Three ways mindfulness can change your life

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a way to retrain your brain to be calm and centered. Just as we train our bodies to be fit and healthy, we can also train our minds to improve how we think and feel. Mindfulness focusses on reducing the internal chatter by concentrating on our awareness of the here and now. We do this by noticing our surroundings, what we are seeing and hearing and by observing our bodily sensations.

One of the best ways to achieve mindfulness is with meditation.

Mindfulness meditation uses acceptance and attention to achieve the goal of being present.

Your attention is directed to focusing on your body by using breath. Your thoughts then go to the physical sensations in your body and the feelings you are experiencing.

Acceptance happens when we observe those feelings without judgement. We simply allow the feelings to be and then let them go. By not engaging, or interacting, with these thoughts, we achieve a sense of distance and release of tension.

It is recommended that we complete a mindfulness meditation daily. This regular practice can help your brain to slip quickly and easily into a restful state. It also means that you achieve and maintain a state of positive wellbeing.

Mindfulness can improve your physical and mental health.

A 2013 meta-analysis of mindfulness based therapy reviewed more than 200 studies of mindfulness among healthy people and found mindfulness-based therapy was especially effective for reducing stress, anxiety and depression. Also, practicing mindfulness can reduce pain and fatigue.

Mindfulness helps us by reducing stress responses, causing them to make less of an impact on our body. By reducing stress, in a positive way, we are changing how we have responded in the past by substituting a process which triggers ‘feel good’ sensations.

Mindfulness is a quick, convenient and cost-effective way to improve farmers’ mental and physical health.

Mindfulness helps us achieve goals

When your mind is clogged with chatter, it is difficult to keep track of not only your long-term goals, but also your daily priorities. When you focus on what is happening now, your mind clears and tasks become more achievable.

This is especially important on the farm. Focussed attention means we are aware of the tasks at hand and the risks associated with it. By reducing these risks, farmers can be less prone to accidents and incidents.