Mindfulness vs. Meditation: What’s the Difference?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Mindfulness?What Is Meditation?What Is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction?Daily Mindfulness Practices

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Is Mindfulness?

What Is Meditation?

What Is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction?

Daily Mindfulness Practices

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Mindfulnessandmeditationare terms that are often used interchangeably, but they’re not exactly the same. Still, both practices can be intertwined as we try to become more grounded and self-aware in our lives.

Mindfulness is the mental state in which you focus your awareness on the present. Meditation is a tool we can use to develop a regular practice of mindfulness.

Mindfulness is being present in the moment without judgment. That means you’re not dwelling on a past problem at work or projecting into the future about a family vacation you still need to buy plane tickets for.

When you’re mindful, you can acknowledge your emotions, but you’re not being critical or stressing yourself out. Being mindful also means paying attention to your breathing and the sensations in your body. You’re totally living in the “now.”

How Mindfulness Is Used in Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Psychologists often useDialectical Behavior Therapy(DBT) which incorporates mindfulness to treat patients with emotional regulation challenges and self-destructive behaviors.

The core components of the therapy involve mindfulness. Patients are guided on how to suspend judgment, manage distress and calmly focus on healthy coping skills.

According to recent research on partial hospital program stays,the use of DBT reduces patients’ problematic mental health symptoms. The study aimed to measure reduction in the symptoms as well as see how it’s tied in with mindfulness skill acquisition. Results showed that as the learning of mindfulness increased, it made a significant difference in reducing the patients’ symptoms ofdepressionand anxiety from intake to discharge.

Mindfulness vs. Meditation: What’s the Difference?

Meditation is a tool or practice employed to cultivate mindfulness. Meditation is an intentional practice that calms you down, helps you concentrate on being aware, and helps you achieve emotional balance.

It often begins with a dedicated focus ondeep breathing. Deep breathing activates thevagus nerve, which regulates digestion, heart rate as well as respiratory rate.

Mindful MomentNeed a breather? Take this free8-minute meditation focused on mindfulness—or choose from ourguided meditation libraryto find another one that will help you feel your best.

Mindful Moment

Need a breather? Take this free8-minute meditation focused on mindfulness—or choose from ourguided meditation libraryto find another one that will help you feel your best.

Types of Meditation

You are not limited to one way of meditating. You canchoose from a variety of meditationsif you are seeking to begin a practice. Here is a list ofpopular kinds of meditation:

The 21 Best Meditation Podcasts to Listen to Right Now

Jon Kabat-Zin, Professor of Medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, founded the world-renowned Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic (in 1979).

One recent study urged using mindfulness and meditation during crises like Covid 19.The study reiterated that systematic reviews of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) practices have shown improvements in the measures of people’s anxiety, depression and pain.

The brains of those who had developed a long-term meditation practice and those who completed a MBSR program even showed structural and functional changes. Offering a mindfulness and meditation practice is low-cost and can complement other treatments.

How to Be Mindful Without Meditating

You don’t have to sit in a lotus position or practice any of the various forms of meditation we mentioned in order to be mindful. If you have no interest in meditating, there are other ways to embrace mindfulness.Deepak Choprasays, “When you are consciously bringing your wandering mind back to the present moment,” you are developing mindfulness.

Whatever you’re doing at work or at home,set your intentionto doing one thing at a time. Engage fully in whatever activity it is without distractions or interruptions. So, if you’re working on an important report for your boss, don’t check your social media and then make a phone call about the office Christmas party. Engage fully in one activity as it’s happening. That’s being mindful.

Another way you can practice mindfulness is throughmindful eating. At night, we might watch a Netflix movie while we eat dinner. We’re not paying attention to the food or taking time to enjoy it. Mindful eating requires us to slow down and pay attention to our food’s textures and flavors. Then check in to see if we’re full. With mindful eating, we are aligned with the experience of eating and enjoying a good meal.

Other Easy Ways to Bring Mindfulness Into Daily Life

In our fast-paced world, it might seem difficult toincorporate mindfulnessinto your everyday life, so try these simple actions to ease your way into becoming more mindful:

You can practice mindfulness in your relationships, too. When someone you love talks to you, use these tips:

Also, if this is something new and different for you, be kind to yourself. Like anything new, it can take time to try it, be patient with yourself.

2 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Mochrie, K. D., Lothes, J., Quickel, E. J. W., St John, J., & Carter, C.From the hospital to the clinic: The impact of mindfulness on symptom reduction in a DBT partial hospital program. 2019.Journal of Clinical Psychology,75(7), 1169–1178.Behan, C.The benefits of meditation and mindfulness practices during times of crisis such as COVID-19.Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, 2020.37(4), 256–258.

2 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Mochrie, K. D., Lothes, J., Quickel, E. J. W., St John, J., & Carter, C.From the hospital to the clinic: The impact of mindfulness on symptom reduction in a DBT partial hospital program. 2019.Journal of Clinical Psychology,75(7), 1169–1178.Behan, C.The benefits of meditation and mindfulness practices during times of crisis such as COVID-19.Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, 2020.37(4), 256–258.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Mochrie, K. D., Lothes, J., Quickel, E. J. W., St John, J., & Carter, C.From the hospital to the clinic: The impact of mindfulness on symptom reduction in a DBT partial hospital program. 2019.Journal of Clinical Psychology,75(7), 1169–1178.Behan, C.The benefits of meditation and mindfulness practices during times of crisis such as COVID-19.Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, 2020.37(4), 256–258.

Mochrie, K. D., Lothes, J., Quickel, E. J. W., St John, J., & Carter, C.From the hospital to the clinic: The impact of mindfulness on symptom reduction in a DBT partial hospital program. 2019.Journal of Clinical Psychology,75(7), 1169–1178.

Behan, C.The benefits of meditation and mindfulness practices during times of crisis such as COVID-19.Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, 2020.37(4), 256–258.

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