Why Should You Read A Mindfulness Book

As humans look for ways to combat stress and live their lives with more peace of mind, mindfulness has emerged as a potential option for self-care and comfort. Mindfulness can improve productivity and lower stress levels, allowing people to enhance their well-being by taking a few minutes out of their day to engage in this practice. Likewise, reading can improve concentration, reduce stress, and stimulate the brain. Reading a mindfulness book has the potential to give you double the benefits for your physical and mental health. 

What is mindfulness?

As a concept, mindfulness is quite abstract. People differ in what they consider mindful practice, but the key basis is that your mind is fully focused on what is happening in the now. We're often guilty of being semi-focused and having other things going on mentally even when we're supposed to be focused on whatever we're doing. Our minds wander, and we can start getting more bogged down in our thoughts and less focused on what we're doing, which can eventually lead to anxiety when the task isn't being completed properly or our thoughts become overbearing.

Mindfulness means nothing more or less than being present and aware. It is not a reactive state or one that requires thought. Rather, it is merely an ability to focus your thoughts and not become overwhelmed.

Why read a mindfulness book?

Unlike articles on the internet, books tend to go much more in-depth into their analysis and methods. This means that rather than a skimmed article that only gives you pointers, you're more likely to get all the information you need to practice mindfulness successfully by reading a book about it. It may be easier to understand and follow mindfulness practices when you can move at a slower, more detailed pace. 

Books are also more likely to be written by professionals or those who have enough experience to teach mindfulness. Try to research your books beforehand to ensure that the book is going to be readable and in a style that you can understand. This can be particularly important when reading independently published books that have not gone through a thorough editing or research process. 

Another reason you might consider a book is that you'll have to commit to paying for it. Paying for a physical item may make you more likely to use it because you've already invested something (money) into it, so you're more likely to also invest the time. If you're working with a therapist, they may have even written a book of their own which they can suggest.

These are some of the top books on mindfulness that you may want to check out:

• “The Miracle of Mindfulness” by Thich Nhat Hanh
• “Self-Compassion” by Kristin Neff, Ph.D.
• “Mind-Body Medicine” by Daniel Goleman

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT)

Another reason you might read a mindfulness book is to help understand and determine the degree of the issues you are experiencing. All of us experience sadness for a brief time at some point in our lives, but some people struggle with mental health conditions like depression. Reading a book may give you more insight into the state of your mental health. Since books are more detailed, you can explore whether you may have symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, or something else entirely. 

While depression is common and can become a chronic issue, it is treatable.

MBCT helps patients connect with their moods and mental processes through meditation and mindfulness so that they can change their mindset and fight their depression. Unlike the natural tendency to try and bury these thoughts or ignore them, it requires patients to approach them head-on, similar to CBT therapies. MBCT can also work for those with traumatic brain injuries, addiction, and anxiety disorders.

If you are struggling with substance use, contact the SAMHSA National Helpline at (800) 662-4357 to receive support and resources. Support is available 24/7.

While there is no formal training for MBCT, UCSD does have a certification for mental health professionals at their Center for Mindfulness - so check credentials first before making an appointment if you're specifically looking for MBCT. Jon Kabat-Zinn developed the original mindfulness program specifically for stress reduction, but it has since been extended and connected with depression. The theories behind its development are still being expanded.

How does mindfulness help?

Eventually, with practice, mindfulness can become something you do naturally even when you're doing mundane tasks like walking or sitting. It acts as short pauses within your life that can be quite meditative even if you're not a natural meditator. The idea is that when you practice being mindful, you'll feel less stressed, more insightful, and more attentive to things around you. When you meditate, you don't focus on what the outcome is, you focus on the present and try and hone your awareness by observing what goes on in your mind.

Less stress

Stress is one of the biggest problems we encounter in our everyday lives, and it’s known to cause a variety of physical and mental health issues. A study on MBSR shows that mindfulness can make a huge difference in tackling stress and many practitioners and studies have corroborated this. It creates new pathways in the brain so that our brains react differently to everyday stressors and treat them less as a "fight or flight" situation.

Stronger brain function

People who practice mindfulness tend to have more focus and are clearer thinkers. This has also been studied in aging brains, and the results show that people who are mindful as they age see less age-related degeneration. There have also been several studies linking mindfulness with improved depression symptoms and better mental health status.

Improved immune function

While it might seem a stretch to connect the two, studies have shown that people who practice mindfulness are not only overall healthier but are also more equipped to handle diseases like the common cold. Studies on patients with more difficult diseases like cancer have also shown improvements in morale and less pain than others receiving similar treatments.

Improved work/academic performance

The way memory works is by creating a pathway and then using it over and over until it becomes familiar. However, when your brain is overwhelmed or overtaxed, it can struggle to do this. Poor memory often means poor performance, so by using mindfulness to improve memory and focus, your performance may also improve. This has been studied with children and those at the college and professional levels. You're also less likely to experience burnout, and as an employer, you might see fewer employees quitting due to work-related stress.

Effective methods to learn mindfulness

One of the most productive ways to learn mindfulness is by simply trying. Every attempt you make at practicing mindfulness makes it more likely that you'll be able to continue doing it and be successful. Engaging in mindfulness regularly can make it more likely that you’ll adopt it as part of your regular life. 

It's not uncommon to struggle when trying to learn mindfulness. The reason for this could be any number of things - your ability to focus may be so dire that it isn't soaking in, your method of learning isn't right for you, or you may have read unhelpful material. Directly interacting with someone familiar with mindfulness may be most beneficial to your learning process. 

Online counseling with BetterHelp

Mindfulness books can be a useful tool in overcoming mental health concerns; however, they are not a replacement for therapy. If you’d like more information about mindfulness, or you can’t find relief from your symptoms through your own means, it can be vital to seek support. BetterHelp is an online therapy platform that can connect you with a therapist from the comfort of your home. Working with an online therapist, you can develop new tools to stay present and enjoy a healthier lifestyle. Whether you choose to connect through video chats, phone calls, or in-app messaging, the choice is yours. 

The efficacy of online counseling 

Online counseling, including online mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), can be effective in reducing symptoms of a variety of mental health concerns. One study found that MBIs can successfully reduce depression and anxiety and improve quality of life. Further, researchers found that they are “beneficial for improving mental health outcomes in a broad range of populations.”