Mindfulness is the final frontier to conquer when doing changes to your lifestyle, as it benefits body, mind, spirit, and life. 
Mindfulness is the bringer of balance and a recognized science. This post is Part 2 where we look at mindfulness benefits that can boost your health, life, and work. It follows Part 1: Your Mindfulness Guide For Lifestyle Change – which explained what mindfulness is, and how to learn. If you didn’t read it – do! And, look out for Part 3: How to Be Mindful of Your Feelings, by guest blogger Amber Waddy, from KlearMind.
Mindfulness is a way to find peace in a frantic world. It can literally change how you view the world, and science has shown that your brain changes too, in a positive way. Do you need a soul detox or a solution finder to cope with what life is throwing at you? Read, comment and share your best tips with all us.
7 Mindfulness Benefits
# 1 Soul Detox
In our rushed every-day lives we dart around from one task to the next. We are surrounded by noise from car radios, supermarket announcements, mobile phone calls 
and pings. We have to be on point in all our daily functions. Today we also constantly update the word on social media about our glorious undertakings. All this external noise and social presence have a cost.
We end up not being present in our own lives. As a result, we do not notice the good things about our lives and worryingly can no longer read the signals our bodies (and minds) are giving us. In addition, we often poison ourselves with toxic self-criticism.
Allowing yourself to appreciate each moment, can have a very positive impact on your life, as you suspend judgment and self-criticism. It may not be easy at first to let go as so well described in by tinybuddha.com: 7 Obstacles to Mindfulness and How to Overcome them. Mindfulness is as good for mind and soul, as a detox (done properly!) for the body. The mindfulness benefits are much more, but primarily it lets you go of the dark to get the light in.
“The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness” – Abraham Maslow
#2 Rumination Ruin
Do you worry about things you have to do, or does your past come 
back to haunt you as you go about your daily chores?
As humans, we are easily distracted, and our society has taught us to constantly examine past events, and try to anticipate the future. Mindfulness teaches us to become more aware of our thoughts, feelings, and sensations.
Why would this help me, you might ask? By appreciating each moment, and focusing on the here and now, you live each moment, rather than constantly being in your past of worrying about your future. This article about Mindfulness: Being Present for Your Life is a revealing read. Practicing mindfulness allows us to be fully present in our life and work, and improve our quality of life.
#3 Stress Buster
Stress can make us do things we regret. Our reactions become sharp 
and unkind towards those we speak to, and judgment gets clouded as we react emotionally even when a situation does not call for it.
Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to and seeing clearly whatever is happening in our lives.
It will not take away life’s pressures, but it can help us respond to them in a calmer manner that benefits our heart, head, and body. ‘It helps us recognize and step away from habitual, often unconscious emotional and physiological reactions to everyday events. It provides us with a scientifically researched approach to cultivating clarity, insight, and understanding. ‘ (by greatergood.berkeley.edu)
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#4 Stereotype Stopper
It is easy to generalize and put labels especially if you are 
confronted with a situation or a piece of news that stresses you out. The mindfulness benefits that allows you to see more clearly are awesome. It can help an individual to recognize, slow down and even stop stereotyping, i.e. automatic or habitual reactions.
This article describes how Mindfulness Meditation Reduces the Effect of Stereotyping and gives food for thought as to why such reactions can be so very harmful – also to you.
Stereotyping, prejudice, and labeling have a negative boomerang effect. You may not mean what you say, but when the words are out there – you will end up being labeled too, right? Mindfulness pushes out negative judgments, stereotyping and assumptions and instead leaves room for open understanding and clear thinking.
#5 Solution Finder
Multitasking has become the way to cope with our demanding life and 
careers. Stress is the price you pay as well as not being able to balance work and life. ‘Mindfulness is the antidote to multitasking‘, fastcompany.com says – and I agree!
Once you get to grips with the mindfulness benefits it will make you respond more effectively to complex or difficult situations.
It will not take away the challenges that get thrown at you – but mindfulness gives you a coping mechanism that works to calm and even solve situations as they come. Your issues become challenges solved, rather than problems that poison.
#6 Inner Creativity Creator
Mindfulness has often been credited with opening doors to 
your inner self. In a frantic world, we do not let out our inner thoughts, creativity and thinking easily.
Perhaps you are a painter, writer, or ceramic artist? Faisal Hoque writes beautifully How to Claim Your Inner Creativity on Huffingtonpost.com. Finding mindfulness can help you develop your creativity, and thus open up to the ‘other’ side of your brain.
#7 Balance Bringer
By bringing in calm, appreciation of the good in a moment and open, non-judgemental thinking – you find an inner peace.
If you’re still not convinced about the mindfulness benefits, you can start by reading: 10 Ways to Practice Mindfulness and Reach Life Balance found on balanceinme.com.
Mindfulness is a great road to bring balance to body and mind, and also to work/life. You develop resilience, and ability to juggle life situations in ways that become more fun than fretful. If you need to know how to learn how to practice Mindfulness – either through a formal course, or simple DIY techniques – check out Part 1 of this series on The GOODista.
Mindfulness Benefits: It Completes You
Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to and seeing clearly whatever is happening in our lives.
It will not eliminate life’s pressures, but it can help us respond to them in a calmer manner that benefits our heart, head, and body. One of the many mindfulness benefits is that it helps us recognize and step away from auto pilot reactions to everyday events.
Therefore it provides us with a scientifically researched approach to cultivating clarity, insight, and understanding. Research has shown mindfulness to significantly improve a wide range of health conditions (including post traumatic stress and anxiety disorders). It has shown to be helpful in the prevention of relapse with chronic depression and substance abuse. 
Mindfulness Benefits For You
Mindfulness is for everyone from all walks of life, young or old. You need no religion or belief system to practice mindfulness.
The mindfulness benefits can be summed up as a way to allows us to be fully present in our life and work and improve our quality of life.
Mindfulness also teaches us to be more mindful of our own feelings, which is what Part 3 of this series is all about (subscribe to The GOODista so you don’t miss it!) If you haven’t tried mindfulness techniques yet – Do! You will enjoy the ability to be aware of what is happening as it is happening. Mindfulness will complete you.
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Recommended and Related:
- What Is Mindfulness? – Wild Mind
- How Mindfulness Can Change Your Brain – Harvard Business Review
- Benefits of Mindfulness – The Happiness Trap
- Understanding Mindfulness – Counselling London
- The Art of Conscious Living – Mind Matters
- Mindfulness: Being Present for Your Life – Awakening Joy
- Mindfulness and Stereotyping – National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioural Medicine
- Feed Your Brain, Feed Your Life: The Science of Everyday Mindfulness – Huffingtonpost
Read more about mindfullness and being mindfull on http://www.counselling-london.org.uk
Thanks for this added information, and link which I will also add to the Recommended and Related section of this post. Welcome back to The GOODista for more about lifestyle changes you can do to Feel, Be and Do Good.