Written by Student Associate Molly Lusk, edited by Hanna Busse

The Importance of Practicing Mindfulness

When you approach community problems, mindfulness can broaden your perspective. You can gain awareness of the context surrounding a problem, and the layered and diverse perspectives of those affected by the problem, whatever the problem may be.

Mindfulness is the idea of being actively aware of your ever-changing surroundings, and being willing to adjust your actions based on what a specific surrounding dictates. The Harvard Business Review’s series on Emotional Intelligence included a volume, “Mindfulness,” that defined the term as “the process of actively noticing new things”. By exercising mindfulness, you can become “more sensitive to context and perspective.” “It reveals that by paying attention to what’s going on around us, instead of operating on autopilot, we can reduce stress, unlock creativity, and boost performance”. 

Practicing mindfulness is an effective way to approach problems. It helps foster a healthy dialogue and generate effective solutions. However, in a world where our attention is constantly torn from one thing to the next, with an emphasis on multitasking and constant connectivity, it is difficult to properly exercise mindfulness. In order to train the brain to be more mindful, practice the two elements that constitute mindful thought: focus and awareness.

How do you practice mindful thought? The Harvard Business Review suggeststaking time to unplug from technology and become centered. Take time to relax by shutting your eyes and focusing on the rhythm of breathing. When a distraction creeps in, combat it by actively switching your focus back to your breathing. By taking mere minutes of the day to practice this simple exercise, you will strengthen your focus and awareness. You will recognize the various things fighting for your attention. You will give your brain the power to shut these distractions down and focus on the problem at hand. 

In order for a community to face problems in a mindful manner it must begin with the individual introducing mindful practices and exercises into their daily routine. Every individual should bring mindfulness to the table when a community comes together to face larger community problems. It is crucial that each person understands how noise from our society hinders their ability to approach delicate tasks in a focused and comprehensive manner. Each individual must become aware of the ways in which they fail to be mindful and actively work toward mindful engagement.