There are a lot of new buzz words out there and a lot of life advice about a lot of different things. It can all be a bit confusing, and it’s important to know what some of these trending terms actually mean. Everyone wants to find the best way to live their best life and understanding some of the key terms and phrases can be the first step in the process of increased self-understanding.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a meditation practice that goes back more than 2000 years and is based on Eastern philosophical practices such as Buddhism. Essentially, mindfulness is really about promoting a conscious awareness, being in the moment, and ensuring that attention is based on being present and open. This awareness and harnessing of internal experiences enable those who practice it to reduce suffering and enhance adaptive behaviors. If you want to practice mindfulness, it could be as simple as trying mindful walking or eating, staying focused on any activity that you are currently doing.
Relaxation
The relaxation response was coined by Dr. Herbert Benson and can promote the release of chemicals and signals by the brain that make your muscles slow down. They also promote organs to slow down and an increase of blood flow to the brain. It is essentially the opposite of the ‘fight or flight’ response and allows one to counteract the physiological effects of stress.
Being able to relax is a key skill in the modern era. Gaming and casinos online can be a way to zone out and relax, but as with all of the tips and suggestions for joy mentioned herein, it must be done in moderation.
There are many similarities between mindfulness and relaxation. They both promote activities and practices that counteract stress and tension. These then correspond to physiological changes such as reduced heart rates and respiration rates. The benefit of both is that they promote improved health outcomes because they offset negative health symptoms caused by stress. Another common trait between relaxation and mindfulness is that they can be used together. Mindfulness can promote the use of relaxation practices as it helps create awareness about whether relaxation practices are actually relaxing. Another important similarity is that both relaxation and mindfulness can both be practiced formally and informally.
Considering all these similarities, it is perhaps not useful to engage in considering the differences between mindfulness and relaxation. Instead, you should be asking yourself how you can use both techniques through informal and formal practices to find the approach which meets your needs and enable true and lasting positive impacts. When the aim is to relieve stress, using mindfulness and relaxation in the ways that suit your lifestyle will ensure your body is able to fight back against the often recurring negative effects of modern daily life.
The main idea presented herein is to make sure that you can navigate your way through some of the terms and phrases to get to a solution for stress relief and reduction that works for you.
