You might have even tried your fair share of mindfulness meditations with the help of an app, a guided video session, or your smartphone’s timer. But let’s be real: Not everyone has the time (or desire) to pencil in a formal meditation practice.
That’s totally okay, because the beauty of mindfulness is that you can apply it in small ways throughout daily life. “Some [people] have the misconception that mindfulness means they need to sit cross-legged, eyes closed, and ready to commit to at least 10 to 15 minutes,” Hemisha Patel Urgola, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist at Princeton University and the founder of the Mindful Practice, tells SELF. However, it doesn’t need to be that at all (unless that’s your jam, of course); you can still experience the mental health benefits of mindfulness using super simple techniques, Dr. Urgola says.
Mindfulness is the practice of being present and aware; it means acknowledging whatever you’re feeling, sensing, and thinking in a calm and nonjudgmental way. According to Dr. Urgola, this mindset can be used in the moment to get through tough experiences, like running late to work or arguing with your partner, say. When practiced regularly, it can also spark long-term changes in how you connect with your thoughts, Dr. Urgola adds. Over time, this can improve your ability to navigate mental health struggles—namely stress, anxiety, and depression—she says.
While learning how to meditate is certainly one form of mindfulness practice, it’s not the only way to increase your present-moment awareness. But don’t take our word for it: We asked experts for quick, simple mindfulness exercises that can be added to just about any schedule. Below, you’ll get an overview of some of the benefits of mindfulness, as well as how to practice mindful awareness without meditation—whether you’re low on time or simply looking for some short and sweet relief.
Benefits of mindfulness | How does mindfulness work? | Mindfulness exercises
What are some of the benefits of mindfulness?
If you’re new to mindfulness, the popularity of the practice can (understandably) make it hard to take seriously. That being said, the buzz surrounding it is pretty legit, as there’s a growing body of evidence supporting the benefits of mindfulness for mental health.
In a 2021 study published in the Frontiers in Psychology, for example, people who participated in a six-week mindfulness course reported lower stress levels.1Similarly, a 2019 study in the same journal found that mindfulness meditation helped improve depression and anxiety symptoms, partly by reducing worry and rumination (thinking about something over and over and over again).2 And get this: A 2022 randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Psychiatry found mindfulness-based stress reduction to be just as effective as escitalopram, an SSRI that’s a first-line prescription medication for anxiety and depression.3 That’s not to say it’s the answer to everyone’s mental health issues but, more and more, mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to be a legitimate treatment option.
