MIND FULNESS ON THE MOVE

IF YOU ’VE HEARD THAT MINDFULNESS CAN REDUCE STRESS , YOU MIGHT BE PLEASED TO HEAR RUNNING CAN BE THE PERFECT PLACE TO PUT IT INTO PRACTICE

WORDS : CLAIRE CHAMBERLAIN

Mindfulness is something of a buzzword at the moment, with books, websites, courses and apps all offering advice about how to bring more mindfulness and presence into your daily life. But what is mindfulness?

A quick peek in the Cambridge Dictionary reveals mindfulness is, “the practice of being aware of your body, mind and feelings in the present moment, thought to create a feeling of calm.”

Which sounds simple enough. But in our modern lives, with all their distractions, stressors and interruptions, it can sometimes feel like a difficult concept to put into practice. A recent survey of UK adults, conducted by aquatics leaders Tetra and OnePoll, has revealed that more than 50 million Britons feel under pressure, with work, money worries and unexpected life events cited as the most common causes of stress. The survey found that Londoners spend almost two days a week feeling stressed or anxious, while almost one third of Londoners turn to comfort food or alcohol as a means of stress relief, instead of attempting to reduce stress levels in the first place.

HOW CAN MINDFULNESS HELP?

“Mindfulness is becoming increasingly important in our society, because we are lost in ‘doing’,” says life coach and mindfulness expert Steve Chamberlain (stevechamberlain.co.uk). “Our pace of life is increasing at such a rate that the jobs we perform and the ‘always-on’ lives we lead would be unrecognisable to many of our parents and would likely leave our grandparents bewildered. As a society, we are moving at such a pace that many of us no longer allow ourselves time to experience each moment fully, as we are already moving onto the next. We are always one step ahead of ourselves, which can lead to a sense of general dissatisfaction and, eventually, burnout. Mindfulness offers the space we are craving, without requiring any major life shift or upheaval.”