Happy 2026, all! I have been looking forward to welcoming in the new year. My mind tends to use the new year’s date to delineate what was, and now I eagerly anticipate the new and exciting opportunities and challenges to come.
Over the last two years, our Mindful Monday subscription numbers have continued to climb, and we are truly grateful for your continued support and the wonderful feedback we receive. We always appreciate the time you take to contact us, and the wonderful topic suggestions we receive. Keep them coming!
Since it has been two years since we last wrote about the principles of mindfulness in a single article, we thought we would offer a refresher for all our readers, new and existing. All of our Mindful Monday articles are written with these principles in mind, and frequently refer to them. Hopefully, this can be a bit of a refresher for some, and an answer to the question, “What the heck are they talking about?!” for others.
Mindfulness is the practice of bringing your awareness to yourself and the environment around you, choosing to accept what falls outside your control (for example, other people’s emotions or illness) and committing to changing what you can. This can be done by maintaining awareness, living in the present, and noticing all the rich and meaningful moments around you. Participating in mindful practices can help reduce rumination and the effects of stress, anxiety and depression. Mindfulness can also help to improve your focus and help you live your best life.
The key principles of mindfulness, and the skills we need to develop and practice, are as follows:
Beginner’s Mind. This is about seeing what you usually miss. Take the perspective of a curious scientist who has never seen or experienced this before. When you look at an object, mindfully notice its shape, colours, markings, weight, how the light hits it, and any ridges or bumps. When you are experiencing a feeling, notice where you feel it. Does it have a shape, size, colour or vibration? Does it come and go? Just sit with the experience and notice with curiosity. Taking the perspective of the Beginner’s Mind isn’t naivety; it’s clarity.
Patience. This is the skill of slowing the pace of your reactions. In this fast-paced world, we often expect instant reactions or results. Slow down and be patient with the process of mindfulness, and be patient with yourself. Things will happen in their own time, no matter how hard we wish for it to be different. Learning to be patient takes time and will only be learnt through repetition: the more you practise patience, the better you become. This is about learning to pace your nervous system.
Non-Judging. This is about learning to observe without adding the extra weight of judgment. Take a moment to reflect on how often you judge your experiences as good, bad, or neutral (not interested). Instead, try to take the stance of an impartial witness to our own experience. Take a step back, pay attention to it with compassion and kindness, and notice how we are relating to the experience. It’s about learning to reduce unnecessary self-blame.
Trust. Listen inwards, before listening outwards. Develop trust in both yourself and your feelings. If something doesn’t feel right, honour that feeling or intuition rather than trying to rationalise it away. Listen to that ‘gut feeling’ when you’re experiencing it and take the time to reflect on what that may mean for you. We also need to place our trust in the practice and process of mindfulness, reminding ourselves that there is a large body of scientific research to support its efficacy. It’s not about trusting everything; it’s about trusting that you are noticing.
Non-Striving. So much of our time and energy is put into ‘purpose’ or the need to achieve a goal by competing and comparing. However, what if we were to let the moment lead? When we’re aiming for ‘perfect’, the reality often falls short. However, there is still progress and beauty in those ‘non-perfect’ moments, simply just ‘being’ and seeing what shows up. It’s not about not achieving, rather it’s about being ok with just existing.
Acceptance. Some things are just the way they are, and no matter how much we wish they were different or how hard we try to change them, they won’t. Acceptance is the skill of noticing those difficult thoughts and feelings, and allowing them to exist without resistance or judgment. Acceptance is often preceded by emotion-filled periods of denial and anger. Still, these periods of discord are sometimes required to ‘shift’ us into a place of being more conscious of how we are responding. One of the most well-known examples of this is the cycle of grief, whereby we often feel painful and uncomfortable feelings before we reach acceptance that someone or something is no longer as it was. Acceptance isn’t about giving in; it’s about acknowledging what is happening and shifting your energy from struggling to making constructive change.
Letting Go. This refers to the ability to consciously release those unhelpful attachments and create mental space for growth. Some thoughts are helpful, whilst others are not so helpful. Our minds can ‘hook’ us into getting caught up in our thoughts and stories about difficult events, which, in turn, can lead to unhelpful behaviours, such as ruminating or numbing ourselves through the use of substances or alcohol. Letting go isn’t forgetting, it’s unhooking us from what drains us.
Gratitude. Gratitude is the practised ability to recognise, appreciate and be thankful for the good things in life. We can take the miracle of life for granted: that our hearts are beating, we continue to breathe in and out, and our amazing body is functioning in this moment without conscious effort. We need to notice and be thankful for all the little things, as well as the big gestures. Gratitude is about shifting the focus from the barriers we face to the benefits we receive.
Generosity. This is about giving your attention, time and resources willingly, with empathy and compassion, and without expecting reward. When we give our attention and time to others, it expands our sense of connectedness. However, this gift of generosity needs to start with ourselves. Be generous with yourself, giving yourself gifts such as self-acceptance, time for self-care, and patience. Generosity isn’t about how much you give, but about the action and attitude of selfless giving without obligation.
The above principles are not a set of instructions to follow, but a way of looking at life, experiences, and situations. They are skills that need to be developed, but should not be forced, allowing them to become part of each moment. Mindfulness practice makes life more vibrant, in which colours, tastes, smells, sights, sounds, connections and experiences become richer and more meaningful.
We hope you’ll enjoy the next year of our Mindful Monday publications, and we look forward to hearing from you.
Be kind,
Dr Nicole Jeffery-Dawes (she/her)
Senior Psychologist, Bush Support Line
We’re transitioning to a new newsletter system. During this time, Mindful Mondays will be available on our website and here on our social media channels. Not yet subscribed? Sign up here to receive Mindful Mondays directly to your inbox once our email service resumes.
