By Pat Drake, SOTV Community Faith Nurse
From daily distractions to stress and anxiety, many things can occupy your head in today’s busy world, making you restless and barely aware of your surroundings. The sad fact is that it can have a significant negative effect on your mental health and overall well-being.
So how can you learn to be calmer, more centered, and less stressed? Consider mindfulness, a mind-body practice that has been found to benefit both psychological, physical, and spiritual health.
Mindfulness can be defined as the process of gaining control of your senses, thoughts, and feelings so you are completely aware of the present moment and your surroundings.
Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, meditation, guided imagery, and journaling. Recent research indicates cultivating a daily mindfulness practice results in lower overall stress.
Some common benefits of practicing mindfulness include the following:
- Reduces stress
- Elevates your focus
- Improves your attention span
- Boosts your immune system
- Helps lower depression and anxiety
- Helps alleviate pain
