Mindfulness has become a huge buzzword recently. Thanks to neuroimaging, scientists are able to actually see the impact mindfulness and meditation have on the brain. There are over 3,000 scientific studies showing that mindfulness is helpful for reducing stress and anxiety, and increasing self-awareness, focus, concentration, and empathy/ compassion — the list of benefits for mindfulness practice goes on and on. If you’d like to review the 3,008 studies, check out National Institute of Health website.
However, you may still be wondering: what the heck is mindfulness anyway? It’s a good question and I’ll attempt to address that in this article. I’ll also add that mindfulness is a way of being — an attitude or an intent you hold as you move through your life.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., of the University of Massachusetts Medical School defines it as:
“Paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally, to the unfolding of experience moment to moment.”
Dan Harris, author of 10% Happier, defines it as:
“Mindfulness is the ability to know what’s happening in your head at any given moment without getting carried away by it.”
One additional definition by Sharon Salzberg, author and meditation teacher, may be helpful:
“Mindfulness isn’t just about knowing that you’re hearing something, seeing something, or even observing that you’re having a particular feeling. It’s about doing so in a certain way — with balance and equanimity, and without judgment. Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention in a way that creates space for insight.”
An example might be looking at a sunset. You can notice all the different colors, the movement of the sun, the temperature, and simply enjoy that moment. Perhaps you can feel the awe from being absorbed in the beauty of that moment. It’s a way to really connect with each moment.
You can also think about the opposite of mindfulness — the state of being mindless. When you’re mindless, what quality does that have? It may have an attitude of not caring, not paying attention to details, a carelessness, and not giving your full attention.
The other related concept to mindfulness is compassion. It is often said that mindfulness and compassion are like two wings of a bird.
Benefits of Mindfulness Practice
1. SELF-REGULATION
The benefits of mindfulness for lawyers are obvious. We must be able to regulate and moderate our own reactions to highly stressful situations and stay cool under pressure. Given the high stakes in many of our cases, we definitely can’t afford to be mindless. The ability to be in the present moment — so when you’re writing your Motion for Summary Judgment, you can fully pay attention to that instead of replaying an unpleasant conversation from earlier on — is an obvious super skill for a lawyer.
2. ABILITY TO REDUCE “KNEE-JERK” REACTIONS
Mindfulness creates that moment of pause between the stimulus and your reaction. So, rather than yelling back at the a-hole on the phone who’s screaming and triggering all sorts of negative reactions, you can find a moment of reprieve by being able to add a moment of pause. That pause then creates a space so you can respond rather than react. Again, an obvious benefit for lawyers.
3. INCREASED SELF-DISCIPLINE
Creating a daily habit of meditation has a huge ripple effect on the rest of your life. It’s hard to create a new habit — something that you do on a daily basis. I’ve found that committing to the daily habit of meditation has given me the ability to form other habits. For example, eating breakfast every morning instead of just drinking a cup of black coffee (something I’ve done since college!). It also helped me to regularly practice Bikram yoga and exercise.
How to Practice Mindfulness
The primary way to train your mind to be more mindful is through meditation. I wrote about how to meditate in a two-part post: How to Meditate Part I and Part II. If you try nothing else, I encourage you to try meditating daily for 21 days. You don’t need to meditate for hours each day; just a few minutes a day is a great place to start. Check out this list of 0.1 hour meditations.
Aside from the formal practice of meditation, mindfulness can be practiced all the time! I’ve found it helpful to incorporate mindfulness into my day by having mindfulness cues. These cues remind me to stop just for a second, tune in, notice that moment, and see if I’m being mindful or mindless. It’s breaking the habit of mindlessness. I usually stop and take a long inhale followed by a slow exhale. Studies indicate that when you slow your breath, you can reduce the stress hormones in the body.
Mindfulness cues:
- Turning on or off a light switch
- Stopped at a stop sign or a red light
- Standing at the refrigerator door (this is a great practice, especially for those who engage in mindless eating)
- Showering
- Washing hands
- Brushing teeth
- Pushing the home button on the iPhone (for the 658th time that day)
- Before opening an email
- Before answering the phone
You should come up with your own mindfulness cues where you’ll intentionally slow down and practice mindfulness. Like most things in life, what you practice will get stronger, so keep practicing!
This article previously appeared on Above the Law.