How Mindfulness Assists With Problems

What types of problems does mindfulness help with?

Mindfulness practice can actually be helpful with almost any type of problem. I know this may sound like an exaggeration, but the reason this is so is that mindfulness does attempt to address the problem itself, but instead how we are in relation to the problem – how we engage with the “problem.” This also means, of course, that even with mindfulness practice, we may still need to avail ourselves of help to correct the objective side of the problem as best we can. In other words, we may still need medical treatment. We still may need to make lifestyle changes. We still need to attend to relationship issues that are upsetting us, and we may still need help to sort these things out. But, research suggests that with mindfulness practice, perceived quality of life often improves and less intervention is often necessary. For instance, studies have demonstrated measurable relief for people suffering from problems such as stress, chronic pain, anxiety and depression.

What if I don’t have any big problems like those mentioned in the mindfulness studies?

You do not need to have any type of “diagnosis” to receive huge benefits from mindfulness practice. Mindfulness practice involves making a shift in how we relate to the difficult things in our lives. These “difficult things” can range from major physical or emotional challenges to common everyday irritants like getting stuck in traffic. The way we react to these “small things,” that we all come up against everyday, takes its toll on our wellbeing just as surely as the large events.