Mindfulness helps focus the mind on the present moment and incorporates mental health activities that include meditation, breathing and yoga, allowing the person practising mindfulness to be more aware of their own thoughts and feelings. Unlike some forms of meditation, it doesn’t aim to ‘empty’ the mind, but focuses on the present moment, instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. It can be an effective and very helpful tool for improving wellbeing and mental health. It can be particularly useful for mental health first aiders and people whose job involves supporting others with mental health problems.

The Mental Health Foundation have produced the Look after your mental health using mindfulness booklet that can be downloaded for free via a link on their website. It considers wellbeing, discusses what the term mindfulness means, explains how wellbeing and mindfulness relate and provides information on how mindfulness has been incorporated into a number of leading mental health therapies. It details different activities including walking and discusses the mindfulness practice of listening to sounds around you and feeling the ground below your feet.

The booklet also includes information on donating to the Mental Health Foundation and opting in to receiving details about the latest news and campaigns organised by the charity. 

You might also be interested in:

• Adult Learning and Wellbeing Seminar at the Belfast Festival of Learning (blog) - covering the organisations that took part at the seminar, different reports and studies that relate and speakers' views on adult education and the positive impact it can have on mental health and wellbeing 
• EPALE UK Star Supporter Competition! Health, wellbeing and adult learning (blog) - take part in the EPALE UK competition by submitting a blog post focusing on health, wellbeing and adult learning and you could win £100 in vouchers!
• Research project examines creative practice, mutuality and mental health (blog) - focusing on a five year research programme that examines mutuality, mental heatlh recovery and wellbeing in relation to a range of arts and humanities practices and people involved in creative arts provision
• Mutuality, wellbeing and Mental Health Recovery: Exploring the roles of creative arts adult community learning and participatory arts initiatives (resource) - the 2016 study that relates to the blog post above