We all are familiar with the famous saying “Mind Over Matter”. What does putting Mind over matter exactly mean? Is it a way to hack life or a simple trick to achieve something really wonderful? The real reason behind this three worded phrase is to training our minds to be stronger than the situation Every Single Time, Every Single Day!
Although it sounds like a challenge to gain control of your thoughts and manage your anxiety and all the fuss that goes on in our heads which we are ashamed to share with anyone. But according to a Buddhist philosophy, Mindfulness is one of the most ideal way to live a generous and genuinely happy life.
Mindfulness is the secret to conquering Mind over Matter! Mindfulness means to be present, to live in the moment, to enjoy the current time and to train the brain to see well and find an opportunity in everything.
As per the researchers who have been studying Mindfulness- Based Cognitive Therapy for over 8 years came to the conclusion that mindfulness can play an important role in relieving chronic depression and anxiety.
The famous psychologist Daniel Goleman states that having possess mindfulness allows emotions to be observed as thoughts rather than getting sucked into them and becoming a victim of whatever negativity is going on in our life.
Cognitive therapy is considered a traditional gold treatment for depression, teaching people how to recognize negative self-talk while they are mired and redirect their thought. Individuals should focus on recognizing negative thought loops when paired with mindfulness, not trying to correct the substance of the thoughts, but redirecting from them.
The reason behind such persistence on practicing mindfulness as an essential part of our thought process is because as the world is becoming more and more complex, depression is becoming more fatal. It is one of the most commonly prevailing mental health disease worldwide and up to 80% of the people who suffer from depression may become a part of major depressive episode and thus relapse. With basic treatments for depression and other mental health issues it is also a concern that drugs used to treat depression lose their effectiveness over time bringing the person to point zero.
How Mindfulness Can Improve Mental Health?
The basic concept of mindfulness in the present moment is paying attention to one’s experience. It includes witnessing thoughts and feelings without judging or being swept up in them from moment to moment. When the mind wanders during a practice session, the meditator hopefully takes notice of where it goes, and calmly returns to the moment at hand, perhaps concentrating on breath, body sensations, or a simple step of yoga.
Even though researchers are convinced about the fact that mindfulness plays a vital role in treating depression and improve mental health they are still skeptical about how does it bring about the change? According to the Head of depression center at the University of California, Stuart Eisendrath it could be because: “Mindfulness leads to a greater self-compassion and a decrease in experiential avoidance”. It allows a person to accept and fully feel the emotions, observe them objectively, analyze them in an unbiased manner, all while not becoming a part of it.
The theory here is to understand that everything that affects our moods is happening for us, happening around us rather than happening to us. When you start to see life events as basic happenings that are constantly changing, you can conquer the art of seeing things subjectively rather than submitting to them.
One characteristic of depression, for example, is the pattern of pessimistic thinking about experience, one’s self, or the future. Mindfulness trains people to be more mindful of these thoughts and to stand back and actually watch their thoughts going through their minds instead of trying to regulate their emotions,’ oh, there I go again, calling myself an idiot.’ Or in the case of people who have recovered from depression, blaming themselves or worrying about a relapse for feeling down again.
As a reader who considers mind a wonderful machine, more powerful than any man made machine to be made or have been made, there are some basic tricks to conquer mind and place it over the matter. My interest in this subject has grown over the time and considering mindfulness as a practice of ancient times I try to adapt it as a constant part of my daily routine.
Whether it be a three minute meditation or a detailed yoga, living within my mind and seeing the world from a third eye actually gives me perspective.