Depression affects around 280 million people worldwide. Many might not have access to mental health professionals or maybe we just want to help ourselves, free of cost. So what can we do? Keep reading to explore:
- Mindfulness for Depression
- 5 Things You Must Know About Mindfulness for Depression
- And much more!
Mindfulness for Depression
Mindfulness includes being present in the moment and being aware of what is going on around you and inside you. Another aspect of mindfulness also includes accepting our body’s thoughts and sensations without any judgment.
Such a powerful tool has racked up mountains of research in its favor. So let’s talk about the top 5 reasons why mindfulness is a great tool for depression:
1. They are Beneficial as Stand Alone Treatments
Mindfulness exercises have caused hype in the mental health community due to their outstanding benefits. But did you know that practicing mindfulness on its own is just as helpful as different kinds of therapy? I couldn’t believe it either!
Typically, mindfulness exercises are a part of a complete therapeutic plan. However, a group of scientists wanted to see how well mindfulness-based interventions can work as a stand-alone intervention when compared to other therapies.
The result? They found that mindfulness exercises are just as beneficial on their own if practiced regularly of course.
2. They Reduce Depressive Symptoms in Different People
Mindfulness exercises aren’t just for a certain age group or occupation. Many people with depression, clinically diagnosed or otherwise, can practice it frequently and benefit from it!
Mindfulness exercises help reduce symptoms of depression in the general population, clinically depressed people, older individuals, and even emergency healthcare workers!
Nurses in the emergency department found themselves feeling less stressed and reported fewer depressive symptoms after they began practicing mindfulness exercises. Also, they reported less feelings of burnout as well, which we know is a prevalent problem in the healthcare industry.
3. Improves Focus and Attention
Mindfulness exercises include the ability to stay in the present.
Imagine being able to focus on you and your surroundings in the hustling and bustling terrain of New York. If that sounds difficult to you, it’s because it is.
Never fear! Practice makes perfect, and we have science to back us up on this. Practicing mindfulness exercises have been shown to improve cognitive functions by:
- Improving cognitive flexibility – One’s ability to shift focus and attention to something else despite distractions.
- Improve attention and focus – on one thing in general.
4. Improves Memory
With mindfulness, you can worry less about forgetting where your things are.
When mindfulness improves our ability to stay attentive and focused on something despite the ruckus around us, we are better able to process something. As a result, we are more likely to process something faster and even retain it better.
Be it remembering something new or recalling an old memory, mindfulness exercises have also been shown to decrease deficits in memory. In other words, your ability to recall old things and remember new ones gets better with practice – specifically dealing with short-term memory!
5. Practice Mindfulness Anywhere
Unlike meditation, you don’t need a sacred and secluded place to practice mindfulness. Sure, it is helpful when you’re starting, but it is by no means necessary.
The essence of mindfulness can be practiced anywhere. Practicing it outside of meditation can help us implement it with actual real-life distractions.
5 Things You Must Know About Mindfulness for Depression
1. Mindfulness Exercises Might Not Work for Everyone
Admittedly, mindfulness exercises have been researched on a lot of different populations. But there are still so many different individuals that it does not account for.
For example, mindfulness might not entirely help someone with depression who is in a state of psychosis and out of touch with the world. It might not help someone with PTSD and might trigger traumatic memories.
It is important to remember that everyone is unique and has their own set of unique circumstances.
2. Mindfulness Might Have Some Adverse Side Effects
Mindfulness has a mountain of benefits for the people who practice it. Part of this is because it is effective for a lot of people. Another, less preferable part of it is because a lot of people might not report that they feel uncomfortable or experience side effects.
With so much research backing up the benefits of mindfulness, people experiencing side effects like increased depression and anxiety might feel like they are doing it wrong. They are more likely to lie about their symptoms and report that it works.
Around 25% of people in the study reported experiencing unwanted side effects even though they were transitionary.
Remember that your well-being is of the utmost importance and if something is not helping you when it is specifically designed to help, you don’t need to continue.
3. Mindfulness – Not an All-in-One Solution
Mindfulness is a wonderful tool and in some cases, a stand-alone intervention to use. However, scientifically, there is still so much we don’t know about the effectiveness of mindfulness for a lot of different conditions and mental health disorders.
In some cases, different researchers measure the effectiveness of mindfulness differently. This makes it much more difficult to see the effectiveness of mindfulness through multiple papers for certain situations.
So take mindfulness practice with a grain of salt and always consider talking to a professional for other treatment options such as medication, therapy, etc.
4. Practice Everything in Moderation
Mindfulness isn’t developed overnight. You need to practice it, right? Sure, but moderately.
We’ve all heard that excess of everything is bad. Well, this might be the case for practicing mindfulness too. Research shows that practicing mindfulness too much might lead to negative side effects under certain conditions.
These negative side effects could include anxiety, depression, and even psychosis in some severe cases.
So while practice does make perfect, moderation is key.
5. Be Patient
Mindfulness will take time to master. As mentioned before, it is a very difficult skill to perfect in a short amount of time.
It is recommended to practice mindfulness for at least 10-15 minutes a day. While many people might report feeling instantly calm and relaxed after their first go at it, research suggests that it could take up to 8 weeks to see the effects of mindfulness.
If you experience any persistent negative side effects, talk to a medical or mental health professional immediately.
Conclusion
Mindfulness for depression is a wonderful tool because it can be used anywhere and at any time as a stand-alone intervention. It is effective for a lot of different people and age groups. Lastly, it also improves memory and other cognitive functions.
But everything also has its limitations. Mindfulness should be practiced in moderation and should not be considered as a solution to everything, it could have its own set of side effects. Also, remember that mindfulness might not be the best fit for you and that’s okay.
Consider talking to a medical or mental health professional to see what’s best for you.
