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In a TED Talk Andy Puddicombe (2013) makes the claim that taking just ten minutes out of each day to be mindful can have a positive impact on our lives. Mindfulness has been defined as “the state of being attentive to and aware of what is taking place in the present” (Brown and Ryan, 2003). Mindfulness can alternatively be called meditation (Puddicombe, 2013), or present-moment awareness (Donald, Atkins, Parker, Cristie & Ryan, 2016) Numerous studies have highlighted the benefits of mindfulness. For example “present-moment awareness as a general disposition is associated with a host of psychological benefits, such as reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms, lowered perceived stress, increased mood and improved well-being" (Donald et al., 2016). Puddicombe (2013) suggests that feelings of stress, distraction, and being overwhelmed can not only be overcome, but these issues can be prevented in the first place by practicing mindfulness. He also says that mindfulness can help in coping with difficult emotions, learning to be in the present, and being more healthy. Mindfulness can even help treat heart disease, lower blood pressure, improve sleep, and alleviate gastrointestinal difficulties.
As I spent a few days practicing mindfulness for just ten minutes I noticed benefits right away. After just one day I recognized that I was much more conscious of my thoughts. At a couple points throughout the day I caught myself thinking, “that was an interesting thought, I wonder where it came from.” Before practicing mindfulness I felt that thoughts were simply there, and I never considered them as separate, unique, identifiable units. Before learning about and practicing mindfulness I saw my thoughts as the noise of a bustling city; constant, disordered, and indistinguishable; in a word, a cacophony. After practicing mindfulness for just a few days I now recognize my thoughts as separate and unique sounds; a distant train going down the tracks, the sound of traffic on the nearby roads, the birds in the park, and so on. I am much more conscious of each thought as an individual unit.
While doing the exercise of doing nothing for ten minutes on the first day I recognized that my mind kept wandering back to things that I needed to do; take my daughter to the library, work on my MSLD 520 assignments, respond to that email from work. However, I also recognized that the fact that I was constantly dwelling on my to-do list was increasing my level of stress. Being conscious of this, however, helped me to put things into perspective and realize that there was no need to stress about any of it; that I would be able to accomplish everything I needed to do. Interestingly, the second and third day my mind did not wander constantly back to the tasks on my to-do list at all. I felt that I was much more aware of my physical body, and being in the moment on those days.
After practicing mindfulness for just ten minutes a day for three days, I plan to continue the practice. I expect to continually see increasing benefits the more comfortable and proficient I get. In fact, I even downloaded Andy Puddicombe’s iphone App, Headspace, and plan on doing the exercises daily. I would recommend that anyone who wants to be more self-aware do the same.
References
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 822-848. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822
Donald, J. N., Atkins, P. W. B., Parker, P. D., Christie, A. M., & Ryan, R. M. (2016). Daily stress and the benefits of mindfulness: Examining the daily and longitudinal relations between present-moment awareness and stress responses. Journal of Research in Personality, 65, 30-37. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2016.09.002
Puddicombe, A. (2013, January 11). All it takes is 10 mindful minutes. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzR62JJCMBQ
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