Mindfulness and Well-being

Mindfulness and well-being are interconnected concepts that focus on enhancing mental and emotional health through present-moment awareness and acceptance. Mindfulness involves paying attention to thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations in a non-judgmental way, which can help individuals cultivate greater awareness and reduce stress. This practice can lead to improved emotional regulation, increased resilience, and a greater sense of overall well-being.

Engaging in mindfulness can take various forms, including meditation, mindful breathing, and mindful movement, such as yoga. These practices encourage individuals to connect with their inner experiences and the world around them, fostering a deeper sense of gratitude and connection. Research has shown that cultivating mindfulness can contribute positively to various aspects of life, including relationships, work performance, and physical health.

Well-being encompasses a broader spectrum, including psychological, emotional, and social dimensions, and is often defined by factors such as life satisfaction, purpose, and fulfillment. By integrating mindfulness into daily routines, individuals may enhance their overall well-being, promoting a balanced and harmonious life. This approach is accessible to people from diverse backgrounds and beliefs, making it a valuable tool for personal growth and emotional health.

Published in: 2021

By: Scott Zimmer, JD

Subject Terms

Mindfulness and Well-being

Last reviewed: February 2017

Abstract

One indication of how anxiety-ridden the modern world has become is the amount of interest in mindfulness practices designed to improve well-being by managing depression, anxiety, and other so-called negative emotions. Mindfulness and meditative practices are centuries old in the East, but Western countries only began to pay attention to them starting in the late 1970s. Since that time, millions have adopted some form of mindfulness practice, and mindfulness has been incorporated into treatments for depression, pain management, post-traumatic stress disorder, and many other conditions.

Overview

Meditation and mindfulness have been part of the Buddhist tradition for centuries; they are core practices used to calm the mind and rise above the suffering that Buddhists believe is an inseparable part of life. What many people do not realize, however, is that mindfulness and meditation may be practiced outside of the Buddhist tradition. They are compatible with any form of spirituality and even with no spirituality at all—many atheists regularly practice mindfulness and meditate daily.

A person who is meditating or using mindfulness appears quite similar to a person who is praying: Both are usually seated, with eyes closed, and silent. Mindfulness is quite distinct from prayer, however, and is actually more akin to a form of psychotherapy in which one learns to gain control over one’s thought processes by observing them and accepting them, instead of seeking distractions from them (Curtin, 2007). Unfortunately, some people go so far as to reject mindfulness because they feel that if they were to practice mindfulness then they would not be remaining true to their chosen religion. This is regrettable because mindfulness has been found to have identifiable benefits for health and well-being in many evidence-based studies. In fact, mindfulness has been integrated with cognitive behavioral therapy by many therapists.

Ordinarily, the mind is never at rest. It constantly scans the environment for input in the form of threats and opportunities, it evaluates past actions and situations and hypothesizes about their potential consequences, and it speculates about what might happen in the future. What mindfulness does is to allow a person to step away from this constant stream and view individual problem thoughts with a detached perspective. A worry or regret, for example, may be a merely temporary or even completely imaginary concern. Over time and with consistent mindfulness practice, people can learn how to avoid being controlled by their stray thoughts and emotions and instead live a more peaceful and serene existence (Voci, Veneziani & Metta, 2016).

Anxiety and Depression. Nowhere is the ability of mindfulness to help one escape the dominion of negative thoughts and feelings more evident than in the treatment of anxiety and depression. While not all forms of anxiety and depression can be treated solely with mindfulness, especially those forms that have a biological basis, mindfulness has helped millions of people cope with both conditions.

Mindfulness views depression and anxiety as essentially thought disorders characterized by an excessive amount of attention and emotional energy being devoted to sadness about the past, worry about the future, or both. Sufferers report that they feel hopeless that things will ever get better, or they feel that they are worthless and unlovable either because of something they have done or simply because of who they are.

A central feature of depression and anxiety is that those who suffer from these conditions are immersed in their own thoughts, thoughts which act as self-fulfilling prophecies: The depressed person is hopeless because she feels unlovable, and feels unlovable because she is depressed. Similarly, the anxious person always finds something to worry about and ruminate over (Lo, Siu Man & Chan, 2015). If something bad happens, it confirms his fears, but if something good happens it only means that the inevitable disaster will be all the more painful.

To a therapist or other outside observer, these thought patterns do not make sense, because the observer is far enough removed from the situation to be able to detect the flaws in reasoning that reinforce the depression and anxiety. These flaws are not evident to the person with depression/anxiety. Mindfulness works by giving the sufferer the perspective of an outsider to view his or her own thoughts.

Instead of being immersed in the despair and feeling tossed back and forth by waves of emotion, one learns to step back from the feelings and watch them in action. By seeing one’s feelings and reactions as something that is separate from one’s core identity, people are able to regain control over their thoughts and over the ways that their thoughts influence the course of their lives. This has profound implications for almost every area of life (Gillespie, Davey & Flemke, 2015).

Relationships. One area that is directly affected by mindfulness practice is that of relationships, whether professional, personal, or romantic. As with almost any kind of interaction between people, much of what is understood in a relationship is unspoken, and sometimes this can outweigh the actual communication that occurs in the relationship. Each party in the relationship brings their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences to the table, and these act as a sort of filter through which one person sees the other person in the relationship. This is how it is possible for two people to observe the same signifiers yet interpret them in completely different ways. For example, a person might wear a red tie thinking that it looks festive, yet a coworker might see the tie and interpret it as an attempt to dress up and appear more important than everyone else in the office.

Such discordant differences in interpretation could have an ongoing impact on the character of the relationship between these two people. The longer a relationship continues, the more opportunities there are for misunderstandings. Small differences that develop can eventually grow into larger issues, causing problems in the relationship. Marriage counselors, therapists, and other care providers frequently recommend mindfulness practices to deal with as well as to prevent such relationship problems.

In this context, the benefit of mindfulness is not so much to control the way one’s feelings affect oneself, but to become aware of how other people may interpret our actions, our affect, and even our most insignificant comments. Once a person is aware of how his or her behavior affects others, there is a decision to be made. If one is satisfied with the effect being produced, then one continues the behavior. If one is not satisfied with the effect, then it is necessary to behave differently. Mindfulness thus gives a practitioner deep insight into behaviors that he or she has never been conscious of. This can make all the difference in a relationship, because with awareness comes the power to choose what kind of person one wants to be (Knowles, Manusov & Crowley, 2015).

Addiction. Another area where mindfulness has made a large impact is in the treatment of various forms of addiction. Usually, addiction sufferers report that they feel a lack of control throughout their lives—that is, instead of deciding what they want to do or be, persons with addictive behavior patterns feel that their lives are something that happens to them while they stand by helplessly. In particular, addicts use their addiction as a means of coping with the lack of control they feel overall.

Mindfulness can help the addict analyze the feeling of being out of control and remind him or her that those feelings are fears and not necessarily part of reality. This creates another point of choice for the addict—instead of having to give free rein to the addiction in order to escape the terror of existence and all of its potential problems, one can contemplate the fragility of life, understand that this is a fearful idea that all human beings are disturbed by, but that it need not take over one’s life (Hardy, 2015). In this as in so many other areas, the crucial benefit of mindfulness lies in slowing down one’s thoughts and questioning them, a process sometimes called talking back to one’s fears.

Applications

Mindfulness has found its way into many different areas of life, from books and audiobooks to the sale of candles, bells, cushions, and clothing designed to help one enter a self-reflective state. In a turn of events that is somewhat ironic given the number of centuries that mindfulness has been in use, there are a substantial number of applications and technological devices that have been developed or adapted for use in mindfulness and meditation. Even though mindfulness emphasizes the need to slow down and breathe deeply, the frantic pace of the modern world leaves people with little time to remember to follow its practices. To help with this, there are now apps on smartphones (Howells, Ivtzan & Eiroa-Orosa, 2016) that have been created specifically to remind one to meditate or to time one’s meditations, or even to listen to soothing music during the practice.

Mobile apps are of more use to people who are well-versed with how to practice mindfulness, but there are other options available for those who are just starting out. One of these options is provided by audiobooks containing recorded sessions by meditation and mindfulness masters. These recordings can be played on a smartphone or media player as one drives to and from work or as one prepares to fall asleep (Dahn et al., 2015). There are also recordings called guided meditations which are designed to help the listener work through particular emotions or life situations, such as grieving the loss of a loved one, working through divorce, and so forth. There are even online services that allow one to remotely participate in mindfulness meditation sessions with other practitioners.

Discourse. A core tenet of mindfulness practices is the need to keep one’s thoughts in the present moment. Teachers of mindfulness meditation posit that the bulk of human unhappiness can be traced back to people’s tendency to dwell in the past or in the future. This does not mean that people should not recall fond memories from the past, or look hopefully toward the future. Instead, it refers to the human predilection for regretting the mistakes of the past or fearing possible catastrophes that may befall one in the future.

In psychological terms, dwelling in the past is what results in depression, while worrying about the future is the source of anxiety. Mindfulness teaches that thoughts of the past and future are not real—they exist only in the mind of the person who conceives of them. All that is real and deserving of attention is the present moment, which may be perceived through the senses and by quietly regarding one’s emotional state. When people begin to practice redirecting their thoughts about the past and the future into focused attention on the present, they frequently find that their unhappiness begins to fade away, losing its strength (Bellin, 2015).

As practitioners focus their attention on the flow of their thoughts and perceptions in the present moment, there is often a temptation for them to pass judgment on those thoughts. Human beings are conditioned to categorize almost everything they see, as part of understanding the world around them and differentiating useful elements from dangerous ones. To practice mindfulness, however, is to learn to abstain from making these judgments about one’s own thoughts.

Instead of noticing a desire and labeling it as bad or evil, or remembering an accomplishment and feeling pride in it, the mindful approach is to simply observe thoughts and feelings as they come and go. It is difficult to understand how challenging this can be until one has tried to do it, so easy is it to become caught up in the feelings. It can also be confusing to have to let go of emotions that at first seem positive, such as pride and happiness, but the lesson that this teaches is not to feel nothing, but to avoid attachments to emotions that are temporary in nature (Mars & Oliver, 2016).

Naturally, learning mindfulness comes more easily to some practitioners than it does to others. There are different explanations for this. One view is that mindfulness is an inborn quality that certain people are more gifted at, while the alternative interpretation is that it is simply a skill that one can acquire. These two alternatives are referred to as the state explanation and the trait explanation. With the passage of time and greater understanding of mindfulness and psychology, there is now general agreement that both explanations have some merit: Anyone can learn mindfulness (the state explanation) but doing so is easier for some people than for others (the trait explanation).

Terms & Concepts

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Cognitive behavioral therapy is a psychotherapeutic modality that concentrates on helping one change problematic patterns of thought and behavior, replacing them with more constructive patterns. Mindfulness has been integrated with CBT by many therapists.

Evidence-Based Medicine: Evidence-based medicine places an emphasis on basing treatment decisions on sound, current research. Whereas other treatment philosophies might give greater deference to physician experience in the field, evidence-based treatment looks first to formal and rigorous studies to elucidate effective treatment options. Part of the reason for the widespread adoption of mindfulness practices stems from several research studies that were able to show, if not fully explain, concrete health benefits derived from the practice of mindfulness.

Meditation: Meditation is a practice in which an individual conditions his or her mind to be able to enter a contemplative state. Many people consider mindfulness and meditation the same thing, and in fact there is a practice known as mindfulness meditation that fuses them. Other types of meditation, however, differ from mindfulness in that their focus is on clearing the mind of unwelcome distractions, rather than attuning oneself to the flow of thoughts through the mind.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT): Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is a form of treatment for individuals suffering from severe depression. Its goal is to prevent patients from relapsing into a depressive state. By observing the thoughts that lead to depression instead of remaining immersed in them, the patient is able to resist the pull of a depressive episode.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): MBSR was one of the first mindfulness programs to be used in Western countries, and is designed to help individuals manage the stress and anxiety they experience on a daily bases.

Rumination: Rumination refers to the tendency of some people to have circular thoughts, obsessing over particular issues or problems and following the same thought patterns over and over again with no ability to break free. Mindfulness is useful for helping people to gradually stop ruminating by observing their thoughts.

Bibliography

Lo, H. M., Siu Man, N., & Chan, C. W. (2015). Evaluating compassion-mindfulness therapy for recurrent anxiety and depression: A randomized control trial. Research on Social Work Practice, 25(6), 715–725. Retrieved October 23, 2016, from EBSCO Online Database Sociology Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sxi&AN=115487871&site=ehost-live

Bellin, Z. J. (2015). The meaning connection between mindfulness and happiness. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, 54(3), 221–235. Retrieved October 23, 2016, from EBSCO Online Database Sociology Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sxi&AN=110069072&site=ehost-live

Curtin, K. (2007). Staying focused in the age of distraction: How mindfulness, prayer & meditation can help you pay attention to what really matters. Illness, Crisis & Loss, 15(1), 69–72. Retrieved October 23, 2016, from EBSCO Online Database Sociology Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sxi&AN=24885827&site=ehost-live

Gillespie, B., Davey, M., & Flemke, K. (2015). Intimate partners’ perspectives on the relational effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction training: A qualitative research study. Contemporary Family Therapy: An International Journal, 37(4), 396–407. Retrieved October 23, 2016, from EBSCO Online Database Sociology Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sxi&AN=110953634&site=ehost-live

Dahm, K. A., Meyer, E. C., Neff, K. D., Kimbrel, N. A., Gulliver, S. B., & Morissette, S. B. (2015). Mindfulness, self-compassion, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, and functional disability in U.S. Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 28(5), 460–464. Retrieved October 23, 2016, from EBSCO Online Database Sociology Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sxi&AN=110341672&site=ehost-live

Hardy, S. (2015). Mindfulness: Enhancing physical and mental well-being. Practice Nursing, 26(9), 450–453.

Howells, A., Ivtzan, I., & Eiroa-Orosa, F. (2016). Putting the “app” in happiness: A randomised controlled trial of a smartphone-based mindfulness intervention to enhance well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 17(1), 163–185. Retrieved October 23, 2016, from EBSCO Online Database Sociology Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sxi&AN=112695596&site=ehost-live

Knowles, J. H., Manusov, V., & Crowley, J. (2015). Minding your matters: Predicting satisfaction, commitment, and conflict strategies from trait mindfulness. Interpersona, 9(1), 44–58. Retrieved October 23, 2016, from EBSCO Online Database Sociology Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sxi&AN=108326302&site=ehost-live

Mars, M., & Oliver, M. (2016). Mindfulness is more than a buzz word: Towards a sustainable model of health care. Journal of the Australian Traditional-Medicine Society, 22(1), 7–10.

Voci, A., Veneziani, C. A., & Metta, M. (2016). Affective organizational commitment and dispositional mindfulness as correlates of burnout in health care professionals. Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, 31(2), 63–70. Retrieved October 23, 2016, from EBSCO Online Database Sociology Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sxi&AN=114819507&site=ehost-live

Mindfulness and Well-being

On this Page

Subject Terms

Mindfulness and Well-being

Abstract

Overview

Applications

Terms & Concepts

Bibliography

Suggested Reading