Mindfulness means to pay attention, deliberately and non-judgementally, in the present moment. This enables people to make informed and helpful choices about their physical and psychological well being. In essence, it is about how the person can begin to learn to choose to respond differently rather than react automatically and sometimes unhelpfully, to events, thoughts and feelings. It is the automatic reaction that tends to perpetuate difficulties.

Mindfulness combines both experiential exercises and psycho-educational components. These exercises help us to gradually develop a deeper awareness of our bodily sensations, feelings and thoughts and how they interact, uniquely, in each of us, in the present moment. The psycho-educational component helps to explain depression and anxiety and to tackle the spirals of negative automatic thoughts. Mindfulness enables individuals to begin to choose the most skilful response to any unpleasant thoughts, feelings or situations that they meet.

Mindfulness is most helpful when you are able to practice daily.