What Is 'Mindfulness', really?

Jul 17
3 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Let’s be honest—if you're new to mindfulness, it may sound like one of those trendy wellness buzzwords that gets tossed around without much clarity. Maybe you’ve heard it in a yoga class, read it in a self-help book, or even attempted a guided meditation.

But what is 'Mindfulness', really? And why should you invest in becoming Mindful?

Let’s break it down-

Mindfulness is not about doing everything perfectly or being super calm all of the time. Contrary to popular belief, mindfulness isn’t about sitting cross-legged in silence for hours, in the zone and free of all thoughts. In fact, it’s not about getting rid of thoughts at all.

Mindfulness is a philosophy, a practice, and a way of life. It's about bringing the unconscious into consciousness, through self-observation tools and skills. It's about connecting your body and your mind and starting to notice- without judgement - your own thoughts, patterns and behaviours.

Mindfulness is about becoming aware of your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations in the present moment—without immediately reacting, fixing, or judging. It’s about noticing what’s happening now and learning to meet it with curiosity, compassion, and a bit of playfulness.

So, What Does It Actually Look Like?

It might look like:

Noticing the tightness in your chest before you snap at your partner.
Pausing mid-meltdown and realizing you need a glass of water and a deep breath.
Catching yourself mid-scroll and asking, “Wait… what am I actually looking for here?”

Mindfulness isn't always easy. At times, it's chaotic, uncomfortable, and confronting. But here's the point: that's part of the practice. You're not making a mistake if your mind keeps racing. You're on the right track just by simply being aware and gently redirecting your thoughts. It's about taking control of your monkey mind and learning the tools to rewire your brain.

Benefits of Mindfulness

When practiced consistently (even in small, imperfect ways), mindfulness can help you:

Regulate your nervous system
Improve emotional resilience
Sleep better
Reduce anxiety and ruminating thoughts
Make more intentional decisions
Connect more deeply with others
Be a little more compassionate towards yourself and others
Have more gratitude and appreciation for the good things

But Isn’t It Supposed to Be Serious?

Not at all. One of the biggest misconceptions about mindfulness is that it has to be solemn, spiritual or 'deep'. But that is not always the case. The beauty of Mindfulness practice is that it gives you access to find lightness and even learn to laugh at your own overthinking. To observe your inner critic getting really mean and to take a step back and say: 'Nope, not today. Today I am embracing what I can control and not letting you take the lead'.

Mindfulness invites us into the moment—and sometimes the moment is silly, we find ourselves being ridiculous, or full of nonsense or overthinking something simple. There is room for all of it.

Mindfulness helps us to practice non-attachment to our emotions so that we can begin to untangle ourselves from what we feel. It helps normalize emotions as part of the human experience and not something to feel as defining or life altering.

Can Therapy Help with This?

Absolutely. In therapy, mindfulness isn’t just a practice—it’s a tool for healing, regulation, and reconnecting to yourself. You can learn to be with the messy parts of your story without judgment. You can explore what’s really going on under the surface, at your own pace, in a safe space.

In my sessions, we explore mindfulness in an embodied, practical way—whether that’s through breathwork, somatic awareness, noticing patterns, or simply learning how to pause and soften when things feel too much.

Mindfulness Tools You Can Use Outside of Therapy:

Here are a few places to start:

Name 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, 1 you can taste.
Practice a 1-minute breath check-in before bed or after waking.
Put your phone down and eat your meal or snack slowly. Notice the texture, taste, and how your body responds.
Walk barefoot outside, just noticing how it feels.
Talk to yourself with a kind voice: “Ah, I’m feeling overwhelmed right now. That makes sense.”