Stress has rightly been called the greatest pandemic of the century. Accelerating lifestyles, demanding professional responsibilities, financial problems, raising children… these are just some of the causes of stress in our daily lives. We’re all affected to a greater or lesser degree, and the impact on our health can be disastrous. One of the direct consequences of this unhappiness is depression.

Fortunately, stress can be alleviated. You can reduce it thanks to a fast-growing method: mindfulness.

What exactly is mindfulness?

It’s a form of meditation that simply means focusing on the present moment, on the instant, on the condition of the whole being. It also involves bringing our attention back to the experience we’re living and experiencing, without filter (accepting what comes), without judgment (not deciding whether it’s right or wrong), and without expectation. It’s a subtle blend of Buddhist mediation and Western cognitive psychology. It is also known as “full presence” or “attentive presence”. Mindfulness, a form of meditation, first appeared in the 1980s, at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

It’s important to note that the experts’ initial premise was that this technique should be free from all religious considerations. Even if the procedure is used by Buddhists, the exercise does not make the subject a Buddhist.

WHO CAN PRACTICE MINDFULNESS?
Inspired by meditation and yoga, these practices really do help to resolve many ailments. Studies have shown improvements thanks to these meditation exercises on the following people, among others:

stressed, depressed and moody people;
those who are depressed and want to improve the quality of their lives;
overworked people at risk of burnout depression;
those who want to take a step back from the hectic city lifestyle;
patients suffering from neuronal or psychic imbalance, and chronic patients who find it hard to cope with their illnesses.

In fact, mindfulness meditation sessions have been integrated into hospital care in several medical establishments in Belgium since 2015 and in around 200 American hospitals. Here again, the results are interesting and conclusive.

Nevertheless, you don’t need to have “problems” or experience unhappiness to experience it. You can enjoy the happy effects of this form of meditation (even without the presence of an expert or psychologist). We are often subject to great pressures in our daily lives. It’s vital that we take care to protect ourselves from all this stress.

Among other things, mindfulness helps us to avoid becoming an all-purpose machine. It leads us to stop and appreciate the exciting world in which we live. It makes us more present and aware of our own lives.

To achieve this, you need to learn to focus on the sensations, emotions and facts of the moment, while controlling your breathing. Practiced regularly, you’ll gain perspective on life and appreciate your existence more thanks to mindfulness exercises.

TWO ESSENTIAL MEDIATION EXERCISES
There are meditation exercises that help you appreciate the present moment. I’ll mention a few in the rest of this article. They’ll soon become an essential part of your daily routine.

EXERCISE 1: 5 STEP METHOD
The first exercise to help you regain energy and reduce stress entails practicing five different steps:

Stop
It’s about stopping at least once a day to reduce the influence of the fast pace of life that cities exert and impose on us. Stopping is not simply a matter of taking a break or a nap. Rather, it’s about stopping to concentrate and meditate in a quiet place. This mindfulness session can last 4-5 minutes, during which you don’t think about your office files, your energetic children, your cantankerous boss or anything else worrying you. Whether your eyes are closed or not, take these minutes to step back and think about exclusively positive things that make you happy.

We don’t really know how to do “nothing” anymore. When you take a break, it’s to use and tire the brain in other ways: surfing Facebook, sending e-mails, making phone calls… That’s not a break, that’s not mindfulness. So it’s essential to really dedicate this time to clearing your head and appreciating your life.

Breathe
The second exercise is breathing. Inhale and exhale gently, concentrating on the cycle and sensation of the breath coming out of your nostrils. Many people aren’t aware that they’re breathing. It may sound stupid when you put it like that, but it’s true. We breathe without knowing it, without realizing it, and above all, without enjoying it. Concentrate, too, on the air coming in and out of your chest and belly. Feel your breath. In a waiting room, in a queue at the bank or supermarket, make the most of the moment you’re given for your mindfulness exercise. Instead of getting annoyed by waiting or biting your nails, breathe deeply and savor the moment.

Also, are there any smells where you are? Without looking for them, let them come to you if there are, and relax. This simple exercise allows you to clear your mind and reduce the stress and pressure on your shoulders (or in your head). It’s the best way to live in the present moment.

Look
Where are you now? What do you see? Mindfulness involves paying close attention to what’s going on around you. Then focus on one object or element at a time. Without thinking or analyzing, let your eyes observe. For example, if you’re looking at your fridge, pay attention to the shades of color, the shape, the size, etc. If you’re at home, it’s a good idea to look at it with your eyes. If you’re at home, you probably need to take a fresh look at your living room. Concentrate on the shapes, colors, tones and texture of the wood. If you have a garden, revisit your flowers and plants, particularly their appearance and the variety of colors. Among other things, these exercises help you to step back and appreciate the present moment.

Listen
Listen carefully to sounds. Are there perhaps subtle or noisy sounds around you? Mindfulness requires us to focus on the origin and variety of these sounds. For example, we don’t really appreciate silence. What is silence, anyway? When we think that everything is calm, that there are no noises, is this really the case? You can even pay more attention to the sound of your breathing. How does it feel? By doing this mindfulness exercise regularly, you’ll intuitively learn to consider every sound and take all opinions into account.

Touch
This is the last point. Don’t just look, make tangible contact with the elements around you to explore how your body feels. Touch your desk, your hands, your clothes, your sofa, and keep your mind fixed on the quality and variety of textures. To go a little deeper, you can then feel the totality of your body, the skin, the internal vibrations, the muscles, etc.

Frequently perform this in just 5 or 10 minutes every day. You’ll notice the immediate benefits of this mindfulness exercise. You’ll then have more strength to face new challenges…or your pile of files.

EXERCISE 2: THE WALKING MINDFULNESS EXERCISE
The second exercise is mindful walking. It involves focusing your attention on the sensations in your body as you walk.

To do this, you don’t have to walk as usual, accelerating your pace like a maniac. Instead, walk at a turtle’s pace, very slowly, but consciously. Ideally, you should practice this mindfulness exercise in nature, or on a lawn, while the morning dew wets your feet. Try to feel your feet on the ground, your legs moving, the sensation of the grass under your feet and on your ankles.

Then return to your usual walking pace. Then return once more to a slower pace, concentrating more on the sensations and impressions your body sends back: the swaying of your arms, the position of your torso, or that of your head and shoulders. By becoming aware of these movements, you’ll find it easier to release stress and connect with nature.

Even if your current position doesn’t allow you to go into direct contact with nature, you can do so in an office or on the street. You can take the time to walk more slowly, and concentrate on your impressions and the weight of your feet on the ground. If you combine mindfulness meditation with these 2 complementary meditation exercises, you’ll significantly reduce stress.

MINDFULNESS: WHAT ELSE DOES IT DO FOR YOU?
The practice not only relieves you of stress and anxiety, but also allows you to feel a little present in the world. And remember, feeling present gives you indescribable inner peace. You’ll also find it easier to concentrate more intensely and be more lucid and productive.

By concentrating on the simplest gestures and the most insignificant facts, you’ll draw fresh ideas and new strength from them. You’ll rediscover a kind of wonderment in the face of gestures to which you’ve become accustomed.

Your body, too, will benefit from mindfulness meditation. By concentrating on the tiniest sensations, the tiniest gestures, the finest muscular movements, you’ll learn to relax. Your whole attitude will breathe calm, inspire relaxation.

Make the most of every meditation session, every exercise, and you’ll see that more subtle changes will sometimes take place that you don’t even notice at the time. The mindfulness technique gives you access to an elevation of consciousness.

SO, SHOULD WE TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS FROM ALL OUR ACTIVITIES?
Yes, why not? In any case, we don’t really have much to lose – on the contrary!

In fact, once you get used to these moments of mindfulness, you’ll start to value and pay more attention to the things and people that really matter in your life. The first of these people is you. By taking these little moments for yourself, you’ll refocus on what really makes you happy. In this way, you’ll redirect your efforts and attention to what’s essential. We often do things mechanically without realizing it.

Our thoughts are elsewhere and do not accompany our actions as we carry them out. But it’s important to be attentive and aware of everything we do. Instead of daydreaming all the time, thinking about a discussion and all the good lines we could have given. In short, presence is an important factor in inner well-being.

So, in short, did you know about mindfulness before reading this article? What do you remember?