thoughtfulness

The Benefits of Mindfulness

Mindfulness has been defined as "a moment-to-moment awareness of one's experience without judgment" (1). This means having conscious awareness of one's own thoughts, feelings, sensations, and behaviors, without evaluation, or the formation of an opinion.

You're acting mindfully when you listen to a song you love, and notice every tiny detail in the sound. Or maybe you've felt anxiety before a big event like a wedding or a job interview, you acknowledged that feeling, and chose to simply accept it.

The opposite of mindfulness would be those times when your body works on "autopilot". Maybe you've eaten a meal and realized you didn't taste a thing, just because you weren't paying attention. Or maybe you've said something cruel out of anger, without realizing that your emotions were driving your actions, until it was too late.