Advice
Mindfulness: Can It Help?
2026-10-30 10:27:02
Hearing the news that someone you love is seriously ill can turn everything in your world upside down and bring feelings of uncertainty and stress; it can be really overwhelming, and impact you mentally, physically and emotionally – you might feel a wide range of emotions that seem to change from one moment to the next, from feeling angry, sad and frightened, to numb or even completely fine! Woohoo!
It can be confusing, and you might struggle to make sense of your thoughts or feelings during this challenging time. Our bodies deal with stress in different ways, and sometimes you might find yourself feeling fatigued or poorly, and you might start experiencing physical signs of anxiety.
So, what can you do to help yourself if you are going through a very tough time? Have you ever heard of mindfulness? People talk about it and it is often recommended, especially in times where we are struggling, but what actually is it, and can it really help us through the toughest times in our lives?
What actually is mindfulness?
Mindfulness means being fully present in the moment and is described as the practice of “intentionally focusing on our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, without judgment or reaction”. It doesn’t mean pretending that everything is fine or ignoring or burying difficult thoughts or feelings, it means taking time to pause and notice what is going on inside you and around you. This can help you to respond, rather than react, to difficult and overwhelming emotions.
Medical organisations often recognise mindfulness as a powerful tool to help families cope with the challenges of caregiving and anticipatory grief; they say that during periods of intense stress, it can serve as an anchor to the present moment, and some techniques can help identify basic needs and prevent emotional escalation – we’ve often recommended mindfulness as a useful coping strategy when young people are feeling stressed, or struggling to cope with everything that’s happening at home.
What are the main benefits of mindfulness?
There are a number of benefits to practising mindfulness, such as:
- It can decrease our stress levels and helps us regulate our emotions
- It can improve our concentration and mental clarity
- It can positively affect our physical health
Whist we’re not saying it’s a miracle cure and it isn’t going to suit everyone, but the NHS have even said that studies show mindfulness can help with stress, anxiety and depression!
So, what are some of the best mindful practices to try?
If you do an image search for mindfulness, you’ll probably see lots of pictures of yoga and meditation poses that some of us less flexible people might struggle with, to say the least. Whilst yoga and medication can be brilliant ways of practising mindfulness, there are are lots of other methods too that are worth exploring to see what works for you:
- Mindful breathing
- Body scan meditation
- Mindful walking
- Mindful observation
- Journalling and mood tracking
- Gratitude and visualization
Another helpful tool is the H.A.L.T technique; this is a useful self-check method and stands for Hunger, Anger, Loneliness and Tiredness. When you notice that you are upset, overwhelmed or about to make a big decision, this technique tells you to pause for and second and ask yourself: “Am I hungry, angry, lonely or tired?”.
It is used to manage emotions and prevent escalation, and also help prevent people making decisions or choosing how to respond to something when they are in a state (like feeling hangry – yes, we see you!) which could negatively impact them.
Is it actually useful?
Mindfulness cannot fix your problems or make your worries go away, but it can offer a way to check in with yourself to see what you might need at any given moment. It’s not about handling everything perfectly or being positive all the time, but about taking care of yourself and helping you to cope with whatever is going on. It can provide a steady moment in a chaotic time and help bring spiralling thoughts or feelings back to the present moment so that you gain some control, by understanding what you may need.
It might just be worth giving it a go!
