The 21st century is one of high stakes and low energy. Information is constantly thrown at us, increasing stress and reducing our standard of living. This has resulted in an increase of health issues in the younger generation, that would have only come up at a later points in their lives had they led a different lifestyle. People can easily become swept up in their daily routines that they forget to live. However, there is a solution that helps us cope with this fast-paced lifestyle: mindfulness.
Mindfulness is the ability to be completely present in a situation. To do this, one must bring awareness to their senses, thoughts and emotions, and put themselves into a blank state of mind by focusing on nothing. With more practice, mindfulness can also help strengthen the physical structure of the brain. To achieve a state of mindfulness, one must actively meditate, or relax the brain by eliminating all thoughts. There are several benefits that have been tested and evaluated by a range of scientists. Some of the results conclude that mindfulness can improve a person’s wellbeing, as they become more focused on their activities and are able to cope with challenging situations. Mindfulness also improves mental and physical health. This can be observed as it reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and can even alleviate mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Apart from the numerous benefits, mindfulness comes with some disadvantages, however, they may be subjective based on the individual. According to a study in December 2017, practising mindfulness may result in people having less accurate and even false memories. This could have occurred as they are less connected to reality and as a consequence, to their actions and thoughts. Despite not being completely engaged in reality, the same study suggests that people who practice mindfulness have shown signs alluding to decreasing creativity. This is because practising mindfulness shuts down the creative side of one’s brain as they have to be more practical and “down to earth”. Lastly, some even claim that mindfulness has led to increased dissociation and narcissism. When taken into account, this condition could be very subjective, as every individual is different, however there is a strong correlation between subjects who practice mindfulness and the two states of mind.
Mindfulness can benefit high schoolers in a number of ways. Not only will it help them control their feelings during times of heightened stress, but it will also increase the highly encouraged “self-reflective state” and will also help them find areas to improve in their general well being and academics. In high school, one may be subjected to an overload of information and tasks, being mindful may help these overwhelmed teenagers balance multiple tasks and focus on one job or idea at a time. In response to this growing trend, several applications such as Headspace and Calm have been released for both iOS and Android devices to guide people through the steps taken towards achieving a mindful life.
To sum it up, being mindful has both advantages and disadvantages that can be debated, however, based on past experiences, from those ranging in age, many people claim that mindfulness has not only improved their standard of living but also allowed them to pay more attention to their mental and physical health. You can start your journey of mindfulness one deep breath at a time.
Bibliography:
21st-century lifestyle: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/why-the-chaos-of-life-in-the-21st-century-means-we-need-to-return-to-grace-a6744101.html
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