What are mindfulness techniques?
Mindfulness techniques are mental exercises designed to reduce stress and combat the many activities that characterize our daily lives. Therefore, this type of meditation is key to alleviate those mental discomforts that occupy our head.
The practice of these exercises is based on paying attention to the moment. The objective is to learn to relate directly to what is happening in our lives and face situations in a more bearable way.
Why is it done?
The practice of these exercises is beneficial for different fields such as anxiety, depression, psychosomatic disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders and different physical illnesses.
Self-awareness and tolerance of negative emotions improves many aspects of life, including work, relationships, physical health and self-improvement.
The practice of these exercises is based on paying attention to the moment.
What does it consist of?
There are different types of mindfulness techniques, depending on the field you want to work on. The techniques consist of the practice of exercises focused on different branches:
- Breathing mindfulness exercises: paying attention to breathing is an extremely important practice for mindfulness learning. The person who begins to perform this type of exercises has to be aware of his or her capacity of attention, even if it is lost, has to return to its main objective.
- Mindfulness exercises for observing emotions: observing emotions without judgment is one of the main characteristics of mindfulness practice. We should not identify or reject any of them, but observe and accept them, both positive and negative. This will lead to a tolerance of all of them.
- Mindfulness micro mindfulness exercises: to continue the mindfulness attitude it is important to perform short exercises in daily life.
- Body awareness mindfulness exercises: exploring our body and becoming aware of it is essential for this practice. In addition, the focus should be on acceptance of sensations and not on changing them.
- Mindfulness exercises of pain tolerance: in this practice, the subject seeks to improve the skills developed favoring pain tolerance and physical improvement.
Preparation for mindfulness techniques
Before starting to practice this technique it is necessary to prepare the body. You can do some meditation sessions practicing yoga, stretching or a walk in nature.
Afterwards, it is necessary to find a quiet space to be able to concentrate. There is no better or worse time of the day to perform this technique, but once the habit is adopted, it is important not to stop.
The first sessions are usually short but intense. You need to be aware of your breathing, surroundings and body sensations. Later on, the session time can be increased.
Alternatives to this treatment
Mindfulness techniques can be considered as an alternative to medication, especially for those people suffering from stress, depression, anxiety, etc. There are other techniques similar to this such as the following:
- Yoga
- Cooperative learning
- Meditation
- Relaxation techniques