Mindfulness

Mindfulness, as the term is used in behavioral therapy, simply means paying close attention to something you are currently experiencing.

This could be something external to you, such as all the sounds now available to your ears, or to something internally present to you, such as the sensation of your breath. Behavioral therapy uses mindfulness to help people get unstuck from negative thoughts (defusion) and to help emotions run their course (habituation).

The full definition of mindfulness often cited is: “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally” (p. 4). Kabat-Zinn, J. 1994. Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life. New York: Hyperion.