Mindfulness Day 2018

This content mentions anxiety and depression, which some people may find triggering.

You might not know it, but today is World Mindfulness Day!

Here at the Mental Health Foundation, we have been advocating for mindfulness since 2010; we see it as a very valuable tool for protecting and sustaining good mental health. 

For many thousands of people, practising mindfulness provides them with a very real way of feeling less overwhelmed by their life, difficult situations and experiences. Some think it sounds a bit fluffy or unscientific but Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBCT / MBSR) are actually scientifically proven to help people have better sleep quality, reduce levels of anxiety, depression and stress and reduce the amount people chew things over in their minds (rumination).

Because of this, it’s great to know that thousands of people, like James and Lisa, have got so much from learning mindfulness:

“I thought, ‘How can breathing slowly and thinking ‘happy thoughts’ help me in the long term?’ However, my opinion of mindfulness completely changed after the session. It’s actually very empowering to know that I can control my reactions and feelings in any situation without others even being aware of it.”

- James, from West Yorkshire

“When I first heard the term mindfulness, I thought it meant to meditate. I’m not good at concentrating, so I thought it would be really hard for me to do. But now I use mindfulness every day as a way of checking in with myself and asking ‘am I okay?’ Mindfulness has taught me to be kind to myself.

- Lisa, a single parent living in Cheshire

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