Verywell Mind is a mental health and wellness platform for all aspects of your life — whether you’re living with a mental health condition, managing day-to-day stressors, looking to level up your relationships, or tapping into fascinating psychology theories.
Its team of mental health professionals recognize that research in this space is constantly evolving, along with their understanding of these topics. You can count on them to sift through the noise that too often makes mental health advice confusing, bringing it back down to earth through clear and actionable guidance.
In this article, I’m sharing 10 best Verywell Mind articles on mindfulness, along with my favorite quotes.
1. “What Is Mindfulness?”
Mindfulness is the practice of becoming more fully aware of the present moment—non-judgmentally and completely—rather than dwelling in the past or projecting into the future. It generally involves a heightened awareness of sensory stimuli (noticing your breathing, feeling the sensations of your body, etc.) and being “in the now.”
Click here to read the article “What Is Mindfulness?”
Related book: Mindfulness for Beginners by Jon Kabat-Zinn
2. “The Benefits of Mindfulness”
There are many possible benefits of mindfulness including lowering stress, improving emotional regulation, boosting cognitive abilities, and strengthening relationships. Research has also shown that mindfulness can lead to changes in the structure and function of the brain.
Click here to read the article “The Benefits of Mindfulness.”
3. “Health Benefits of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction”
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a therapeutic technique in which an instructor guides participants in weekly practices like meditation and yoga in order to reduce stress levels. MBSR is a popular method to help those with anxiety, depression, chronic pain, addiction, immune disorders, high blood pressure, and more.
Click here to read the article “Health Benefits of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.”
Related book: The Mindful Way Through Depression by Jon Kabat-Zinn
4. “Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: Benefits & Techniques”
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is a type of psychotherapy that involves a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), meditation, and the cultivation of a present-oriented, non-judgmental attitude called “mindfulness.”
Research suggests that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy can be effective in helping individuals who have experienced multiple episodes of depression.3 While it was originally developed to treat depression, it has also been shown to be effective for other uses including:
- Anxiety disorders
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression associated with medical illnesses
- Low mood
- Unhappiness
- Depression-relapse prevention
- Treatment-resistant depression
Click here to read the article “Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: Benefits & Techniques.”
5. “Mindfulness Meditation Exercise for Anxiety”
Practicing mindfulness meditation can be an effective way to manage feelings of stress and anxiety, and can even be used as a relaxation technique for panic disorder. This meditation technique can help you slow down racing thoughts, decrease negativity, and calm both your mind and body.
Click here to read the article “Mindfulness Meditation Exercise for Anxiety.”
6. “Mindful Communication: Benefits and How to Do It”
Mindful communication involves being conscientious in how one interacts with others in the present moment. Empathy and active listening are two of the most effective principles in mindfulness communication.
Click here to read the article “Mindful Communication: Benefits and How to Do It.”
Related book: Deep Listening by Jillian Pransky
7. “How to Become More Mindful in Your Everyday Life”
The practice of mindfulness—directing all of your attention and awareness to the present—can bring many benefits to your emotional and physical health, as well as to the relationships in your life.
Among its many benefits, practicing everyday mindfulness can:
- Pull you out of the negative downward spiral that can be caused by too much daily stress, too many bad moods, or the habit of rumination.
- Help you make fewer errors when processing your experiences.
- Help you put stressful events into perspective and build resilience so you’re less overwhelmed by them in the future.
And while there are many mindfulness exercises you can practice on a regular basis, learning how to be present in the moment is also a way of life. With practice, you can learn to live a more mindful life that allows you to become more conscious of everything you are doing.
Click here to read the article “How to Become More Mindful in Your Everyday Life.”
8. “The Benefits of Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy”
You have probably heard of both mindfulness and art therapy—but have you heard of mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT)? This relatively new concept was first formally introduced by psychologist and writer Laury Rappaport in 2009 in her book “Mindfulness and the Arts Therapies.” In its simplest sense, MBAT combines the benefits of mindfulness training (for example, meditation) within the structure of an art therapy framework.
Click here to read the article the “The Benefits of Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy.”
Related book: Mindfulness and the Arts Therapies by Laury Rappaport
9. “Mindfulness-Based Relationship Enhancement Benefits”
We typically think of reserving therapeutic techniques for when we’re having problems in our relationships, but they can actually be super helpful even when things are going well.
Mindfulness-based relationship enhancement (MBRE), for instance, is a set of techniques used with couples who are already content with each other (i.e. not in distress) to help strengthen coping skills related to stress within the relationship.
All couples will face life challenges and stressors in their lifetime. As these difficult periods of life emerge, it is helpful for couples to have skills that promote working together and positive, adaptive coping strategies. That is where mindfulness-based relationship enhancement comes in
Click here to read the article “Mindfulness-Based Relationship Enhancement Benefits.”
10. “Mindfulness As an Important Strategy in Pain Reduction”
The benefits of mindfulness-based therapy, which have been proven through research, include stress management, greater relationship satisfaction, and decreased symptoms of depression.
Mindfulness meditation has even been used to relieve physical pain, which may come across as counterintuitive at first, since mindfulness can be about focusing on bodily sensations. But a new study exploring this function of mindfulness has revealed the underlying mechanism at work in the mind.
Researchers are excited by the potential for a safe, accessible, and non-opioid method of managing pain.
Click here to read the article “Mindfulness As an Important Strategy in Pain Reduction.”
Related book: Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Complement this list of best mindfulness articles by Verywell Mind with Healthline articles on mindfulness, Psych Central articles on mindfulness, Psychology Today articles on mindfulness, Well and Good articles on mindfulness, WebMD articles on mindfulness, and Everyday Health articles on mindfulness.
I’m a freelance writer and mindfulness advocate behind this blog. I started my meditation practice in 2014, and in 2017 I launched this website to share what I learn with others. Here are the three things you can do here:
1. Schedule a free consult if you want to learn Buddhist meditation.
2. Download free mindfulness resources for stress relief
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