Mindfulness Training And The Importance Of Mindset

Is “mindfulness” just another of those fashionable buzzwords that is overrated and overused as part of some passing fad?

The answer, of course, depends a lot on how it’s used and who’s using it. Like a lot of buzzwords, it can range from the practically empty and meaningless to a highly useful concept we can use to shape our actions for the better.

That points us in the direction of the acid test for mindfulness – does it actually work? Certainly, the people at Mindfulness UK insist that not only do they know that it works but can also prove that it can make a big difference in the way people think and behave.

So, let’s ask the question in the specific context of prepping – what’s the importance of mindfulness training and how does that relate to the successful prepper’s mindset?

Mindfulness and mindset – why improve?

Approach prepping with the right frame of mind, and you’ll be better prepared for anything that happens.

But mindfulness takes more than just adopting a different frame of mind – the natural mindfulness qualities we happen to be born with need to be practised to develop them. Mindfulness has to be practised more or less constantly to keep it fully awake, alert, and alive to the countless possibilities that any situation can bring.

That’s all very well, but what exactly does that practice involve? How do you go about improving your mindfulness and general mindset?

How to improve your mindset

When you’re thinking about mindfulness, it helps to remember that it’s an all-embracing state of affairs – probably best summed up as “a way of being”. If that also sounds like a faddish and fancy way of saying that you need to be aware of what’s happening around you, think about it, instead, of concentrating on all those details that you might have been missing.

When you’re mindful of something, you’re not only concentrating harder on the experience but you’re fully in the moment and actively involved in it.

The Association for Psychological Therapies (APT) uses the example of something as otherwise simple as eating a meal. Instead of approaching any meal as just grabbing a bite to eat, they suggest, try savouring each and every mouthful, concentrating on how it looks and smells before you put it in your mouth, and then chewing slowly rather than just bolting it down.

In every situation, therefore, you might want to try approaching it as something entirely brand new – a novel experience you’ve never had before. That way, you can break it down into its separate parts. You can appreciate each step along the way – and that might stop you from jumping to immediate conclusions about what “should” come next or happen in the next breath.

Practical steps

Without getting too “new age” about it all, practising mindfulness is a bit like practising meditation, suggests the Mindful website. Some simple exercises for getting into that type of zone for your daily practice are likely to include:

• sitting comfortably;

• be conscious of your legs, how they’re positioned, and with your feet planted on the floor;

• be conscious of your arms, too, and let them hang naturally by your sides – resting your hands on your knees if that’s more comfortable;

• keep your upper body straight – but without stiffening it at all;

• be aware of every breath you’re taking – breath in and out again consciously, feeling the air fill your lungs as your chest rises and falls;

• however hard you might be trying to concentrate just on your breathing, your mind will wander – and that’s OK, just let it;

• you don’t have to close your eyes but just gaze downwards, into the middle distance, without focusing on anything in particular;

• when you’re ready to bring your meditation to a close, slowly open your eyes and become aware of any sounds or movements around you – recognize how your body is now feeling and take notice of how your thoughts may have changed.

Benefits of mindfulness in prepping

So, what was the point of all that? We mentioned earlier the proof that mindfulness and improving your mindset can have positive, practical results. Here are just a few:

Focus

• meditation, mindfulness, and a sharper mindset – these are all functions of a more focussed mind and state of readiness;

• that focus is clearly essential if you’re up against a challenging situation in the aftermath of some manmade or natural disaster – your ability to focus could prove the difference between survival or otherwise;

• single-minded focus cuts out the “brain chatter” that never seems to leave you alone and can be more than a real hindrance when you’re in a tight spot and need to stay calm, collected, and focussed;

Reduced stress

• unless you can control and conquer your stress, you’re only likely to make matters worse in an emergency situation when cool heads and focussed minds are the order of the day;

• mindfulness, together with a trained and practised mindset, will help to reduce the stress;

• the benefits of reduced stress are evident in lowered blood pressure, enhanced blood flow, efficient breathing, and even better physical posture;

Communication

• the mindful individual is almost always the better communicator – another quality you’ll want to find in the prepped leader facing the challenges of an emergency situation;

• mindfulness teaches us not just to communicate but also to listen – it’s the way you’ll get to respond rather than react, after allowing others to share their views and insights, instead of cutting them off and potentially missing out completely on the valuable contributions that others had to make;

Know your pain

• mindfulness can help you develop a mindset that tolerates and manages the pain you feel;

• pain is an inescapable component of life – and one that you’re likely to feel even more acutely when you are battling the unfamiliar challenges of crisis situations for which you’ve been prepping these last few years or so;

• your pain is neither a friend nor foe – it is simply there as yet another part of your makeup;

• knowing your pain and learning how to manage and control it, therefore, will prove a valuable prepping tool and one that will have been developed through your regular mindfulness training routines.

Summary

Mindfulness training and the mindset it develops are likely to prove valuable tools for any prepper.

Knowing your own mind – developing its strengths and overcoming its weaknesses – will prepare you better for whatever events are thrown at you. It is the mental strength needed by any serious prepper.

Finally, Amazon have a number of books on prepping and mindfulness that you may find useful.