Understanding Mindfulness


Did you know nearly half of our waking lives get wasted by remaining distracted? We don’t have any count of how much fun, pleasure, and achievements we lose due to this. This is where mindfulness comes into play. Of late, mindfulness has generated a lot of excitement, but the myriad ways it is presented or explained have caused more confusion than clarity. This guide to mindfulness aims to help you reap its benefits through simple explanations of the concept and processes.

Simply put, Mindfulness implies being in the present moment. Focus on the present situation. Forget about the past gains and pains. Stop projecting the future. Just be in the moment. Wellness expert Anna Guchok says, “The application of mindfulness is the key to a full and conscious life.”  

Our mind is always in the wandering mode. Do you know how many thoughts you process every day? It is an astounding 6000! It is chaos out there. We strive and struggle to get things done, meet deadlines and fulfill tasks one after another. We stop living for the present moment. This agitates our minds and creates the ground for illness. 

Struggling is important in life but equally important is to pause and slow down a bit.  For example, many of us rush to pick up a phone call driven by the hasty nature that we have developed bit by bit. We tend to lose our focus instantly. We cease to be mindful.



Why are you unmindful most of the time?

To understand mindfulness better, let us study the word unmindful. Our attention constantly shifts gears, and we lose focus on the present moment. Just recollect when did you last enjoy the beautiful sunshine or admired the beauty of a blooming flower or the flock of birds flying across the sky? Rare. Because hardly your mind is aware of the present moment. 

There are a few reasons why we might be "unmindful" or not entirely present in the moment:


Evolutionary Reasons: Back in the day, our ancestors had to always be alert for threats. Their minds constantly scanned the environment for dangers, so a wandering mind was beneficial for survival. These days, we're not dodging predators, but our minds still wander. The "fight or flight" response, which originates from the amygdala in our brain, evolved to help us quickly react to threats. It is the modern equivalence of jumping when you hear a loud noise or feeling your heart race when you think you've lost your phone. This ancient wiring plays a role in our distractibility in safer, modern environments. 

Overstimulation: We live in a world filled with gadgets, social media, 24/7 news, and more. There's always something vying for our attention, pulling us away from the present moment. Numerous studies have found that the constant stream of digital information can interrupt our ability to focus. For instance, a study from Microsoft in 2015 suggested that our average attention span dropped from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in 2013, partly due to the digital revolution.

Avoiding Unpleasant Feelings: Sometimes, being present can mean confronting feelings or thoughts we'd rather avoid. This concept is rooted in psychological theory. Avoidance and defense mechanisms are well-documented in psychoanalytic literature, suggesting that individuals often avoid distressing thoughts and feelings. 

The Brain's Default Mode: There's this thing called the Default Mode Network (DMN) in our brains. It's active when we're not focused on the outside world and our mind is wandering or daydreaming. It's kinda like the brain's "idle" mode. A prominent study on this was done by Raichle et al., which showed how DMN is active during passive states. 


Habitual Thinking Patterns:
Sometimes, our minds play the same "tapes" over and over. Past regrets, future anxieties, "what if" scenarios... It's like having that one song stuck in your head but with thoughts. The idea of neural pathways becoming stronger with repeated use is a foundational concept in neuroscience. The more often a particular pattern of brain activity is used, the easier it becomes to activate that pattern in the future. This is sometimes referred to as Hebbian theory, summed up by the phrase "neurons that fire together, wire together."


Task Overload: We often juggle multiple tasks at once. This multitasking can spread our attention thin and makes it hard to be fully present in any one thing. Research has suggested that multitasking can decrease efficiency and increase mistakes. A study by Nass et al. from Stanford showed that heavy multitaskers performed worse on a variety of cognitive tasks compared to those who multitasked less. 


Mindfulness is just the reverse of unmindful or ‘mindlessness’. It means raising the moment-to-moment-awareness and focusing our attention to the present with full acknowledgement and acceptance of our feelings, thoughts and physical sensations. It helps us reconnect with ourselves and create harmony with the world.


Lesson Summary

Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to the present moment and accepting it without judgement. This offers benefits like increased focus, improved well-being, and a greater capability to deal with difficult emotions. We are often distracted and can be unaware of our surroundings, this is referred to as 'mindlessness'. Mindfulness practice can help counteract this, and numerous studies suggest it grows stronger with consistent use. In order to reap its benefits, it is important to understand the concept and processes.
  • Mindfulness implies being in the present moment (forget past/future, just be in moment)
  • We are often distracted because of our evolutionary wiring to be prepared for threats
  • We are surrounded by overstimulation in our digital world, leading to a decrease in focus
  • Sometimes we avoid confronting feelings or thoughts we would prefer to avoid
  • The "Default Mode Network" is activated when our mind wanders or daydreams
  • Habitual thinking patterns can be like a "tape" repeating over and over
  • Task overload can spread our attention thin and decrease efficiency
  • Mindfulness is the reverse of mindlessness, raising your awareness and focusing your attention to the present

Complete and Continue