What is mindfulness? Simple tips to start practicing it

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present: aware of your surroundings, thoughts, feelings, and sensations in the moment. Practicing mindfulness can help you to experience life with greater clarity and appreciation while reducing stress and emotional overwhelm. 

Mindfulness techniques can be especially helpful for people with persistent pain. Mindfulness exercises can reduce muscle tension and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and other inflammatory chemicals. Mindful activities that promote relaxation help your nervous system feel safe and protected, which can help tamp down your body’s response to pain.

This guide from Hinge Health explores the benefits of mindfulness, different techniques you can try, and how to integrate mindfulness into your daily life.

The benefits of mindfulness

A consistent mindfulness practice can enhance your mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Research shows that mindfulness can help:

• Reduce chronic pain. Mindfulness practices like meditation are proven to be effective in helping to manage ongoing muscle and joint pain. 

• Reduce stress, anxiety, and depression by promoting a greater sense of calm and emotional balance.

• Improve focus and cognitive function, making it easier to concentrate and make decisions.

• Enhance emotional resilience so you can respond to challenges with greater flexibility and patience.

• Support better sleep and relaxation, reducing nighttime restlessness and promoting deeper rest.

How to practice mindfulness in daily life

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to mindfulness. Mindfulness doesn't require doing hours of meditating. It doesn't mean your mind is completely at peace and free of stressful or anxious thoughts. There are lots of ways to practice being more mindful, which start with being more deliberate in paying attention to your surroundings.

• Engage your senses. Notice what’s happening around you — what do you see, hear, smell, and feel? Paying attention to sensory details can help ground you in the present moment.

• Practice mindful breathing. Take slow, deep breaths, focusing on each inhale and exhale. This simple technique can instantly help you feel more centered and calm.

• Acknowledge thoughts and emotions without judgment. Instead of resisting distractions, simply observe them as they arise and let them pass without attaching meaning or frustration. You might think of each thought as a cloud moving through the sky or a leaf floating on a river, gradually drifting away.

• Incorporate mindfulness into everyday activities. Whether you’re eating, walking, or doing chores, bring full awareness to the experience rather than rushing through it on autopilot. For example, when washing dishes, focus on the sensation of warm water on your hands, the texture of the soap bubbles, and the rhythmic motion of scrubbing. Engaging your senses more fully can help you feel more present and reduce stress.

• Use gratitude to cultivate awareness. Take a moment to reflect on something you appreciate, big or small. Gratitude enhances mindfulness by shifting focus to the present moment in a positive way. For example, while drinking your morning coffee, you might pause to appreciate its warmth, comforting aroma, and the effort it took to grow, harvest, and brew. During a walk, take a moment to appreciate your ability to move, the fresh air, or the beauty of nature around you.

How to meditate: a simple guide

While mindfulness can be practiced in many ways, meditation is a structured method that deepens mindfulness. You can find meditation exercises in many apps or videos online. Hinge Health provides breathing and meditation exercises in our app designed to help relieve stress, improve mood, and ease persistent pain. 

One effective meditation technique is the body scan, which systematically directs attention throughout your body to enhance awareness and relaxation.

How to do a body scan meditation

1. Find a quiet, comfortable position. Sit or lie down in a relaxed posture.

2. Begin at the top of your head. Bring awareness to the surface of your skin and any sensations present.

3. Move your focus downward. Notice the sensations in your face, neck, shoulders, arms, chest, back, and eventually down to your legs and toes.

4. Observe all sensations without reaction. You may feel warmth, tingling, pressure, or even discomfort. Instead of judging them as good or bad, simply acknowledge and accept what you feel.

5. Gently refocus if your mind wanders. It’s natural for thoughts to arise. Each time you notice your mind drifting, calmly return your attention to the body scan.

Start experimenting with mindfulness 

Mindfulness is not about achieving a particular state but rather developing a habit of awareness, curiosity, and presence. There’s no right or wrong way to practice — it’s about finding what works best for you. 

By approaching mindfulness with patience and an open mind, you can use it as a tool to ease stress, find calm, and retrain your pain system to be less sensitive.

How Hinge Health can help you

If you have joint or muscle pain that makes it hard to move, you can get the relief you’ve been looking for with Hinge Health’s online exercise therapy program.

The best part: You don’t have to leave your home because our program is digital. That means you can easily get the care you need through our app when and where it works for you.

Through our program, you’ll have access to therapeutic exercises and stretches for your condition. Additionally, you’ll have a personal care team to guide, support, and tailor our program to you.

See if you qualify for Hinge Health and confirm free coverage through your employer or benefit plan here.

This article and its contents are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or professional services specific to you or your medical condition.

References 

1. Donald, J. N., Atkins, P. W., Parker, P. D., Christie, A. M., & Ryan, R. M. (2016). Daily stress and the benefits of mindfulness: Examining the daily and longitudinal relations between present-moment awareness and stress responses. Journal of Research in Personality, 65, 30-37. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2016.09.002

2. Sevinc, G., Rusche, J., Wong, B., Datta, T., Kaufman, R., Gutz, S. E., Schneider, M., Todorova, N., Gaser, C., Thomalla, G., Rentz, D., Dickerson, B. D., & Lazar, S. W. (2021). Mindfulness Training Improves Cognition and Strengthens Intrinsic Connectivity Between the Hippocampus and Posteromedial Cortex in Healthy Older Adults. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 13. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2021.702796

3. Nila, K., Holt, D. V., Ditzen, B., & Aguilar-Raab, C. (2016). Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) enhances distress tolerance and resilience through changes in mindfulness. Mental Health & Prevention, 4(1), 36–41. doi:10.1016/j.mhp.2016.01.001

4. Black, D. S., O’Reilly, G. A., Olmstead, R., Breen, E. C., & Irwin, M. R. (2015). Mindfulness Meditation and Improvement in Sleep Quality and Daytime Impairment Among Older Adults With Sleep Disturbances. JAMA Internal Medicine, 175(4), 494. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.8081

5. Cherkin, D. C., Sherman, K. J., Balderson, B. H., Cook, A. J., Anderson, M. L., Hawkes, R. J., ... & Turner, J. A. (2016). Effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction vs cognitive behavioral therapy or usual care on back pain and functional limitations in adults with chronic low back pain: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA, 315(12), 1240-1249. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.2323

6. Zoffness, R. (2020). The pain management workbook : powerful CBT and mindfulness skills to take control of pain and reclaim your life. New Harbinger Publications.