Right, let’s talk about mindfulness.
I know what you’re thinking..
“Here we go, some hippie bollocks about breathing and finding your chi.”
Don’t worry, this isn’t about burning incense or sitting cross-legged on a mountain.
This is about fixing the fact that you’re walking through life like a zombie, wondering why you’re stressed, anxious, and generally pissed off most of the time.
I’m a former British Army Soldier who has spent 26 years lifting weights, and I’ve seen more people burn out from mental exhaustion than from physical training.
Your mind needs discipline just like your body does.
And the truth is this..
You’re not actually living most of your life.
Let me show you why…
The 47% Problem
In 2010, Harvard psychologists ran a study on 2,250 people.
They pinged them randomly throughout the day and asked three simple questions…
What are you doing?
Where’s your mind focused?
How happy are you right now?
The result?
47% of the time, people weren’t paying attention to what they were actually doing.
Think about that.
You’re functionally absent for half your life.
And what’s even worse is that a wandering mind isn’t just distracted…
It’s miserable.
When people thought about neutral or unhappy things, they were 67% less happy.
And even when thinking about PLEASANT things, they weren’t any happier than when they were fully present.
Translation: Your brain is lying to you.
It thinks daydreaming about holidays or replaying arguments will make you feel better.
It doesn’t.
Being present does!
What the Hell Is Mindfulness Anyway?
Strip away the Instagram wellness bullshit and here’s what mindfulness actually is:
Paying attention to what’s happening RIGHT NOW without losing your shit about it.
That’s it.
Not judging your thoughts.
Not spiralling into anxiety about tomorrow.
Not replaying that embarrassing thing you said in 2003.
Just being here, in this moment, aware of what you’re thinking and feeling, without treating every thought like gospel truth.
As Eckhart Tolle put it..
“Much suffering, much unhappiness arises when you take each thought that comes into your head for the truth.”
Your thoughts are just thoughts.
They’re not commands.
You don’t have to obey them.
How to Actually Start (Without the Woo-Woo)
Forget sitting in lotus position for an hour, chanting mantras.
Start with a body scan.
Five minutes. That’s it!
Here’s how it works…
Lie down somewhere you won’t be disturbed
Start at your toes
Focus on each part of your body, one at a time, moving upward
Take a few deep breaths at each spot
Notice any tension and let it go
Work your way up to the top of your head
Time investment: 5 minutes
Equipment needed: Your body and a floor
Excuses accepted: Zero
I’ve attached a 5-minute body scan at the bottom of this post.
Use it!
Don’t just read about it and move on like you do with everything else!
The 5 Reasons You Need This (Even If You Think You Don’t)
#1 - It Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Let’s get this straight first: stress and anxiety aren’t the same thing.
Stress: Your natural response to life’s demands and pressures.
Deadlines, bills, that meeting with your boss.
Anxiety: Intense, excessive worry about everyday situations that spirals out of control.
Mindfulness helps with both because it teaches you to notice your thoughts without immediately believing them or acting on them.
Here’s the thing: Most of your anxiety comes from treating every thought like it’s a fact. “
I’m going to fail.”
“Everyone thinks I’m shit.”
“This will go wrong.”
Bollocks! Those are just thoughts.
Mindfulness helps you see them for what they are..
Mental chatter, not reality.
#2 - It Improves Focus and Concentration
Your brain is like a badly-trained dog, constantly running off, chasing squirrels, sniffing other dogs’ arses.
That’s your “monkey mind”
The endless stream of thoughts, distractions, and mental noise makes it impossible to concentrate on anything for more than 47 seconds.
Mindfulness quiets that down.
When you’re actually present, you’re not thinking about the past
(which you can’t change)
or the future
(which hasn’t happened).
You’re focused on NOW, which is the only place you can actually DO anything.
The difference?
You stop scrolling through life and start actually living it.
#3 - It Increases Self-Awareness
Two things people don’t do enough of…
Writing shit down
Being aware of their thoughts and feelings
Most people are walking around completely disconnected from what’s actually going on in their heads.
Then they wonder why they’re making the same stupid decisions over and over.
Mindfulness forces you to check in with yourself.
To notice patterns.
To catch yourself before you fuck things up.
This is especially crucial if you’re trying to make changes in your life
(which is all of us, let’s be honest).
You can’t change what you’re not aware of.
#4 - It Promotes Emotional Well-Being
Ever sent a scathing text or email when you were angry, then immediately regretted it?
That’s because there was no gap between what happened and your response.
You went straight from trigger to reaction without thinking.
Mindfulness teaches you to “find the gap”
That space of time between something happening and you responding to it.
When you’re mindful, you’re less likely to get swept up in negative emotions like anger, frustration, or sadness.
You still FEEL them, but you don’t let them drive the bus.
The Result?
You handle challenging situations with actual calm and clarity instead of making everything worse by overreacting.
#5 - It Enhances Physical Health
Here’s something they don’t tell you…
Chronic stress is absolutely fucking you up!
High cortisol (your stress hormone) does this lovely stuff:
Increases appetite and cravings (hello, spare tyre)
Suppresses immune function (enjoy those constant colds)
Promotes fat storage around your midsection
Makes you more vulnerable to illness
Mindfulness reduces cortisol production.
Lower stress = lower cortisol = better physical health.
Translation: Getting your mental shit together literally makes you healthier, leaner, and more resistant to illness.
Not bad for 5 minutes a day!
Look, your mind is wandering around like a clapped-out banger with no steering
47% of the time you’re not even present in your own life.
That’s not normal.
That’s not healthy.
And it’s making you miserable!
Mindfulness isn’t some mystical practice for enlightened monks.
It’s a practical mental discipline that stops you from sleepwalking through life while your brain runs wild.
Five minutes a day.
That’s all I’m asking.
Notice your thoughts without drowning in them.
Create that gap between reaction and response.
Your body needs training.
So does your mind.
Now get your arse on the floor and do that body scan!
See you next week.