It can be easy to rush through life without stopping to notice much. Paying attention to the present moment (to your own thoughts, feelings and to the world around you) can improve your mental wellbeing. 

In the world in which we live it is easy to stop noticing the world around us and lose touch with the way our bodies are feeling and we end up living in our heads. We get caught up in our thoughts, which can be mostly negative, without stopping to notice how our thoughts are driving our emotions and behaviours. 

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Mindfulness helps you to:-

 

Reconnect with your body and the sensations it experiences i.e. waking up to the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the present moment.

Create an awareness of thoughts and feelings as they happen moment to moment. When we allow ourselves to see the present moment clearly, it can change the way we see ourselves and our lives.

Mindfulness enables us to stand back from our thoughts and start to see their patterns.

Gradually train yourself to notice when your thoughts are taking over and realize thoughts are simply mental events that do not have to have control over us. 

Awareness of this kind can help us deal better with stress and anxiety.

Mindfulness is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a way to prevent depression in people who have had 3 or more bouts of depression in the past.

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Mindfulness can be a stand-alone treatment or incorporated into individual counselling. Sessions last 50 or 60 minutes.