Mindfully Improving Our Health & Creating a Culture of Wellness

     “Mindfulness practices can be an important tool in addressing our public health problems. Mindfulness training can enhance other nationwide health promotion efforts by helping people become more self-aware, more resilient to stress, and more responsible about their lifestyle choices. One of the great advantages of mindfulness training is that it assists people in making those lifestyle changes we all know we should make. It is one thing to know that smoking or obesity very often lead to disease, but another thing to have the capacity for behavioral change. Mindfulness-based practices can help us to cope with psychological stress and support us while we make the lifestyle changes we know will help us to become healthier. Creating a ‘culture of wellness’ entails promoting a culture of self-responsibility, which requires a society composed of individuals cultivating self-awareness. 

     As researchers have repeatedly noted, by increasing awareness in the present moment, we can interrupt existing patterns of behavior and make wiser choices. In essence, practicing mindfulness skills throughout the day leads to the possibility of a different relationship to any situation. With mindfulness, one moves from being distracted and inattentive, or stuck on ‘autopilot,’ to being present and aware in every moment. In this way, mindfulness training can help individuals make and sustain the lifestyle changes that lead to improved health. The regular practice of mindfulness meditation can also help our bodies to become more ‘stress hardy,’ less likely to succumb to the wear and tear of chronic psychological stress. As the evidence mounts that the mind exerts a real and demonstrable influence on the central nervous system, the endocrine system, and the immune system, policy makers are called upon to explore the ways in which training the mind can prevent disease and promote health of populations. What the scientific studies suggest is that we have, within us, the key to better health. Mindfulness practices unlock this potential and greatly increase the odds of avoiding debilitating and costly disease, while simultaneously improving quality of life, enhancing mood, and promoting general well-being. 

     Applying what we know about the potential for mindfulness-based interventions to prevent disease, promote health, treat chronic conditions, and improve the quality of care, may well turn out to be a cornerstone of a more humane, equitable, and effective approach to health and healthcare that can actually reduce costs in a meaningful way. Leveraging the body’s innate capacity to heal itself may be the key to creating a sustainable healthcare system for the 21st century.”

       McCabe Ruf, K, Mackenzie ER. The role of mindfulness in healthcare reform: a policy paper. Explore (NY) 2009; 5(6): 313-23.

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