulness: a wealth of me research has explored this age-old practice. Here’s a look at its benefits for both clients and psychologists. American Psychological Association. 4(7); 64.