Here are some common mindfulness concepts that could hinder us from engaging in the practice. However, scientific research backed insights suggest why in spite of these misconceptions, mindfulness is worth giving a shot!
1. Mindfulness means meditation
2. Mindfulness slows down your drive and performance
3. Mindfulness is a religious practice
4. Mindfulness is slow and boring
5. Mindfulness is trendy and the wave will ride out soon
1. Mindfulness means meditation: Meditation is a means to become more mindful and present in your current state. To be fully accepting and present in the moment is mindfulness.
Hence, mindfulness is simply when you sit down with your favorite book and completely immerse yourself in it. You don’t wish for the situation to be different or judge it to be either good or bad.
2. Mindfulness slows down your drive and performance: The practice of mindfulness takes away the stress of distractions and emotions that could be getting in the way of your performance. You will become more resilient and tuned into your passion and focus better.
3. Mindfulness is a religious practice: Mindfulness practice has roots in the Buddhist religion. However, the neuroscience of mindfulness has shown definitive impact on regions of the brain like the prefrontal cortex which has shown to improve executive function in students and athletes. A lot of scientific research has been published to this effect.
4. Mindfulness is slow and boring: Initial mindfulness practice may bring the sense that we are slowing down. However, if we look at it as time, we take for ourselves in a day – even 10 mins before bed, every night – it has shown tremendous healing benefits on the body and mind. The act of slowing down brings rest and rejuvenation to the overworked body and mind, and hence it is worth taking that time out for yourself.
5. Mindfulness is trendy and the wave will ride out soon: Mindfulness has become widely popular and there is need for caution in the program or information we read or apply, in our lives.
However, given the humdrum of our daily lives, and the fact that we are making up to a thousand decisions ourselves and the fact that we do more on our own these days, compared to our parents’ generation – including booking flight tickets, our own groceries and pickups and everything else! – it is our mind that needs most support in our times. We operate in financially better times than before, forcing us to operate on a different level of thought and the mind!
Hence, taking care of our mind is both, urgent and important. Make some time for it!
Read here further what Daniel Goleman’s research has shown around mindfulness practice - https://hbr.org/2017/09/heres-what-mindfulness-is-and-isnt-good-for