Before starting to write this blog, it was raining outside, and I was trying to be present in the moment. The weather was pleasant, and I could clearly hear the drops' sound (along with that, I could hear the construction noise, quite common in Hyderabad these days, but I ignored that noise and focused on enjoying the weather). The date is 2nd Sep 2025.
I wanted to share this experience with you all to make you understand the importance of mindfulness. As I discussed in that paragraph, along with rain, construction was going on, but instead of focusing on construction noise, I was completely focused on raindrops and how beautifully nature transformed around me.
Being in the moment and allowing life to happen for us without worrying about the past and future can drastically reduce our stress and anxiety. Someone is taking care of us, that is the Universe, God, or whatever you believe in.
Do you know there is a word for being in the moment?
Well, it's called mindfulness.
You might have heard about “mindfulness” multiple times, but have you tried to incorporate it in your life?
If yes, to what extent did you succeed in it?
If not, do you know there are extraordinary benefits of following mindfulness?
Yes, you read it right. There are endless benefits that you can get by incorporating mindfulness into your life.
In this blog, I’ll walk you through the benefits of mindfulness and encourage you to read ways to be mindful.
#8 Life Changing Benefits of Mindfulness
Breaks the Cycle of Overthinking
Many people deal with it on a daily basis. Some people have a habit of thinking to such an extent that it has nothing to do with real life.
If you are an overthinker, you should know how to stop overthinking. Unless you know how to stop it, you won’t be able to break this habit.
Well, you don’t have to think this much as I’ve a good solution for this, which is mindfulness. Whenever you have plenty of thoughts going on, try focusing on the present situation. Tell yourself that you’ll get back to those thoughts shortly. This will help you break the chain of overthinking.
Improves Self Control
I’ve seen many people who stay calm and composed regardless of the situation. I used to think how these people can be so calm in such a chaotic situation. But now, if I think about it, it is because they have mastered the art of self-control.
Now, the question is how they learned self-control? I guess you know the answer, which is being mindful.
Being mindful is not only about being present in a moment; it also helps us manage our emotions and keep them under control.
When you follow mindfulness, you only react to absolutely necessary situations. You know when/how to react, pause or give a space.
Helps in Getting Rid of Stress and Anxiety
Stress and anxiety are like two peas in a pod. When you are stressed, anxiety follows it just like an obedient younger sibling.
You should agree on one thing, which is that not everything is going to be under your control. Some things you have to let go of. Instead of focusing on how stressful this situation is, try to look at the opposite side of the situation. However, to look at the opposite side means a good side, you should follow mindfulness.
In my life, a few incidents happened when I was feeling miserable, but I was carrying it so well that no one got to know that I was stressed. Because I knew that this would pass. Throughout such situations, only one thing helped, which is mindfulness.
Helps with Depression
I was not aware of this term before 2012. This was the year when I actually went into depression. The story is for another time. So I spent days doing nothing, feeling miserable about the situation without knowing how to react to it.
I used to talk with my friends, but as everyone was on their new journey of college, they were busy dealing with their lives. Then I knew I had to do something of my own; no one or nothing is going to make you feel better.
This was the same time when I started practising mindfulness meditation and breathing exercises, which helped me heal within.
Overcome Addiction
Nowadays, most people are addicted to their phones (sorry, smartphones). Somehow, it has become a trend to pretend to be busy on their phones even when they are only scrolling Insta or Snap.
I’ve a few friends who use their phones while walking, talking and rest you guys can guess. Without their phones, they feel uncomfortable. Whenever they are with me, I ask them either to talk to me or just get lost with their phones (seriously). Mostly, they listen to me.
Here, I only talked about one addiction, but there are endless addictions people are into: smoking, drinking, drugs, and whatnot.
With mindfulness, you can distinguish between good and bad habits and end them with adequate steps.
Improves Concentration
Mindfulness plays an important role when it comes to keeping focus. Try to remember days when you used to be completely focused on one thing at a time.
What changed then?
I remember, till the age of 13, I used to be completely focused. When I was doing homework, I was completely into that; not a single thought was crossing my mind. Or whatever I used to do, I was completely into that task (keep in mind, at that age, I was not familiar with any kind of yoga or meditation).
Then puberty hit, hormonal changes happened, and I was literally struggling with keeping my focus on one thing. At that time, I did not have anyone to discuss all these things with (because in the 90s, mostly parents were not discussing such things), but I knew one thing: if I were able to do this earlier, I could do that again.
Again, I was not aware of the term mindfulness. So what I did was try to keep all my thoughts aside and focus on the present task. It literally helped me improve concentration.
If you are a teenager and struggling with being focused, start focusing on a single task at a time, and you’ll end up being mindful of things.
Soothes Negative Emotions
It’s okay to have negative emotions. Everyone feels it at some point in their lives.
But why did you feel that way, or do you feel that way, knowing this answer is more important than anything else? It would be possible when you practice mindfulness.
Being mindful helps you understand the reason behind it. When any negative thought crosses your mind, by following mindfulness first, you’ll think about why this thought comes to your mind, what’s the reason behind it, and accordingly, you’ll take action.
By knowing the answer, we can easily diminish those negative emotions.
Improves Sleep
How many of you struggle with insomnia?
I guess many of you. Try mindfulness meditation before sleep or in the morning and see how much your sleep quality improves.
When you follow mindful meditation or simply being mindful about breathing, it controls your thoughts, relaxes your body and helps you have a peaceful, good night's sleep.
Wrap-up Time
I know mindfulness is not something that you can include in your life instantly. It’s not 2-minute Maggie. But slowly and steadily, you can for sure.
Start slow. Like focusing on one thing at a time, and if any thoughts cross your mind, try writing them down initially or give any specific timeframe where you’ll think about those thoughts.
Constantly, tell yourself that the task you are working on is important; if it weren't important, you wouldn’t have started it in the first place.
Trying mindful is also part of being mindful.
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