Celebrated by a 25th Anniversary Edition publication in 2014, Mindfulness by Ellen J. Langer explores the ideas of mindlessness and mindfulness and their implications on health and wellbeing. Langer is a very accomplished psychologist having received her BA from New York University and her PhD from Yale. She has been a Professor of Psychology at Harvard since 1977. A few of her achievements include the NYU Alumni Achievement Award, the Arthur Staats Award for Unifying Psychology, and the World Congress Award. Langer has authored 11 books and over 200 research articles on topics such as perceived control, successful aging, and decision-making. However, all of her research has a focus on mindfulness. Mindfulness, as described by Langer, is “the continual creation of new [categories]” (Langer, 2014). In other words, mindfulness is the use of critical think in which people engage in creative solutions for everyday stresses. Throughout the novel, she summaries the results of numerous experiments she has conducted over the years. Each one offers insight into how one can become more mindful and how mindlessness can …show more content…
If “teaching meditation or techniques of flexible, novel thinking…could be used to improve health and shorted illness earlier in life,” the lives of many individuals would drastically improve (Langer, 2014). Mindfulness encourages awareness and creative thought while providing the added benefits of improved health. For example, individuals who suffer from a great deal of stress on a daily basis may profit from the addition of meditation to their daily routine. Not only will this help them in the short term, but Langer also suggests that this strategy will improve health in the long term as well. People can use the mindfulness skill to help themselves cope with everyday stressors through meditation techniques and critical
This essay discusses the theories, research and practices related to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). Comparisons between these therapies are made throughout the essay, the various applications of each therapy and related practices are discussed, and the strengths and limitations of each strategy are compared to provide an insight into the effectiveness of these approaches. Based upon the findings of previous studies, ramifications for future investigations are discussed in the conclusion.
Mindfulness meditation is a form of meditation that has been prevalent for thousands of years, and is only becoming increasingly more popular. “Over the past decade, neuroscientists like myself have become increasingly interested in studying how meditation affects the brain and body. The number of studies conducted per year in this new field of contemplative science is rising exponentially, with more than 200 studies published last year alone,” (Hasenkamp). It’s a form of meditation in which a person builds a practice of awareness, intentionally focuses their attention on the present moment, and accepts whatever the present moment brings, without any judgment.
Mindfulness is the alteration of an individuals’ mental state in which they become more aware of the experiences within present moment, environment, body and mind through creating a feeling of calm and tranquillity, examples of this being reflection and meditation. Many induvial claims that it helps treat symptoms associated with mental disorders, anxiety, ADHD, and pain. Mindfulness based therapy is believed counter the effects of stress related disorders because it is believed excessive orientation towards the past or future can be directly related to feelings of depression and anxiety.
Variants of mindfulness meditation have been incorporated into Western psychology and have shown evidence of improving mental health (Goyal et al., 2014). For example, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programs have been effective in alleviating depression, anxiety, and chronic pain (Kabat-Zinn, J., et al., 1992). Moreover, increased mindfulness has been found to be related to improved psychological functions, and it led to reductions in suffering; it has been shown to be an important predictor of depression in nursing students (Ratanasiripong et al.,
According to Jon Kabat-Zinn “Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally”.
Practicing mindfulness is something that most people probably have on their daily to-do list, but never getting around to it because they either don’t believe it’ll work or feel too busy with their lives to stop for literally just a minute to breathe. When going into this activity, my to-do is exactly what was in mind. It’s the list that is never completed. So, having this as an actual assignment was exactly what I needed to get a jumpstart on my mindfulness techniques in my daily life.
Mindfulness is a concept that over recent year has gained momentum within the field of psychology helping guide and create treatment options for those suffering from mental illness. Mindfulness-Based Therapy (MBT) over recent years has become a widespread form of treatment within the present-day psychotherapy (Hofmann et al, 2010) for addressing well-being in patients who suffer from mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. The therapy was derived from ancient eastern meditation, Buddhist and Yoga practices (Hofmann et al; Piet et al, 2011), which is characterized as a certain way of experiencing internal thoughts, feeling, bodily reactions and external stimulus. These traditions foster what is considered to be the mind, body and spirit bond helping practitioners find a sense of self and well-being.
Mindfulness is not just about meditation it’s so much more. Mindfulness involves being fully present and aware of life. It’s about knowing where and what we’re doing. You could say it’s about taking time to smell the roses, living in the present. Author James Baraz stated that mindfulness is being aware what is happening right now without wishing it were different. Last week I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Cindy March present on how simple it is to be more mindful and show compassion towards others and ourselves. Dr. Cindy March has been practicing mindfulness for over forty years. The concept of mindfulness is fairly new to me and Dr. March was able to not only enlighten me but open my eyes to simple and easy ways to be more present in life and my work.
There are many symptoms of stress that affect a person physically such as; high blood pressure; fluid retention; muscles contracting; and an increase of serum stress hormones. Meditation can reduce the levels of stress hormones in the blood (Budilovsky, 1999). General stress can be treated more effectively with meditation rather than the use of medication in many cases. Have you ever noticed during stressful situations like your graduation or giving a speech often afterwards you can’t even recall the experience. Mindfulness can help change that. The Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center teaches its patients deep breathing exercises as a form of mindfulness meditation (Budilovsky,1999). A study documented by Kabat-Zinn and colleagues researched the efficacy of an intense mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) treatment program lasting 8-10 weeks. The goal was to change the individuals’ relationship to their thoughts. The result of the change would reduce stress and improve emotion regulation. The scientific community is becoming more willing to admit that the mind contributes to how a person heals. A positive attitude can lead to a longer life, decrease illness and accelerate
In response to human’s disconnectedness among individual’s body, mind and community (Aoki, 2004) due to “business as usual” (Macy, 2012), mindfulness is newly emerged as an antidote for people to deal with “emotional and psychological sufferings” (Dalai Lama, 1999). What is mindfulness? You can find 27,900,000 results on Google just in 0.75 seconds (recorded in December, 2017) if you type “mindfulness”. There are a huge number of research and explanations about “mindfulness”, but in this paper, I refer “mindfulness”, according to Cambridge dictionary, simply as “the practice of being aware of your body, mind, and feelings in the present moment.”
Mindfulness is a meditation treatment for people with psychological diseases. This newfound discovery is described by Berkeley Med in the article, Mindfulness Meditation helps to control emotions by Yvette Braizer as, a process in which one, “maintains a moment by moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings…surrounding environment.”(Braizer)
Mindfulness Meditation has been present in cultures, societies and spiritual teachings for thousands of years. Mindfulness is a form of meditation that focuses awareness on breathing and encourages positive attitudes to achieve a healthy balanced mental state. [Mosby’s medical dictionary] The benefits of meditation have mostly been anecdotal. However, in recent decades, meditation has been studied which has led to a better understanding of the effects on the mind. Meditation can have many positive results, such as helping treat depression and anxiety, reducing the need for medications associated with these troubling disorders, and improving daily life through practicing mindfulness mediation.
Commencing my journey of mindfulness on my walk to class revealed many key elements that decide my mood, energy, personality, and comfort on a daily basis. Taken for granted by many, the morning walk to class is riddled with discomforts, insights, sweat, and a large amount of time to think. I have determined that small actions like waking up earlier, making coffee every morning, hoping for good weather, and putting away my phone have improved my quality of life.
Mindfulness is key to having an adventurous, exciting life. Not only does it allow many alternative views to how one looks at an experience, it also allows one to go beyond the capabilities of someone who is mindless. Life without mindfulness is no life at all. Throughout this paper, I’ll explain a few of the major concepts Langer discusses in his book, use those concepts for application purposes, and incorporate “Mindfulness and Psychological Process.”
Through attention to one’s thoughts and feelings in this way, one can become more aware of them, and consequently, more able to manage them. People who are more mindful are less likely to experience psychological distress, including depression and anxiety. There are some researches that show mindfulness contributes to lower psychological distress, such as depression and anxiety (Baer2003; Brown & Ryan2003). According to Kabat-Zinn(2006), mindfulness is defined as “paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, at the present moment and non-judgmentally’