Mindfulness: 8 benefits of mindfulness

Do you know the psychological benefits of Mindfulness? In this article we present them to you.

The philosophy and practice of Mindfulness is very topical, and has has generated great interest both in scientific circles and in the street..

Although Mindfulness seems to be the new fad in the field of wellness and meditation, it is not a recently created phenomenon: its origins date back to the end of the seventh century BC, a historical moment closely linked to the emergence of Buddhism.

The benefits of Mindfulness

The fundamental objective of Mindfulness is aimed at to learn to manage our emotions, reactions, attitudes and thoughts in order to be able to deal with the situations we face. to be able to face the situations that life presents us, through the practice and improvement of mindfulness.

Thus, we may be able to discover that through the development of mindfulness in the present moment we develop certain positive attitudes in relation to our state of mind and emotions, getting to control them from freedom, self-knowledge and acceptance..

Mindfulness as a key to self-knowledge.

Mindfulness pursues learning, getting to connect with our inner self, manage our internal events and react in a more conscious and effective way to the eventualities of everyday life. The philosophy of mindfulness proposes that on this path we are able, progressively, to find the essence of who we are.

Ultimately, we must be aware that it is not events that cause us discomfort or anxiety are not the eventsevents, but how we link these emotions. The Compassion and Self-compassion are practices that help us relate to the facts in a non-judgmental and open way. non-judgmental and open to sufferingboth our own and that of others. In Mindfulness, compassion is key, as it helps us to minimize the impact of the negative things that happen to us. It is not about erasing the negative emotions that certain events can cause us, but to reduce their intensity..

During the course of the last centuries, Mindfulness techniques have been applied as a support to psychotherapies used to solve different mental health problems, such as stress, anxiety, sleep disorders or pain tolerance, among others.

In this article we propose to develop eight benefits for your mental and physical health that Mindfulness that Mindfulness can bring you.

1. Helps control stress and anxiety

As we discussed in the article "The 6 psychological benefits of Yoga"The lifestyle of western societies can lead many people to suffer from stress, causing psychological health problems such as depression, anxiety, etc. As well as yoga, meditation and Mindfulness reduce cortisol levelsa hormone that is released in response to stress.

Cortisol is necessary for the body as it regulates and mobilizes energy in stressful situations, but if we have too much of it or it increases in situations we don't need it, it produces many side effects. The practice of Mindfulness brings to its practitioners a state of calmness and serenitywhich undoubtedly affects our physical and emotional health. In this way, cortisol levels decrease, also causing Blood Pressure to decrease.

2. It puts an end to insomnia problems.

A study from the University of Utah found that Mindfulness training can not only help us reduce stress and manage anxiety, but can also help us sleep better at night. According to Holly Roy, the author of this study, "people who practice mindfulness on a daily basis show better control over emotions and behaviors during the day. On the other hand, these people show a lower level of cortical activation at night, which helps them sleep better".

3. Protects the brain

U.S. researchers at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital showed that meditation, a technique that is part of Mindfulness training, increases the size of telomeres in the brain, increases the size of telomeres, structures located at the ends of chromosomes. and which are directly related to aging and the development of certain pathologies associated with old age.

In addition, research from the University of Oregon concludes that meditation and Mindfulness can modify the neuronal structure of the brain. Regular practice of Mindfulness is associated with increased axonal density and increased myelin in the axons of the anterior cingulate cortex.

4. Increases the ability to concentrate

Mindfulness is a practice that focuses on the training of awareness and mindfulness, in order to voluntarily direct these mental processes. A study by Walsh and Shapiro showed that Mindfulness is effective in increasing our ability to concentrate.

This fact has led experts to recommend this practice as a complementary therapy in disorders related to attention deficit. In addition, a study by Moore and Malinowski in 2009 concluded that Mindfulness practice correlated positively with cognitive flexibility and attentional functioning..

5. Develops emotional intelligence

Mindfulness helps us to know ourselves, to look inside ourselves and to show ourselves as we are. With its practice we improve Self-awareness and Self-knowledge and makes us evolve internally..

In addition, through compassion towards ourselves, things do not affect us so much. A study by Ortner, researcher of the University of Toronto, showed that people who include Mindfulness in their lives have more emotional control than people who do not practice it.

6. Improves interpersonal relationships

A study by Wachs and Cordova in 2007 suggests that a person's ability to practice Mindfuless can predict the satisfaction of their relationshipsThe ability to respond appropriately to relationship stress and the ability to communicate one's emotions to the other person.

On the other hand, the Mindfulness philosophy, based on compassion and acceptance, improves interpersonal relationships according to Barnes, a researcher at the University of Rochester.

7. Promotes creativity

Meditation helps to calm the mind, and a calm mind has more space to generate new ideas. Researchers at the Institute of Brain and Cognition at Leiden University in the Netherlands found an increase in creativity. found an increase in creativity in regular practitioners of Mindfulness.

8. Improved working memory

The improvement of working memory seems to be another benefit of Mindfulness practice. A study by Jha in 2010 documented the benefits of Mindfulness and meditation on a group of military personnel after their participation in a Mindfulness training program that lasted a total of eight weeks.

The data from this group was compared with data from another group of military personnel who had not participated in the program. The results showed that the group that had participated in the Mindfulness training program improved their working memory compared to the other group.