What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the ability to focus one’s attention on what is happening in the present moment, that is, on thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and the environment in a deliberate way without judgment or labeling (for example, This emotion is incorrect or This sensation is undesirable). It is a way of being that we are not accustomed to experiencing. Many of our responsibilities demand our ability to plan, analyze, or evaluate. Although these skills are necessary, they are often overused. When overused, they lose their effectiveness and result in significant energy loss and even distress, particularly through ruminations (obsessive repetitive thoughts) and anxiety (anticipation of the future).

Thus, mindfulness invites us to fully connect with the present moment, rather than reliving the past or anticipating the future. Mindfulness can be practiced formally (sitting meditation) or informally by striving to be fully present in everyday activities: drinking, eating, listening to music, looking out the window, and so on. It should be noted that mindfulness meditation originates from Buddhism, but it is practiced in a secular way in North America.

Distinguishing mindfulness from psychosocial intervention

Mindfulness emphasizes experiencing the emotion in the body before expressing it. In psychosocial intervention, verbal expression and mental reasoning are more solicited. In mindfulness, the intention is to slow down, in order to reconnect with the body before seeking solutions. This way of living might seem counter-intuitive because it is uncomfortable to experience unpleasant emotions and not try to eliminate them as quickly as possible. Consequently, a lot of energy is focused on the mind (anticipating, reasoning, thinking, etc.), leading to disconnection from the body, which is an ally in the present moment. Therefore, one can say that mindfulness and psychosocial intervention are very complementary approaches since intervention meetings focus on action and change, whereas in mindfulness, we learn to welcome ourselves to make better decisions afterward.

As mentioned previously, living mindfully is not a reflex for most of us who are Westerners. Thus, beginning the practice requires granting ourselves patience, perseverance, and nurturing a great deal of curiosity. The brain will be tempted to revert to automatic thinking modes, that is, to leave the present moment for the past or the future. This is very normal; it can be helpful to remember that we train the mind like we would train a muscle for a sport: this process takes time.