How mindfulness can help almost anything

I’ve been practicing mindfulness in one form or another for about eight years now. Informally, you can think of it as noticing your thoughts and feelings non-judgmentally, and then choosing what to focus on next. It’s a simple practice, but it has had a huge, positive impact on my life. I am constantly surprised by the new ways I find to apply it. Even looking at the benefits of mindfulness proven by science, it helps people with an impressive number of issues: stress, depression, fatigue, performance, emotional intelligence, chronic pain, long-term illness, and many more.

Unfortunately, this very success sometimes holds people back from trying mindfulness, as it seems unbelievable. They wonder how one practice can possibly have all these benefits. There is a lot of bunk, pseudoscience, and outright nonsense in the world of wellness (and the world in general). So this skepticism is not only reasonable; it’s completely justified.

To understand how mindfulness can have such broad effects, one first needs to realize that there are two parts to every problem. There is the problem itself, and then there is how you respond to the problem. These two aspects, while related, are not the same.

Most people have experienced the inability to fall asleep because they are worried about some crisis. In this situation, there are two problems:

1. The crisis
2. The unpleasant thoughts and emotions the crisis is causing

It’s unlikely that you can do much about problem one while you’re lying in bed. However, there’s actually a lot you can do about problem two if you practice mindfulness. Recognizing that you’ve done all you can about problem one and that it’s pointless to keep worrying is the first step to breaking out of those repetitive, unhealthy thoughts and starting to get a good night’s sleep.

I like to explain this principle using a little story. Let’s say that you have to walk past a scary dog before going to bed tonight, and you know it will be an unpleasant experience. In such a situation, many of us will spend all day worrying about the scary dog. Facing the dog only takes a few seconds, yet we choose to spend hours facing the dog in our minds.

But we could choose to think differently.

In a way, this is how mindfulness helps people with chronic illness. When you have a chronic illness, you face two problems:

1. Chronic illness
2. The unpleasant thoughts and emotions that the illness is causing

According to the peer-reviewed scientific literature, having a chronic illness can be very challenging. This is why people with chronic illnesses often experience depression, sadness, and hopelessness. They may feel trapped by their illness and believe that it is removing all joy from their lives, even when that is not the case.

Mindfulness might not cure the illness, but it can help individuals break out of that mental trap, highlighting one of mindfulness’ many benefits. It’s that trap that prevents them from enjoying the good things they still have.

The key thing to remember is that every problem has these same two aspects: the problem itself and the thoughts and feelings about the problem. Being aware of these thoughts and feelings non-judgmentally and then choosing what to focus on next can help us with almost any type of problem.

Our response to a problem will almost always be affected by how we think about it. So mindfulness can help us with nearly any challenge we encounter.

Mindfulness offers a powerful tool for navigating the complexities of life, helping individuals manage stress, enhance emotional intelligence, and find balance even in difficult circumstances. By practicing mindfulness, we can break free from negative thought patterns, improve our overall wellbeing, and cultivate a more positive perspective. As we embrace this simple yet effective practice, we open the door to greater resilience and a more fulfilling life.