It is well known that mindfulness has a profound effect on the lives of people. But did you know that it might also have a deep effect on the whole world? Social problems, climate change, political issues are amongst the most important issues that we face today. Even if it is evident that we must take action to address these issues at large, we don’t seem to know what that action should be or how we should implement it.

Governments or private sectors cannot overcome this challenge if these issues are not addressed individually. It is necessary to create a social norm and promote a larger cultural shift that is environment friendly, sustainable, and easy to adopt. Here’s where mindfulness can help.

What is Mindfulness?

Bringing one’s attention to the present while being aware of the thoughts and feelings even with distractions is known as mindfulness. It is more than a moment-to-moment requirement. It is a way of being aware of ourselves, others, our surroundings and being more compassionate towards our feelings. Pushing aside our feelings or addressing them is not always the solution but rather acknowledging them in a way that is non-judgmental.

Meditation and other reflective exercises such as yoga and deep listening can help one develop mindfulness. A wide range of courses, techniques, and professions are arising and being employed around the world.

Can Mindfulness Really Change the World?

Oftentimes, “be present now” is used to describe mindfulness. Individuals have the capacity to be aware which is linked to increased emotional intelligence. In the view of neuroscientists, mindfulness can actually change the structure of our brains.

Change in Perception

Mindfulness can change people’s perception of danger, alter their environmental behavior and encourage them to support the government's efforts to combat world issues. Mindfulness has a positive impact on compassion for both people and nature as well as on the ability to comprehend the complexity of the world.

Better Cope Natural Disasters

Mindfulness can help us better cope with the effects of natural disasters and can benefit everyone involved in a tragedy. Mindfulness can help alleviate the stress of post-traumatic stress disorder. Cognitive flexibility and a reduction in habitual, automatic, or impulsive responses are two of the benefits of mindfulness.

Combat Social Unfairness

Mindfulness can also help us become more aware of social unfairness and injustice, as well as more sensitive to the circumstance in which we find ourselves. Compassion and moral ideas can be cultivated which are expressed in action for the greater benefit.

Environmental and health repercussions of global warming disproportionately affect low-income countries and impoverished individuals in wealthy nations, which necessitate the protection of these groups. Mindfulness allows individuals to look beyond themselves towards the needs of others and overcome the challenges they face on a regular basis.

Increases Self Awareness

Meditation can help individuals gain a better understanding of themselves allowing them to become a better version of themselves. They can learn a lot about themselves and their relationship with others through mindfulness meditation.

Individuals can identify beliefs that are damaging or self-destructing by mindfulness. By being more conscious of their thinking patterns they can change them to more positive ones. Multiple studies have suggested that mindfulness meditation has decreased loneliness and increased social interaction with those who do not practice mindfulness.
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Increased Attention Span

Mindfulness meditation has helped individuals avoid accidents because it increases the attention span of an individual. It improves the ability to focus and stay focused for longer periods of time. Increased focus has let students perform better in their studies and adults in their workplace. A comparable study found that individuals who meditated on a regular basis outperformed those who hadn’t in terms of visual task performance and attention span.

Reducing Addictions

Meditation can help individuals overcome addiction by enhancing their self-control and awareness of the triggers that lead to them. Meditation may also help people learn to redirect their attention, manage their emotions and impulses, and gain a better understanding of the origins of their mental and emotional problems.

Mindfulness meditation has helped individuals control their food cravings as well. A study indicated that individuals who practice mindfulness meditation experience less emotional eating and binge eating.

The practice of meditation increases one's capacity for self-awareness, which can be useful in controlling urges to act out of character, addiction recovery, good eating management, and other undesirable habits can all be aided by this.

Reduction in Violence and Crime

There are multiple types of crimes that are happening all around the world and there has been a massive need to address them at the individual level. Criminals are often diagnosed with illnesses after being caught red-handed. Mindfulness meditation has proved to improve the mental state of criminals and decrease their chances of conducting the violent activity.

A study was conducted in Washington DC in 1993 that concluded that mindfulness can reduce crime. The research demonstrated that 23.3 percent of crimes such as homicides, rapes, and assaults decreased due to mindfulness meditation. Additionally, a 2016 study also concluded a 21.2 percent decrease in homicides due to mindfulness.

Conclusion

Practicing mindfulness meditation on a regular basis will help individuals gain self-confidence as they learn to practice mindfulness. When mindfulness is difficult or impossible due to busy schedules, the key to success is to cultivate self-assurance through mindfulness meditation. Meditating regularly will improve the performance and stability in all aspects of an individual life.

In order to bring the world order, it is essential to create a safe and sustainable environment that ensures to bring a sense of security at the individual level. Whatever the situation may be, mastering the art of mindfulness takes time and patience but will surely cultivate various benefits in providing individuals the awareness they need. Stress, anxiety, and depression are the main causes of social and political imbalance and mindfulness has surely targeted them.