Mindfulness: how to regain balance in everyday life with meditation

How many times have we thought of meditation as a very difficult practice that only a Buddhist monk can tackle?

Nowadays, when we refer to meditation, we talk about mindfulness, translatable from English as mindfulness, a practice promoted by American physician Jon Kabat-Zinn who, in the 1970s, created a protocol for managing stress based on mindfulness, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Mindfulness is about paying attention to the present moment, observing what is happening inside and outside of us with curiosity and without judgment.

How and why can Mindfulness help us?

Often driven on autopilot, during our days we tend not to pay attention to what we experience, do and feel. It happens to all of us, for example, to eat dinner and think at the same time about what we are going to do in the next few days; or to hear others without really listening to their words; or to perform simple overthinking and distracted activities such as driving or being on a cell phone. Through the practice of mindfulness, we can interrupt the habitual patterns we put in place in our daily lives and stay in touch with our thoughts, feelings and emotions, and live and choose consciously.
Scientific research has also shown that meditating promotes the development of certain areas of the brain and slows down its aging, strengthening memory and the effective regulation of emotions. This can help people manage various stress symptoms such as headaches, irritability, high blood pressure, fatigue and sleep disturbances. Meditating regularly can help us become more resilient, respond more functionally to everyday disagreements, and approach the challenges and choices that life throws at us with more serenity.

How is it practiced?

Mindfulness does not require expensive equipment or excessive time; even a few minutes a day is enough. It can be trained in a variety of ways, such as while standing still or moving; following formal practices, with clear instructions and specific times; or informal practices, applicable to every aspect of our daily lives, such as while drinking coffee in the morning, brushing our teeth or cooking dinner.

In today’s fast-paced world, mindfulness can offer us a sliver of peace. It is not only a method recommended for those dealing with mental health problems and physical illness, but also for those who wish to reduce stress, improve relationships or find a sense of inner peace. It is an invitation to be in the here and now, seen from a new perspective, without running away from reality but, as Thich Nhat Hanh suggests, to connect with it more deeply.