[excerpted from, 9 Keys to Transcendent Aging: Transpersonal Psychology ©2023]
Mindfulness is our next key, and while it is a type of meditation, it’s so very much more.
Derived from Buddhism, mindfulness is both trait and state, as well as a practice which includes but isn’t limited to its meditative version. It’s been developed into training and intervention programs such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction [MBSR], Mindfulness Awareness Practice [MAP], Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy [MBCT], and others.
So much has already been published about mindfulness. But we must include it as one of our 9 transpersonal keys, as its benefits for older adults are enormous, as is its application to self-transcendence.
In brief: focus and notice. But don’t attach.
Mindfulness is a keen focusing of attention to detail. We notice our lives, ourselves and the world around us, deeply and richly. The nonattachment aspect refers primarily to emotion: we notice our emotions as they arise, greet the feeling and identify it, then gently let it drift on by without any need to own or identify with it. That is, a sort of ‘oh, here’s that sadness again’ and ‘it seems the sadness has tinges of anger’ and ‘I guess I’m angry as well as sad over the loss of __’ and ‘okay, let it float away.’
Simpler in word than deed, but a very worthwhile skill to embrace and refine.
I engage in solo trekking on a small island weekly. I’m increasingly familiar with the territory, only 1.6 km2 after all, and it’s surely repetitive and rhythmic moving meditation as well as deep ecology. It’s also mindful, in that I pay careful attention rather than letting my thoughts wander, and I notice as much as possible – the types of flowers newly in bloom since the week before, the tiny snail climbing a reed, the cow hoofprint in the red soil, the hooded crows perched in the trees, the patterns made by sunbeams, the ancient olive tree, the scent of sea and wisteria in the air, the sounds of birdsong and surf (and squawking gulls), the warmth of sunlight on my face.
When we notice the details of our day, our self, our lives, our surroundings, we experience time affluence (Schaupp & Geiger, 2021). We’re all quite familiar with the sense of time speeding up with age, and increasing exponentially in this technological era, and while these phenomena are well measured, we can change our time experience through mindfulness. When the New Year comes around again and it seems that only yesterday we were celebrating the last one, if we’ve engaged in mindfulness we know precisely where the year has gone: we know that it stretched endlessly before us as we lived it fully and richly, taking note of life rather than letting it rush past.
This has well-established benefits; as we saw with meditation, only more so, brain health is primary. Positive effects of mindfulness on memory, attention, executive function, and visuospacial processing have been demonstrated (Hazlett-Stevens et al., 2019; Mirabito and Verhaeghen, 2023; Moss et al., 2022), as have protective benefits against cognitive decline and dementia (Ng et al., 2020).
Mindfulness effects on mental health include reduced depression and anxiety (Bhattacharya & Hofmann, 2023; Crego et al., 2020), and subjective wellbeing (MacAulay et al., 2022; Schaupp & Geiger, 2021). There are also physical health benefits such as reduction in chronic low back pain and chronic insomnia (Hazlett-Stevens et al., 2019), both of which are often associated with aging.
There’s more good news: with age, we naturally tend more toward trait mindfulness (Mahlo & Windsor, 2021), considered an advanced stage of one’s psychological development (Whitehead et al., 2020). Nilsson (2022) has proposed a comprehensive Mindful Sustainable Aging [MSA] model with biological, psychological, sociological, and spiritual dimensions, that includes 8 elements: activity level, body awareness, change processes, dynamism, mental alertness, social and spiritual supports, and vigor.
A framework for mindfulness personal and group practices and therapeutic interventions has been developed by Levit-Binnun et al. (2021), by which they identify 4 types or purposes of mindfulness: attention on present moment, nonattachment/nonjudgment, prosociality, and cognitive therapy. Identified as ‘beyond self’, mindfulness is transcendent and transpersonal, with potential for individual as well as collective engagement in issues both societal and global (Callen-Davies et al., 2023).
By now it’s clear: we need mindfulness – trait, state, and practice – in our lives as we age.
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Exercises:
Spend some time in nature, whether walking or sitting according to your ability, and after quieting your mind and focusing on your breathing, begin to notice as much detail around you as possible, engaging all of your senses. Be sure to reflect on this soon thereafter, in whatever method is best for you: writing in a journal, making an audio recording, telling a friend, or other.
Make notes throughout each day of things that you particularly notice; you can do so in a note app on your phone for convenience, or whatever method works for you. At day’s end, write a journal entry regarding what you were especially aware of that day.
Describe the room you’re sitting in now. Use as much detail and as many of your senses as possible. Consider that you’re describing it to someone who has never seen this room before. Notice everything. Similarly, you could describe your dog, cat, or other animal companion, in detail. Descriptive exercises help to fine-tune our ability to notice detail.
Keep a gratitude list or journal, or simply recite to yourself at the end of each day all that you were grateful for that day. Consider as broadly as possible. Gratitude in itself promotes mental health and wellbeing, but it also requires mindfulness in the process of discovery.
Practice mindful walking when in public. Match your pace to your breathing, whatever feels comfortable to you – typically, 3-4 steps on an inhalation and the same on an exhalation. By focusing on the coordination of breathing and walking, you will move along in a much more mindful way overall.
This singular focus can be applied to countless activities, such as mindful dining. Put away those forms of entertainment, whether screen, book, or background noise, even conversation, and apply your focus entirely on the consumption and enjoyment – the savoring – of your meal. Enjoy each bite while noticing texture, color, temperature, scent, and of course: flavor.

References:
Bhattacharya S and Hofmann SG (2023). Mindfulness-based interventions for anxiety and depression. Clinics in Integrated Care 16:100138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intcar.2023.100138
Callen-Davies RJ, Bristow J, Gazder T, et al. (2023). Mindfulness-based programmes and ‘bigger than self’ issues: protocol for a scoping review. BMJ Open 13:e067819. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067819
Crego A, Yela JR, Gómez-Martínez M, et al. (2020). The Contribution of Meaningfulness and Mindfulness to Psychological Well-Being and Mental Health: A Structural Equation Model. Journal of Happiness Studies 21, 2827-2850. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-019-00201-y
Hazlett-Stevens H, Singer J, and Chong A (2019). Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy with Older Adults: A Qualitative Review of Randomized Controlled Outcome Research. Clinical Gerontologist 42:4, 347-358. https://doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2018.1518282
Levit-Binnun N, Arbel K, and Dorjee D (2021). The Mindfulness Map: A Practical Classification Framework of Mindfulness Practices, Associated Intentions, and Experiential Understandings. Frontiers in Psychology 12:727857. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.727857
MacAulay RK, Halpin A, Andrews HE et al. (2022). Trait mindfulness associations with executive function and well-being in older adults. Aging & Mental Health 26:12, 2399-2406. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2021.1998352
Mahlo L and Windsor TD (2021). Older and more mindful? Age differences in mindfulness components and well-being. Aging & Mental Health 25:7, 1320-1331. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2020.1734915
Mirabito G and Verhaeghen P (2023). The Effects of Mindfulness Interventions on Older Adults’ Cognition: A Meta-Analysis. Journals of Gerontology: Series B 78:3, 394-408. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbac143
Moss AS, Reibel DK, Wintering N et al. (2022). Cerebral Blood Flow and Brain Functional Connectivity Changes in Older Adults Participating in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program. Behavioral Sciences 12:2:48. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12020048
Ng TKS, Fam J, Feng L, et al. (2020). Mindfulness improves inflammatory biomarker levels in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial. Translational Psychiatry 10:21. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-020-0696-y
Nilsson H (2022). The four-dimensional model of mindful sustainable aging: a holistic alternative. Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging, https://doi.org/10.1080/15528030.2022.2083743
Schaupp J and Geiger S (2022). Mindfulness as a path to fostering time affluence and well‐being. Applied Psychology: Health and Well‐Being 14:1, 196-214. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12298
Whitehead R, Bates G, and Elphinstone B (2020). Growing by Letting Go: Nonattachment and Mindfulness as Qualities of Advanced Psychological Development. J Adult Development 27, 12-22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-018-09326-5

[excerpted from, 9 Keys to Building Resilience: Health Psychology ©2023]

A daily dose of gratitude will boost your resilience.

Much has been written about gratitude, and as a mindset and practice, it’s powerful indeed. When we’re appreciative, even for small things, life becomes richer; we see the gifts all around us. When we express our gratitude to others, it enhances their wellbeing, too. This considered practice adds to optimism, as we develop a habit of looking for the good everywhere, and increases the presence of meaning in life.

Our core resilience is boosted by the practice of gratitude in its effect on our optimism; even in adversity, in those times most difficult, we’ll tend to seek out what we can still appreciate, what’s still positive, of value, worthwhile, meaningful. Developing this sense of gratitude while in the throes of adversity, however, isn’t likely to be successful; we do well to begin this practice now, and make it an ingrained habit, as if storing money in the resilience bank for times of adversity to come.

As I awaken each morning, my little cat inevitably curled up beside me, I breathe deeply and am grateful: for another day, for a deep and cleansing breath, for a drink of pure water awaiting me at my bedside, for that little cat. When I retire for the night, I’m filled with gratitude just to lay my body down in bed again – one of the loveliest moments of each day – and review my day, identifying simple moments of beauty, of love, of joy, and once more I’m grateful.

In their review of recent research on gratitude and resilience, Kurian and Thomas (2023) identified the enhancement of trait gratitude on coping skills related to presence of meaning, and on positive reappraisal or emotional regulation. Gratitude also contributed to increased resilience and coping in the study of Klibert et al. (2019), in part due to elevated mood.

Gratitude is often viewed as a form of social bonding, when we’re grateful for other people or the benefits we receive from them. In middle childhood, gratitude facilitates social and emotional attachment, which in turn creates more trait gratitude in adolescence and becomes a feedback loop, as well as a protective factor against depressive symptoms (Scott et al., 2021).

Naturally, we can feel grateful and practice gratitude in other ways than those of social bonding. When we’re grateful for a sunny day, or for health, or any number of other aspects, perhaps we’re bonding with the natural world, to the self, or to a deity if religious; we may be grateful to fate, or to life itself. In any case, our gratitude contributes to various types of bondedness (as opposed to isolation), positive mood, self-efficacy, and a general belief in a benevolent world.

In fact, gratitude has also been identified as beneficial when directed toward the self, in identifying traits and skills one perceives oneself to contain, for example. In facilitating self-compassion and self-acceptance, gratitude can amplify positive psychological functioning and specifically, resilience (Homan & Hosack, 2019). It can be quite different to say, “I’m grateful” rather than, “I’m glad” that I have a particular skill; in the former, even if my gratitude has no object (I’m not grateful to a deity nor to another person, nor even particularly to myself for gaining the skill, which would be the latter case instead), from a position of humility I’m merely, yet powerfully, grateful for same. Humble before the universe, perhaps.

Gratitude has been strongly associated with resilience in the face of adversity. During the recent pandemic period, when medical professionals in high-incidence areas were under profound duress, both health care professionals and hospital staff of a ‘red zone’ in Italy demonstrated gratitude as protective, associated with decreased burnout and perceived stress, and increased hardiness and self-efficacy (Giordano et al., 2022).

In the particularly high-risk population of military veterans, gratitude has been demonstrated as beneficial to mental health. In an analysis of data from the National Health and Resilience Veterans Study of 3,151 US veterans, McGuire et al. (2021) identified an association between trait gratitude and increased resilience in forms such as social support, presence of meaning, and optimism; the researchers further noted decreased risk of posttraumatic stress disorder, mood disorders, addiction, and suicide.

Along with optimism, gratitude can also counteract suicidal ideation in sexual assault survivors experiencing symptoms of posttraumatic stress, as seen in a study of Kumar et al. (2022). What’s more, for those at the high end of the spectrum for these traits, the association between PTSD symptoms and thoughts of suicide was no longer found. In a related study, adolescent suicide risk, especially among girls, appears to be mitigated by a generalized presence of gratitude (Rey et al., 2019).

It can be quite challenging to find gratitude in the midst of crisis, or sustained chronic stress. Yet again, if we can practice gratitude daily in times of relative stability, we can feed our resilience reserves – and be better prepared when adversity comes.

One of those ways, which we’ll explore further below, is in writing about gratitude. The research backs it up: focusing on experiences of gratitude in one’s life, especially through writing, enhances positive reappraisal, which we saw in the introduction as a form of emotional regulation strongly correlated with resilience (Boggio et al., 2020).

So – let’s get grateful, and add this to our resilience-building techniques.

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Exercises:

As with a couple of our keys already, begin by gaining clarity. Brainstorm or mind-map what gratitude means to you, sources of gratitude in your life. You might also consider making a list, or engaging in deep contemplation, or a conversation with a likeminded person.

The gratitude journal is by now a classic – and also very effective, if you’re the journal-writing sort. Consider prompts, not just what you’re grateful for that day but particular categories; one day your writing could be about aspects of family for which you’re grateful, while another day it could be for personal characteristics, aspects of nature, your beliefs, or many other things. (If you can’t think of anything, there are plenty of gratitude prompt lists to be found online.)

Similarly, a gratitude box or jar, that you decorate or make special in some way and keep somewhere visible, is useful. Each day write on small slips of paper anything for which you’re grateful; it could be something or someone permanently or regularly in your life, or something charming, funny, or meaningful that happened that day. On occasion when you need a boost, reach into the jar and pull out one of these slips of paper to read and remember; gratitude has its effect on us in the remembering, too.

Use of a note app in your phone might be helpful. Throughout each day, whenever anything gives you a moment of pleasure or inspires gratitude, note it in a few words on your note app. At the day’s end, transfer those to your journal or gratitude jar. This will increase your mindfulness during the day in seeking all those moments worthy of gratitude – and remember: sunshine, a cool breeze, a nice deep breath of clean air, the strength of your body, the smile of a stranger – you’re surrounded each day by opportunities for gratitude.

Identify a small, transitional object – something meaningful that you carry with you always, as a reminder to be grateful.

If you have a friend or family member who’s also focused on gratitude, make a pact to text one another once a day to share something for which you’re grateful. (Sometimes, it might be that you’re grateful for that person.)

Post once a day on social media: Today I’m grateful for…. Sharing your gratitude with others increases its effect considerably, and you might inspire others to add their own comments of gratitude. Or join an online gratitude group, if it suits you.

Meditate on the topic of gratitude. You’ll find that it fills your heart.

Make a playlist of songs related to gratitude – and play it often.

References:

Boggio PS, Giglio ACA, Nakao CK, et al. (2020). Writing about gratitude increases emotion-regulation efficacy. Journal of Positive Psychology 15:6, 783-794. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2019.1651893

Giordano F, Cipolla A, and Ungar M (2022). Building resilience for healthcare professionals working in an Italian red zone during the COVID-19 outbreak: A pilot study. Stress and Health 38:2, 234-248. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.3085

Homan K and Hosack L (2019). Gratitude and the self: Amplifying the good within. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment 29:7, 874-886. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2019.1630345

Klibert J, Rochani H, Samawi H et al. (2019). The Impact of an Integrated Gratitude Intervention on Positive Affect and Coping Resources. International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology 3, 23-41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41042-019-00015-6

Kumar SA, Jaffe AE, Brock RL et al. (2022). Resilience to suicidal ideation among college sexual assault survivors: The protective role of optimism and gratitude in the context of posttraumatic stress. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy 14:S1, S91-S100. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001141

Kurian RM and Thomas S (2023). Gratitude as a path to human prosperity during adverse circumstances: a narrative review. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2022.2154314

McGuire AP, Fogle BM, Tsai J et al. (2021). Dispositional gratitude and mental health in the U.S. veteran population: Results from the National Health and Resilience Veterans Study. Journal of Psychiatric Research 135, 279-288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.01.020

Rey L, Quintana-Orts C, Mérida-López S et al. (2019). Being Bullied at School: Gratitude as Potential Protective Factor for Suicide Risk in Adolescents. Frontiers in Psychology 10:662. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00662

Scott V, Verhees M, de Raedt R et al. (2021). Gratitude: A Resilience Factor for More Securely Attached Children. Journal of Child and Family Studies 30, 416-430. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01853-8

[excerpted from, 9 Keys to Mindfulness for Health: Health Psychology ©2023]

Focus, notice – but, don’t attach.

Nonattachment may at first seem paradoxical; mindfulness is a deep attention to one’s life, an appreciation of all that’s good and beautiful, including our own bodies. Yet nonattachment may seem to be lacking emotion, or to be a generalized disinterest, in that we don’t allow anything to matter.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Nonattachment is perhaps one of the most freeing principles of mindfulness, and of Buddhism, too. We notice everything, certainly including our internal processes in this close, careful, and compassionate mind analysis and training – yet we don’t need to latch onto anything. We acknowledge our emotions and thoughts, the painful with the joyful, yet they don’t define us. We don’t get bogged down in any one story; we simply, and fully, exist in the moment, to our capacity but without a close alignment to any particular feeling or thought.

I acknowledge my pain. Yet, I’m not that pain. It’s experienced by me. But it isn’t me. I am I, separate from my thoughts and emotions. And in the end…there’s no I there.

How freeing is that?

Nonattachment is non-identity – not identifying with our thoughts or emotions, but recognizing them as mental phenomena, miniscule hiccups of the brain. This doesn’t invalidate what we’re thinking or feeling; it remains valid but not identifying.

Buddhism, including the practice of mindfulness, uses the concept of story. Indeed, we humans are storytellers – to ourselves, to one another, how we’ve preserved our histories and forged our cultural, societal, familial, individual identities. Story is important. But story is just that: something we tell ourselves. Even if it’s 100% true, we’re still telling the story; we aren’t the story, not even if we live it.

Knowing and recognizing the deeper meaning of story is vital to our self- and greater understanding; otherwise, it’s just a pretty (or ugly, or meaningless) story. Part of nonattachment, therefore, is letting go, in not connecting nor identifying too closely with our phenomena, our stories; the other side is in understanding the stories themselves, or getting to the root of our emotions.

And how can we remain detached? And, how can we at the same time get to the root of our emotions?

First, in noticing everything, we also notice what we’re feeling, rather than merely reacting according to that emotion as is the natural response. We pay attention, and we note the feeling – and then we pay attention some more, and note what’s beneath it. (There may be a few layers.) Still, we’re analyzing rather than identifying with, and we’re doing so with a good deal of self-compassion.

To wit: Oh, there’s that anger again. I wonder why this kind of situation tends to make me angry? Ah – it feels a bit threatening. The anger is my shield, beneath which is a bit of fear. And what’s hiding behind that fear? What am I really afraid of? Oh. Of seeming weak before others. And, why is that?

This may seem as if we’re always analyzing ourselves, but in fact, the above could take place within seconds – and then I let the anger, and the underlying fear, drift on by as if a cloud.

But the next time a similar situation occurs, I just might react with less anger, and less fear, because now I know why I react to that circumstance as I do.

I’ve traveled a lot. (More than 100 countries thus far, quite a few of them multiple times – and in each case solo, by choice.) This brings a great deal of joyful experience, and a fair amount of stress, sometimes intense. When things go very wrong, and despite my years of mindfulness training, I react emotionally; I’m human, after all. Yet, because of my practice of mindfulness, after a moment or two of emotional meltdown I extract myself from the story, let those negative thoughts and emotions drift away like smoke, shake myself off, and say: Now, how am I going to solve this situation?

Detachment.

We know that mindfulness increases subjective wellbeing, and decreases psychological distress; we saw both of these outcomes in our introduction. It’s nonattachment, according to a review of 41 studies totaling 24,704 participants, that acts as the mediator (Ho et al., 2022). So, if you want to minimize your distress and maximize your wellbeing, engage in mindfulness – with a goodly amount of nonattachment.

In a study of nonattachment among Indians, where the principle was first developed, nonattachment was closely associated with wellbeing, positive emotion, and life satisfaction, while negatively associated with ego – that is, the higher the degree of nonattachment, the lower the pronouncement of ego in personalizing experience or self-defining according to phenomena (Gupta & Agrawal, 2022).

How might this be used by the health psychologist? Both mental and physical illness comes with a lot of story, and a good deal of negative emotions and thoughts. We project into the future and fear what we see there; we get stuck in the past, either nostalgic about our life before our illness or condition, or ruminating on all that’s gone wrong – and/or, shaking our fist at the Fates who’ve dealt us such a blow. While some of this emotional content may be genuinely felt and valid, none of it is helpful to us. The health psychologist, then, can help people to recognize such, identify the thought patterns and emotional content – and what’s behind it, and then help them learn how to let go – and how to practice nonattachment in future.

Detaching from the story of our lives, however dramatic or fascinating it may be, allows us to live in a far more peaceful and harmonious state – better for our physical and mental health in itself – and to function more clearly as we work toward healthy lifestyle practices that can benefit our condition and decrease our symptoms.

And so, how can we practice nonattachment or letting go, and at the same time, get to the root of our emotions?

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Exercises:

One of the ways to practice nonattachment is by finding sources of happiness within oneself, rather than externally, and we can engage in various activities toward this end. Keep a happiness journal; in it, explore inner sources of happiness, such as qualities about yourself that you like, happiness that you can generate – for example, religious or spiritual beliefs or love for life itself, thinking deep thoughts, cooking, making art, or singing. If journal-writing isn’t for you, then you can simply consider such things, discuss with a friend, make a video or audio recording, or tell your cat.

Write your own mantram, a word or phrase about letting go or about being enough, for example, and say it silently in your mind many times throughout each day.

Keep the idea of ‘story’ uppermost in your mind. When thoughts and emotions arise, simply say – even aloud – “Story.” This will increasingly serve to remind you that you are not your story, nor are you defined by your thoughts or emotions, or those of other people. It’s all story. And while we humans are natural storytellers, and we all like a good story, we know that we can enjoy it while not actually feeling that we’re one of its lead characters. You might even consider writing the word “story” on small pieces of paper that you put in a few prominent spots in your home (such as the mirrors and refrigerator door), to remind you. (Good as a screensaver, too.)

Meditate on the phrase, “letting go”. Keep your focus on that phrase only (and on your slow and steady breathing, of course). Don’t take it in any particular direction; just stay with the phrase itself. After 5-10 minutes of this, reflect – by journal-writing, recording, discussing, or deep thinking, as you prefer. That’s the time to begin making those connections and associations.

Similarly, and perhaps in follow-up to the above, engage in a brainstorming session on paper in which you begin by writing ‘letting go’ in the middle. Fill the page, popcorn-style, with as many words or phrases as you can which come to mind when you consider the central term; be sure to keep your focus on that term of ‘letting go’ and to write quickly, so as not to filter or reconsider but to get as many of your associated thoughts and feelings on that paper as possible. Afterward, study it for patterns or connections, and reflect.

Get yourself deep in the natural world, stand or sit in one spot where there are no other humans, raise your arms wide to the sky, and say aloud: I am enough. And I am letting go. Stay in that position for a few moments, letting all those heavy attachments – obligations, expectations (of self, and of others), any attachment to the story of your life – float away into the sky. Feel your lightness of being. Just – being. Do this often.

References:

Gupta K and Agrawal J (2022). An Empirical Study of Ancient Wisdom: Effect of Anasakti (Non-Attachment) and Ahamkara (Ego) on Well-Being Amongst Indians. European Journal of Mental Health 17:3, 78-95. https://doi.org/10.5708/EJMH.17.2022.3.6

Ho CY, Ben CL, and Mak WW (2022). Nonattachment mediates the associations between mindfulness, well-being, and psychological distress: A meta-analytic structural equation modeling approach. Clinical Psychology Review 95, 102175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102175

[excerpted from, 9 Keys to Mental Self-Care: Health Psychology ©2023]

Ah, mindfulness. Possibly the most powerful mental health care of all.

Like gratitude, a good deal has been written about mindfulness, while a few decades of research have been conducted in its application to a host of physical and mental health conditions, and more; it continues as one of the more actively researched topics today. And even though it may seem that much has already been written – it can’t possibly be excluded from a book on mental self-care.

It’s that powerful.

A type of mind training, emerging from Buddhism and now widely applied secularly, mindfulness is trait, state, and practice. One can be mindful as part of their personality; one can surely be in a mindful state from time to time. As a form of mental self-care, we want to engage on all levels – in daily practices, in being in a mindful state as often as possible, in integrating it into our core personality.

But what is it?

I like to say, focus and notice – but don’t attach.

Naturally, that’s a simplification (and, easy to remember). At its heart, mindfulness is a heightened attention to the details of one’s life – to notice as much as possible, rather than living in a distracted manner in which time flies by and you, on auto-pilot, haven’t noticed a thing. It brings a time affluence in that, as we increasingly notice the details around us, we find that each day, rather than fly by, is filled with a richness of meaning and beauty. Life becomes profound.

Meantime, we learn nonattachment – not in an uncaring manner, but as thoughts and emotions arise, we notice them, acknowledge them, and then let them drift away again, as if a cloud. This allows us an emotional intelligence and freedom; we are more aware of our emotions, and what’s beneath them, than before, but less identified or driven by them.

Other aspects of mindfulness practice include nonjudgment and compassion (toward oneself as well as others, as we saw in our previous key), nondualism in integration of body and mind, and a focus on and cherishing of our body and its function (as we saw in our first key), and of course, meditation, among other practices. Above all: mindfulness is mental training.

Mindfulness meditation follows the same pattern of focusing and noticing, but not attaching – and a good deal of research shows that just 10 minutes a day of such meditation can have enormous mental as well as physical health benefits. This meditation form will be described in more detail in our exercises section below, along with other practices you can integrate into your mental self-care.

Another primary aspect of mindfulness is mantram repetition, in which one selects a word or phrase, depending on its purpose, and repeats it silently – in the mind – throughout the day. This is not unlike the prayers of many a religion that get repeated in the mind during normal daily activity. Again, a good deal of research supports its benefits (Schneider et al., 2023).

I’ve practiced mindfulness, meditation and other such, for nearly 40 years now. I surely claim no expertise. But I am well familiar with it, and it’s the defining feature of each day. It’s also how I experience nature, as we explored in our 2nd key; as I’m trekking in the forest or along the shore of my favorite tiny island, communing with its creatures and with the land itself, listening deeply, I try to notice as much of the beauty and detail around me as possible – including the function of my own body as I do.

And when the new year comes around, and everyone is expressing disbelief that the previous year passed so quickly, I smile to myself. Yes, we’re all living in an extraordinarily fast-paced world, and yes, time also seems to speed up as we age. But I also know that for me, the year just gone was filled, each and every day, with richness and nuance that I noticed and appreciated as much as possible.

In addition to self-compassion, nonjudgment, and nondualism as mentioned, mindfulness has several other core components that contribute to mental wellbeing. One of those can be seen in its present-moment focus; as we engage in a finely tuned attention and notice the details around us, we’re naturally very much engaged with the present, not ruminating over the past or worrying about the future, and this is an especially healthy state of mind.

Non-striving is another tenet which encourages us to place less emphasis on activity and productivity as a means of self-worth, and to simply be, our self-worth based in our existence as a sentient being. This doesn’t mean that we cease activity altogether; however, as we increase the amount of quiet time and stillness in our lives, and shift our source of self-worth, we greatly enhance our wellbeing. Acceptance is also an important component of mindfulness; in a study by Chin et al. (2019), participants in a training including both monitoring (attention) and accepting practices had significant decreases in stress levels compared to those engaged in monitoring only. All of these aspects that make up the practice of mindfulness promote numerous areas of wellbeing: psychological, cognitive, behavioral, and physical (Bravo et al., 2022).

The research backs up the claims. In a review of 85 empirical studies by Howarth et al. (2019), 79 of the studies reported positive outcomes for at least one health aspect; the majority were psychological, especially for reduction in depression and/or anxiety as well as stress response, and for improved emotion regulation and cognitive abilities. The impact of mindfulness on brain function connectivity was demonstrated by Melis et al. (2022); in a review of 14 studies totaling 681 participants, changes in neural networks related to attention, executive function, emotional reactivity, and mind wandering were identified.

Wiles (2023) deems mindfulness ‘good medicine’, citing the leaders in the field and their careful positioning of the practice as not strictly ‘complementary’ but widely applicable. One such application is for neuropsychological rehabilitation; Smart et al. (2022) reviewed 32 studies utilizing mindfulness-based interventions for age-related cognitive deficit, attention deficit hyperactive disorder [ADHD], brain injury, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s, all of which indicated significant improvement in neurological symptoms and cognitive function as well as fatigue levels, across a range of patient populations. Yip et al. (2022) reviewed 31 studies totaling 2,146 participants, focused on short-term mindfulness interventions for non-affective psychosis; these were on the schizophrenia spectrum and other, among the most debilitating of mental illness, yet the studies indicated benefits of mindfulness with no serious adverse effects.

In fact, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction [MBSR], one of the earliest and most widely applied secular applications of mindfulness, is often administered to health care providers themselves. Kriakous et al. (2021) reviewed 30 studies which showed MBSR to be a viable intervention for improving the psychological functioning and wellbeing of healthcare professionals; the researchers further noted that a short-term program seemed equally effective as the standard 8-week training. And while a review of 57 empirical studies conducted by O’Connor et al. (2023) indicated mindfulness-based interventions as efficacious for the promotion of resilience – yet not more so than other types of intervention – it’s well worth noting that, as mindfulness was as effective, it’s also free of charge and can be conducted daily in one’s home.

Finally, mindfulness practice has shown to promote insight and self-knowledge, meaning and purpose, and prosocial behavior – acting for others or for the greater good – all of which indicate psychological wellbeing (Dahl & Davidson, 2019).

So, how can we engage in activities of mindfulness?

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Exercises:

First, the basic form of mindfulness meditation. (Remember: just 10 minutes a day can have enormous health benefits, especially mental wellbeing.) Sit comfortably, quiet mind, minimal distractions, focus on slow and steady breathing; maintain this focus, and as any thoughts or emotions arise, notice each one, then wish it on its way and focus again on your breathing. If you notice your mind has wandered, know that this is normal, and just gently refocus on your breathing. And – that’s it. After 10 minutes (I like to set a quiet alarm on my phone so I don’t have to think about the time, but that it doesn’t startle me), just take a deep, cleansing breath, and emerge. And: repeat, daily.

Another key practice as earlier mentioned is the mantram repetition. This too is easy, yet powerful; decide on a word or brief phrase that’s significant to your mental self-care, such as “I am enough,” or “I’m whole and healthy,” or just the world, “wellbeing” – or whatever works for you. And, say it silently, in your mind, throughout your day. Keep to the same word or phrase indefinitely, until it becomes rote or boring to you which indicates perhaps that its work is finished; then, begin with a new one. Think of it as a tiny prayer – to god, to nature, to the ether, to yourself. No matter. The symbolism of the word or phrase, and its repetition throughout the day, is what it’s about.

While these two can be taken in many directions, and we’ve already seen the body scan (key 1) and Loving Kindness Meditation (key 2) that are also part of mindfulness, it’s more than meditation and mantrams; mindfulness is a way of seeing, and being in, the world. When you take a walk in nature, notice everything – every bee, flower, butterfly, rock, tree, wave. Not obsessively, but richly – take in as much detail as possible. Pretend you’re a scientist or explorer, and mentally document as much as you can.

Throughout each day, notice details. In particular, moments of joy or beauty – but these can be just about anything. The bees that visit my urban windowbox each day, for the lavender flowers, bring me enormous joy. Sunbeams dancing on the floor are amazing, each time. That blue sky, the baby’s smile, the scent of jasmine in the air, the raucous laughter of a stranger I can’t see – exquisite. And not that we don’t notice the negatives – they’re all part of the richness of life, and I notice that ache in my neck, the loud horn of the impatient driver, the scent of garbage – and they too make my day all the richer for noticing. Notice as much as you can. Reflect on this at day’s end, or when writing in your journal.

Have a mindful conversation with someone, in which you actually listen carefully to each word they say, and what’s behind those words to the tone and emotion beneath. How often do any of us listen so fully?

The next time you’re in a metro car, or a bus, or a busy shop, take note of the people around you. Instead of moving blindly through a crowd, as we tend to do if only to cope with that crowded situation, take note of those human beings around you.

Practice walking as slowly as possible, matching 1 step to 1 slow inhalation, another step to 1 equally slow exhalation, and so on, for several minutes. This is moving meditation, and a singular, mindful focus.

Having a pet encourages mindfulness. That cat or dog craves your attention, and when you give it, undoubtedly you give them your full attention, mindfully and singularly, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

Focus on a candle flame. Stare at it, notice its colors, the shimmer of its heat, the movement from the air currents, its scent, its shape, its heart. Notice.

Mindfulness is about many other things – nonjudgment, nonduality, self-compassion, body awareness, non-striving, present moment, beginner’s mind, and more. But at its core, it’s this: focus, and notice – but don’t attach.

References:

Bravo AJ, Lindsay EK, and Pearson MR (2022). Nature, Assessment, and Mechanisms of Mindfulness. In: Medvedev ON, Krägeloh CU, Siegert RJ et al. (eds), Handbook of Assessment in Mindfulness Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77644-2_2-1

Chin B, Lindsay EK, Greco CM et al. (2019). Psychological mechanisms driving stress resilience in mindfulness training: A randomized controlled trial. Health Psychology 38:8, 759-768. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000763

Dahl CJ and Davidson RJ (2019). Mindfulness and the contemplative life: pathways to connection, insight, and purpose. Current Opinion in Psychology 28, 60-64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.11.007

Howarth A, Smith JG, Perkins-Porras L et al. (2019). Effects of Brief Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Health-Related Outcomes: a Systematic Review. Mindfulness 10, 1957-1968. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01163-1

Kriakous SA, Elliott KA, Lamers C et al. (2021). The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on the Psychological Functioning of Healthcare Professionals: A Systematic Review. Mindfulness 12, 1-28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01500-9

Melis M, Schroyen G, Pollefeyt J et al. (2022). The Impact of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Brain Functional Connectivity: a Systematic Review. Mindfulness 13, 1857-1875. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-022-01919-2

O’Connor M, Stapleton A, O’Reilly G et al. (2023). The efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in promoting resilience: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2023.03.005

Schneider JK, Abdullahi SG, Easton SD et al. (2023). Mantram repetition and psychological distress: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing 30:3, 389-397. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpm.12886

Smart CM, Ali JI, Viczko J et al. (2022). Systematic Review of the Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Interventions as a Form of Neuropsychological Rehabilitation. Mindfulness 13, 301-317. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-021-01779-2

Wiles K (2023). Mindfulness meditation as “good medicine”: a new epistemological pluralism in health care. Social Theory & Health 21, 159-177. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41285-022-00180-w

Yip ALK, Karatzias T, and Chien WT (2022). Mindfulness-based interventions for non-affective psychosis: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of Medicine 54:1, 2339-2352. https://doi.org/10.1080/07853890.2022.2108551