week six post two

A huge factor into happiness and well-being is mindfulness. Mindfulness is generally defined as dedicating awareness to the present moment, in a kind, non-judging manner. Studies have shown that people who mind-wander, or focus on something other than the present, are less happy than people who focus on the present task. This is because when people mind-wander, they generally think of unhappy thoughts. To break the habit of mind-wandering and become happier, people can work on being mindful. Mindfulness can be cultivated through seated, walking, standing, and moving meditation, attention to breathing, and practicing kindness through the Loving-Kindness exercise. Mindfulness practices can be dated back to the 12th and 13th century traditions in Japan, called Zazen or Zen tradition. It includes sitting, physical calmness, walking meditations, being aware of breath and mind, and not being critical or judgmental. People are now looking back at this wisdom of the ages and are starting to incorporate these past traditions as a central role in their lives. For many though, it is hard to change their lifestyles to accommodate time for these practices, or they do not know where to begin. John Kabat-Zinn, a medical professor at University of Massachusetts, created a program called Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), that outlines some practices people can take to feel less stressed and happier. It includes a metal body scan, sitting exercises, mind exercises, yoga practices, and meditation. Being mindful is so much more than stress reduction, however. Some other benefits include an ability for deeper attention to others' well-being, clear skin, increased immune abilities, and finally, longer telomeres, which are the caps at the end of each strand of DNA that protect our chromosomes, meaning that mindfulness actually elongates a person's life.

Mindfulness is something that one can adapt into their lives in any environment, which is why it is such a crucial key to happiness and meaningfulness. Focusing all attention on the present task at hand leads to a greater impact and result of whatever that task is. Therefore, that means that mindfulness leads people to act more with more meaning in all aspects of their life. The connected between meaningfulness and happiness has already been discussed, so then it is clear that if one is mindful they not only will they be leading a more meaningful life, but they will be happier.