Who doesn't know the feeling? We rush from appointment to appointment, constantly juggling family responsibilities, meeting friends, striving for success, staying fit and healthy, and always keeping up with the latest trends in the (social) media world. And we also know that more and more colleagues and friends are suffering from so-called burn out and are suddenly no longer able to continue their lives as before. Two extremes that have come into greater focus in recent years, but have been known for many years in medicine, among other things.
When people can no longer meet the demands
The burn-out syndrome results from the individual's inability to meet the demands placed on them or, in other words, from being physically and emotionally overwhelmed by massive stress. Exhaustion, deficiency symptoms and mental illnesses such as depression can result. The fast pace of our modern performance society plays a particularly important role and takes its toll, especially in industrialized countries. Modern medical research knows the challenges and also provides a number of effective methods to rebuild people and give them tools to deal with the demands or establish techniques to reduce stress. One of the best-known methods is mindfulness-based stress reduction according to Jon Kabat-Zinn, or MBSR .
But it's not just patients diagnosed with burnout who benefit from these methods. Mindfulness is a big term whose roots can be found in the Indian teachings of yoga. But what does mindfulness actually mean and how can this concept help reduce stress and, in the best case, prevent burnout?
What does it mean to be mindful?
Mindfulness initially means nothing more than consciously perceiving and paying attention to specific things. Whether it's food, relationships, conversations, or a walk in nature, conscious perception anchors us in the present moment and allows us to escape the hamster wheel of thoughts, worries, and fears, even if only for a moment. Our brains are designed to focus on one thing at a time, and the myth of multitasking has been debunked numerous times. The belief that we are more efficient and successful when doing several things simultaneously does not alleviate stress in our daily lives. Concentrating on the present moment is the essence, the core, of mindfulness. All you need are your senses to perceive consciously and mindfully.
How mindfulness reduces stress
The primary aim of mindfulness practice is to live more consciously and thus reduce stress. How exactly does this work? When exploring mindfulness, you will likely encounter the terms meditation and yoga. Meditation is a central element in mindfulness practice, though it comes in many variations to suit different individuals. The simplest form of mindfulness meditation involves sitting in a comfortable yet alert position in a pleasant environment, closing your eyes, and observing your breath. While this sounds easy, it can be quite challenging because the task is to let go of any thoughts that arise rather than follow them. This can be frustrating, especially for beginners and even for experienced practitioners when the mind refuses to calm down. This brings us to another aspect that mindfulness teaches us: dealing with frustration, perceived failure, and other emotions. By learning to consciously perceive things in and around us, we gain access to our emotions. Initially, we may just notice them, but with practice, we can reflect on, categorize, and communicate them—such as expressing feelings of being overwhelmed or insecure. Regular mindfulness practice can promote a more confident approach to our emotions and help prevent stress by recognizing signs of impending overload early on.
What's the best way to get started?
Each individual discovers their own unique approach and catalyst for embracing mindfulness. Some people only come across it through their burnout diagnosis, others through an interest in meditation, spirituality or quite casually, for example through a blog or newspaper article. But what's the best way to start? Classically, there is a lot of highly recommended literature, for example by John Kabat-zinn, Volker Zotz, Thích Nhất Hạnh and much more. Which authors resonate personally is highly individual. There are also options to approach the topic of meditation via digital apps such as 7Mind or InsightTimer . And of course there are also mindfulness and meditation teachers who regularly offer classes on site. In all approaches it is important to be patient and open. Learning a new routine takes time and always carries the possibility of dissatisfaction if it doesn't happen quickly enough. Much like many aspects of life, as aptly described by Confucius, the same applies to mindfulness practice: the path is the goal.
Namaste
Mindful Life Berlin
Text: Felix George
