I have practiced mindfulness for more than 20 years. Over time, I became increasingly interested in the relationship between awareness, cognition, and emotional suffering. Eventually, this interest contributed to a major career change: I went from working as a metrology engineer at a particle accelerator to becoming a psychotherapist. What follows is influenced both by personal experience and by concepts found across psychology and psychotherapy research.
What Is Mindfulness?
The word mindfulness has been used in many different ways in Western culture, sometimes making it feel vague, commercialized, or disconnected from its historical roots. While I have spent considerable time studying the literature, my understanding of mindfulness is mainly shaped by years of personal practice and reflection. I tend to think of mindfulness as a way of observing the mind that may reduce automatic patterns of reaction. Much of the literature that influenced me emphasized personal investigation guided by direct experience, and I believe my own practice developed in that spirit.
Nevertheless, it is helpful to begin with definitions. One influential definition comes from Jon Kabat-Zinn, a professor emeritus of medicine who helped bring mindfulness into medical and psychological settings. He defined mindfulness as:
“Paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”
I think this definition remains useful because each part points toward something important:
- “On purpose” highlights intentionality rather than automaticity.
- “In the present moment” points toward noticing what is happening now instead of becoming fully absorbed in imagined futures or past experiences.
- “Non-judgmentally” may involve observing thoughts and emotions with a little less immediate commentary, creating more space before reacting automatically.
Mindfulness and Psychological Wellbeing
Many of us spend enormous amounts of energy trying to control external circumstances in order to feel psychologically safe: future outcomes, uncertainty, relationships, mistakes, or other people’s reactions. While some degree of control is necessary, there are times when the pursuit of certainty becomes exhausting and counterproductive. This does not mean external circumstances are unimportant, but rather that psychological suffering is often influenced both by situations themselves and by how the mind relates to them.
How Mindfulness Changes Our Relationship With Thoughts
Mindfulness may involve gradually shifting some attention inward as well:
- noticing how the mind interprets situations,
- how fear shapes perception,
- how quickly thoughts become believable,
- and how easily we can become identified with our thoughts (fused).
For example, there can be an important difference between:
“I am failing”
and:
“I notice my mind is producing the thought that I am failing.”
The first statement can feel absolute. The second may create a little more space for reflection and flexibility. In psychology, this is sometimes referred to as cognitive defusion: recognizing thoughts as mental events rather than automatically treating them as objective truths.
In my experience, increasing awareness of our internal processes can gradually create more flexibility and more options in how we respond. Such awareness does not necessarily remove pain or uncertainty, but it may reduce the degree to which we become fully entangled with them.
At the same time, I think it is important to avoid rigid formulas. We all have different histories, temperaments, coping strategies, environments, and genetic predispositions. What works well for one person may not work for another. This is one reason why, in my work as a psychotherapist, I try to offer an individualized approach that fits each person’s specific needs. Books and blog posts can offer useful frameworks, but they are often limited.
Another important element is dedication. If we are trying to make meaningful changes in our lives, expecting the process to be easy may be unrealistic. I like to think of these practices as simple, but not easy.
Bringing Mindfulness Into Daily Life
For many people, mindfulness may become more meaningful when it extends beyond formal practice and begins influencing daily life. While I think formal practices such as mindfulness of breathing or mindfulness of walking can be valuable, they are likely only the beginning. Some people may find these practices calming and relaxing, and I see nothing wrong with that; in fact, it may help support consistency. At the same time, it is important to remember that they are practices. Ultimately, most people are practicing for daily life itself.
Over time, these repeated moments of observation may help cultivate a different relationship with thoughts, emotions, and uncertainty. Mindfulness may gradually become less of an isolated technique and more of an ongoing way of relating differently to oneself and to everyday experience. In my view, one of its central functions is the enhancement of self-awareness.
Mindfulness Is Not One-Size-Fits-All
It is also important to recognize that mindfulness practices are not universally helpful in the same way for everyone. In some cases, they may initially increase discomfort or emotional intensity, particularly when practiced without adequate support or personalization. For this reason, I tend to approach these practices in a flexible and individualized way, encouraging people to explore what feels psychologically meaningful and sustainable for them personally.
To me, mindfulness is not about forcing calmness or achieving perfection. It is more about becoming less trapped inside automatic reactions and developing a different relationship with inner experience. That awareness can sometimes create more freedom in how we respond. And over time, even small shifts in awareness may become meaningful.