Mindfulness

Patient Information Leaflet

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is an ancient Eastern concept which may help people to cope better in their daily lives.

It promotes living in the present moment, being aware of your senses, being more effective in your behaviour, accepting situations better and remaining calm in order to make good choices.

How does the group work?

This is a six week course, virtual or face to face.

Group sessions are on Thursday mornings, 11.30am until 12.30pm.

To get maximum benefit from the group, it’s important for you to get involved and work towards any agreed plan and goals set.

What are the group’s aims and expectations?

• To gain more awareness and knowledge of mindfulness as a ‘state of mind’.

• To understand the various aspects of mindfulness and how they may be used in everyday life.
• To utilise mindfulness techniques in order to be more aware of the present moment and to cope better at difficult times.

Mindfulness-based approaches                                              

Mindfulness-based approaches help people develop skills which can help with the challenges of daily life and physical and psychological health problems. They are not related to being religious, or to any religion.

The two main approaches are:

• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). This has been used for over 25 years, helping people with a wide range of physical and mental health problems.
• Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), which is based on MBSR.

Who is Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for?

The aim of MBCT is to reduce relapse for people who keep experiencing depression. The pattern of thinking which makes people vulnerable to depressive relapse is called ‘rumination’. This is when the mind repetitively re-runs unhelpful thoughts.

What does it do?

MBCT teaches skills to help you step back from habitual “automatic” unhelpful patterns of thinking.

It does not focus on changing or controlling the content of thoughts or other experiences.

Step by step it helps you learn to view physical sensations, thoughts and feelings as events that can simply be observed and acknowledged, moment by moment.

What is involved in MBCT?

These classes involve a range of meditations to help you become more aware of the present moment, including getting in touch with moment to moment changes in the mind and body.

How could I benefit from MBCT?

MBCT can help you:

• Feel more able to deal with difficult thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations that contribute to depression.
• Become more able to notice and allow distressing moods, thoughts and sensations to come and go, without having to battle with them.
• Make helpful choices about how you look after yourself.
• Feel calmer when facing life’s challenges.

If you have any questions, or if there is anything you do not understand, please contact the Russells Hall Hospital switchboard number on 01384 456111 and ask for the relevant department who issued this leaflet.

If you have any feedback on this patient information leaflet please email dgft.patient.information@nhs.net

This leaflet can be made available in large print, audio version and in other languages, please call 0800 073 0510.

Originator: Ruth Carter. Date originated: March 2019. Date reviewed: October 2024. Next review due: October 2027. Version: 4.   DGH ref: DGH/PIL/02043.