[MUSIC] As you go about your day to day life, how often are you really paying attention to just exactly what is in front of you? For example, when you're having a conversation, are you really listening to what the other person is saying? Or is your mind drifting off, worrying about something totally unrelated? When you're walking down the street, are you paying attention to the scenery and sounds around you? Or is your mind elsewhere? And are your eyes glued to your mobile phone? When you're in the car or on the bus, are you paying complete attention to the roads? Or are you angry at the traffic? Agonizing that you're going to be late for work or your next appointment. So many of that thoughts and feelings are caught up else where either ruminating over something that has already happened or worrying about something that will or might happen in the future. These constant chattering in our minds can make it hard to concentrate or be fully present in what we're doing, as well as contribute to feelings of stress. And there's consistent evidence that chronic stress negatively affects physical and mental well being. Stress has been linked to premature aging, chronic pain, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. As well a number of poor psychological outcomes such as anxiety and depression. Mindfulness offers an alternative. There's a growing evidence based for mindfulness based intervention to improve stress and it's related health outcomes. So what is mindfulness? Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment without judgement. It is being aware of how we're feeling, what's happening in our mind and body and around us at any given moment. It's not about controlling or stopping these thoughts. But instead not allowing ourselves to get caught up in them. Although it is affiliated with meditation, mindfulness is not a religious practice, nor is it something to which you need dedicate hours. It's simply being here and now. The two most widely studied structured mindfulness programs are one, mindfulness based stress reduction or MBSR. And two, mindfulness based cognitive therapy or MBCT. While there are subtle differences between these or other mindfulness based interventions. At their core is a shared goal of training our attention through regular practice to become more aware of and less reactive and judgemental towards our thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations in day to day life. Mindfulness is also a key component in a number of well known and evidence based psychotherapies including ACT or acceptance and commitment therapy and DBT, dialectical behavioural therapy. So what's the evidence? In a combined study of over 8,000 participants, mindfulness programs have been shown to have a moderate effect in reducing anxiety and depression. But even in healthy people without depression or anxiety a combined study of over 2,000 individuals demonstrated a large effect on reducing stress. And moderate effects on improving anxiety, low mood, and quality of life. And these effects persisted at 19 weeks follow up. In the workplace, mindfulness has been shown to reduce levels of stress and burnout, as well as improve job satisfaction and engagement. So much so that mindfulness has been adopted by a wide range of major organizations internationally. Including Google, who offer classes in online mindfulness resources for staff. Mindfulness also has a role in approving the quality of life for people with chronic physical health conditions. The strongest evidence to date, is in people living with cancer, but has also benefits for chronic pain, arthritis, reducing the risk of heart disease, and improving quality of life in the palliative care setting. So, how does mindfulness potentially achieve these effects? Mindfulness involves various regions of the brain associated with attention control, emotion regulations, and self awareness. Numerous studies have demonstrated enhanced activity in these brain regions after engaging in mindfulness practice. There are of course difficulties in producing high quality scientific research for mindfulness. The studies are usually small in numbers and rarely follow up participants to see the long term effects. There are also subtle differences in the programs available that make them difficult to directly compare. Nevertheless, these early results are promising as mindfulness as a method to reduce stress and improve mental health and physical well being. And the best part is, anyone can practice mindfulness anywhere, at any time. And it costs nothing to bring your attention back to the present moment. So why don't we give it a go? Because the best way to understand mindfulness is not just to read or listen about it, but to experience it. No matter where you are watching this, just start paying attention to your body. Are you lying down? Or sitting up? Start to notice how you're breathing. Is it short and shallow, being held in the chest? Now, gently adjust your posture either to be lying down on your back or sitting up comfortably in a chair, legs uncrossed with both feet resting on the floor. Close your eyes. Start by bringing awareness to your breathing. Our breath is a fundamental anchor to the here and now. Notice the rising of your abdomen with each breath in, and how it falls with each breath out. Stay connected to your breath, and in doing so, bring your awareness to the rest of your body. Feel the points of contact between your body, and a chair, or the floor. Bring awareness to your feet. Then slowly shift your attention up through your body. The front of your legs, the back of your legs. Your belly, around your back, Your chest and your shoulders, are you holding tension there? Just relax the shoulders down and let it go. Then finally, move your awareness up to your face, letting go of any unnecessary tension in your jaw and relaxing the muscles around your eyes, and in your forehead. If you notice your attention wandering or if you become caught up in a stream of thought, that's perfectly okay. Simply bring your attention back to the next breath. Now, as we come towards the end of this practice, start to reactivate your body by moving your fingers and toes. And when you're ready, slowly open your eyes. How did it feel? This has been a small introduction to mindfulness. It is a way of training our attention towards opening ourselves up to whatever life puts in front of us. It is simple but not easy, and takes practice. So don't feel bad if you found it difficult. If you're interested in developing your mindfulness skills further, regular seated practice is recommended, even if it's just a few minutes a day to begin. There are a number of apps available to guide your practice, or consider enrolling yourself in an online course or face to face group near you. At the very least, you can start by bringing mindfulness into routine parts of your daily life. So when you're next in conversation, just listen to exactly what the other person is saying. When you're walking down the street, take your eyes off your phone and look around you, paying attention to the sights, and noticing as many sounds as you can. There is not only a growing evidence base but also limitless practical opportunities for creating a more mindful life. [MUSIC]
