A while ago, the celebrated mystery novel writer, Agatha Christie , confessed that her best books were planned while doing the dishes. Her i...
Now that makes sense. According to a study from the University of Florida, washing dishes thoroughly, thinking about what you are doing, can relieve stress significantly.
Adam Hanley, one of the authors, explained that his motivation for conducting this study was his interest in mindfulness or 'mindfulness'. Thus, he decided to investigate how a daily activity such as washing dishes can raise our consciousness and promote general well-being.
The study
The researchers studied a group of 51 students and divided them into two groups. The members of the first group washed the dishes thoroughly, concentrating on the warm water on their hands, the smell of soap, the sensation of lather. His concentration was focused the entire time on this task.
This group experienced a decrease in nervousness by 27 percent, an increase in inspiration by 25 percent, and an increase in mental capacity. While the other group, who did not wash the dishes thoroughly, did not experience any positive change.
The positive effects of washing dishes
According to experts, washing dishes thoroughly, thinking about what you are doing, provides these benefits:
Increased awareness of the state
Inspiration surge
Reduction of nervousness and stress
The decrease in the overestimation of washing time (which allows us not to continue complaining about the time this task takes us)
What is mindfulness
Mindfulness is a practice where the person pays full attention to what they are doing, without thinking about anything other than what they are doing. It is about paying attention consciously to the activities we are doing, without thinking about the negative of the situation and accepting everything that the task implies.
This practice can be adopted by anyone and does not depend on any religious dogma. It is about an awakening of consciousness, to achieve a positive change that elevates the being and provides us with general well-being.
Because it's trendy?
You may have heard the term often. The truth is that practicing mindfulness in everyday life is necessary for the busy society in which we live. It urges us to live in the here and now, to be fully and specifically aware of what we do and who we are.
We may see it as a fashion, but the power of this practice is undeniable and allows us to capture the essence of the moment, and relate in a positive way with what we are living.
Mindfulness and health
According to the Mindfulness and Health Society, it was Jon Kabat-Zinn, a world leader in this practice, who introduced this idea to Western medicine, created some stress reduction programs based on mindfulness, or mindfulness.
The reference assures that applying mindfulness together with traditional medicine can help treat physical and psychological problems, chronic pain, and other symptoms associated with stress.
Is meditating the same as practicing mindfulness?
For many people, the word mindfulness refers to meditation. However, although at first glance according to the description they seem like two words for the same practice, it is not the same.
The Mexican Institute of Mindfulness explains that you can practice mindfulness or mindfulness in everyday life without necessarily meditating. That is, meditation is a technique that encompasses many different practices, while mindfulness focuses only on mindfulness, in the here and now.
How, when, and where to practice it
This technique is valued in today's society as it promises to restore tranquility and appreciation of the little things in life. It allows us an internal balance that is difficult to achieve and allows us a clearer perception of the here and now.
According to Bernard Regader, an educational psychologist who graduated from the University of Barcelona, to start practicing mindfulness, you must choose a specific time of day, where there is no noise or interference. You can choose a comfortable place in your home, such as the dining room, the garden, or just an outdoor park.
For the expert, the technique consists of sitting in a comfortable position, straight, without feeling any type of tension in the body. Then we must concentrate on the breath, listening to its sound, imagining how the blood flows through our veins, and thinking only about that moment.
Putting the mind "blank" will help us feel our being, balance our body, and calm the spirit.
Benefits for the body and soul
Manage stress and anxiety
Regulates sleep, decreasing insomnia
Improves concentration
Stimulates creativity and inspiration
Increase emotional intelligence
Improve performance
Improve interpersonal relationships
Integrate mindfulness into your everyday life
Almost without realizing it, many times you will be putting your mindfulness into practice when you are carrying out some daily tasks. Have you ever thought about how much you concentrate when you are fixing that toy of your child or how distracting you are when you read your favorite book?
There are certain activities in your day to day in which you focus so much that you lose the notion of the outside world. Many of them make you forget your problems, and many others simply make you remember how beautiful life is.
Integrating mindfulness into your daily life is easy. You can do it when you are doing duties such as washing, sweeping, cooking, preparing your child's clothes, watering the plants, put all your attention on it. When other types of thoughts come, direct them back to the activity you are doing. You will be practicing mindfulness.
Mindfulness invites us to enjoy life in its maximum splendor. To value who we are, to celebrate every fiber of our being, and to learn to live with what we have and who we are. Bringing consciousness to a full state of attention is easy if you put your mind to it. You will soon see the benefits for your mind and body.
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