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"Those who practice mindfulness have a higher level of vital satisfaction and happiness"
Tuesday 21 November 2017
Joaquim Soler is a clinical psychologist at the Psychiatry Service of the Santa Creu i Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona where they use mindfulness and meditation to treat patients with psychiatric disorders. But it also has benefits for those who do not. In this interview he explains and gives us some tips to incorporate this practice in our day to day.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a set of techniques that come from the Buddhist tradition but have become westernized and have to do with the fact of being present in what you do. Most people do things thinking about what to do next or before. We spend 50% of the time of the day doing things and thinking in other things.
Mindfulness has to do with being present mentally and physically and temporarily in what you are doing.
Mindfulness and meditation.
Mindfulness and meditation are not exactly the same. Mindfulness has more to do with everyday life. That is, it has the same principles that are used in meditation but in very natural acts, acts that can be eating, walking or doing anything. It's about being aware of what you do.
In contrast, meditation could be like the mindfulness gym. That is, when you go to the gym to the treadmill to prepare for running. Meditation is practicing the characteristics of mindfulness per se. And in mindfulness what we do is apply it on a day-to-day basis and in everyday life.
What are the benefits?
If mindfulness is practiced by someone who does not have a clinical problem, it also has benefits. Because mindfulness improves, on the one hand, aspects that have to do with negativity, in the clinic perspective, but also, on the other hand, increases aspects that have to do with positivity. That is, those who practice mindfulness, for example, have a level of vital satisfaction and a higher degree of happiness. Those who practice mindfulness, increase the percentage of positive emotions. And also in an investigation that we have recently finished, we see that people who practice mindfulness have more clear values and act more congruently with them. Therefore there is a slope that is simply what we would say now of well-being.
How does it influence the brain functions?
I would say that these three aspects: attention and self-regulation; decrease in mental wandering and focusing ability; and emotional regulation are the most relevant aspects that has been seen that mindfulness influences from a neuroscience perspective.
How often do you have to practice?
It's like going to the gym. That is, what produces change is not joining a gym but going. Mindfulness has to be practiced. For what we have studied, doses of 20 minutes a day have very positive results. In fact, in a study published in 2004 we saw that there was not a big difference between doing 20 minutes and doing two hours a day. Now, the difference was in whether you did it once a week or did it every day. In this sense, in mindfulness, frequency is more important than duration.
Because a daily or a high frequency basis of almost every day during 20 minutes gives very significant results. In, for example, variables such as the reduction of anxiety, the degree of happiness, of anguish, or of sadness.
Can you learn it online?
Online training is great if you get a good view of what it is. But if you do not get it, nobody corrects you. Therefore, I would say that mindfulness training is better.
How can it be introduced on a day-to-day basis?
You can do what is called non-formal practice that fits more with mindfulness. That is, for example, walking and paying attention to your walking and the environment in which you move, you can do it when eating or drinking coffee. Or you can do it while showering. Notice that most people do not shower thinking about taking a shower. You shower programming the agenda. That is mindless, is to be in this world of digression. When you do mindfulness and you shower and practice while you shower you are for the sensory experience of showering.
Therefore there are many spaces where you can do it in everyday life. Because you walk, because you eat, because you shower. And many times you are not mentally there because you are with the Whatsup with the Candy Crush or whatever. It has more benefits to be in the presence than in the virtual world.
And then there is the meditative practice that does require that you place a space to practice at a time of the day. But we are talking about 20 minutes or 25 minutes, maximum half an hour. It is not necessary that you practice two hours. And if you do 20 minutes throughout the day, there are changes.
For more information on Brain Health benefits, do not miss the tips we published on our website:
How does it influence the brain functions?
I would say that these three aspects: attention and self-regulation; decrease in mental wandering and focusing ability; and emotional regulation are the most relevant aspects that has been seen that mindfulness influences from a neuroscience perspective.
How often do you have to practice?
It's like going to the gym. That is, what produces change is not joining a gym but going. Mindfulness has to be practiced. For what we have studied, doses of 20 minutes a day have very positive results. In fact, in a study published in 2004 we saw that there was not a big difference between doing 20 minutes and doing two hours a day. Now, the difference was in whether you did it once a week or did it every day. In this sense, in mindfulness, frequency is more important than duration.
Because a daily or a high frequency basis of almost every day during 20 minutes gives very significant results. In, for example, variables such as the reduction of anxiety, the degree of happiness, of anguish, or of sadness.
Can you learn it online?
Online training is great if you get a good view of what it is. But if you do not get it, nobody corrects you. Therefore, I would say that mindfulness training is better.
How can it be introduced on a day-to-day basis?
You can do what is called non-formal practice that fits more with mindfulness. That is, for example, walking and paying attention to your walking and the environment in which you move, you can do it when eating or drinking coffee. Or you can do it while showering. Notice that most people do not shower thinking about taking a shower. You shower programming the agenda. That is mindless, is to be in this world of digression. When you do mindfulness and you shower and practice while you shower you are for the sensory experience of showering.
Therefore there are many spaces where you can do it in everyday life. Because you walk, because you eat, because you shower. And many times you are not mentally there because you are with the Whatsup with the Candy Crush or whatever. It has more benefits to be in the presence than in the virtual world.
And then there is the meditative practice that does require that you place a space to practice at a time of the day. But we are talking about 20 minutes or 25 minutes, maximum half an hour. It is not necessary that you practice two hours. And if you do 20 minutes throughout the day, there are changes.
For more information on Brain Health benefits, do not miss the tips we published on our website: