Mindfulness means a very desirable, positive psychological ability – a specific form of focus. Unlike concentration, it is a moment of centering. It focuses on a point in time, the present. Mindfulness describes a wide-awake openness regarding everything that is happening in the here and now, viewing it from an intentional, observant and non-judgmental frame of mind. Mindfulness means collecting all signals without interpretation. You could also say it is an uncritical self-monitoring. The origins of mindfulness come from Buddhism – in Vipassana meditation, one learns how to eliminate everything that could disturb the open and dispassionate observation. Mindfulness is becoming more popular in medicine and psychology because of its calming effect. It is also works against stress-related disorders and diseases, nervousness, depression, high blood pressure and more. A lot of practice is to be done until you have internalized the techniques of mindfulness and you can apply it in everyday life. But it’s positive effects are very rewarding so give it a try!
– Laura Remmel is a Masters student at the University of the German Armed Forces in Munich, Germany. She completed her Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in January 2016. She is interesting in furthering her studies is psychotherapy, PTSD and military psychology. She is participating in a summer internship programme at Willingness.com.mt.