The act of paying attention, of noticing what’s around and within us without judgment.

Mindfulness can improve your life. Mindfulness is an ancient tradition that is becoming more commonplace in the modern world.  It’s been shown to help with a number of conditions, such as chronic pain, anxiety, stress and gastrointestinal disorders. A recent study showed that patients who practiced mindfulness experienced the following benefits:

• Fewer primary care visits
• Overall reduction in anxiety
• Improvement in immune system
• Longer and better quality sleep with fewer sleep disturbances
• A reduction in negative feelings like anger, tension and depression
• Improvements in physical conditions as varied as psoriasis, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue

Because research studies continuously show the positive impact mindfulness has on reducing anxiety and stress, it is even being used to treat people with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, in preschools and elementary schools to help children focus, and at hospitals and clinics to reduce pain in patients.

Here are a few ways to practice mindfulness:

Morning

Waking up: How are you breathing? What are you grateful for today?

In the shower: What scents are you experiencing?

At breakfast: Where did your food come from? How does it taste?

Noon

Walking: Pay attention to your movements.

Driving: Notice your body from head to fingers to toes while on the road.

Working: Practice deep breathing and posture.

Lunch: What are you eating today? What flavors do you taste? How many colors do you see?  

Night

Reflection: What was good about today?

There are helpful phone apps to help you enhance your mindfulness. Here are three available on iPhone and Android:

• Stop, Breath & Think
• Calm
• Headspace