How do you measure your progress and improvement in mindfulness?

How do you manage your goals and measure progress in mindfulness? You don’t!! The whole point of mindfulness is to practice’ and not enforce that approach on it. The act of practicing and getting more skilful creates the shift. Trust yourself - trust the process. If we weren’t all so busy oversetting goals and micromanaging our lives in the first place we wouldn’t need to be learning to be mindful in the first place.

As Paul and Neil have already voiced, if you try and 'measure your progress' or strive for 'goals' you are not practicing mindfulness. This is one of the challenges of a meditation practice: exerting right effort, but not striving; being, but not doing; sitting in a mind-space of limitless abundance but in a finite (time) world. Having said that, you will notice that your practice is having a positive affect on your life because other people will start pointing out the changes they see in you ('You seem calmer'). You will also start to notice small changes in your own language patterns and, hopefully, a little less reactivity in stressful situations.

Here is the paradox of mindfulness - change occurs by suspending striving. Once you focus on performance, by definition it is no longer a mindfulness practice. So how do you determine if it is “working.” Mindfulness is all about relationship - internally with thoughts, emotions and body. Externally with all others (human and more). What do you notice in how you are showing up? For yourself and others. This is the true measure of mindfulness.

I am writing an assignment on improving myself, and I chose mindfulness. It feels strange to measure feelings and emotions on a scale. More reflection and journaling needed here :)

Start with taking the time for breath centered meditation. It doesn't need to be a lot. Begin with 3 minutes done consistently around the same time- then when it get comfortable up the number to 5, etc. And if you need support- find a community to help hold you accountable. @meditation4leadership offers online free community meditations or use a timer like insight to help you keep track. Part of mindfulness, in my opinions, is being rooted in the moment, working actively towards a goal but then releasing the outcome. If your goal is to narrow you limit yourself. Create the opportunity to succeed. Then get out of your own way.

I cringe when I see headlines like "meditation made easy" or "simple." "Simple, not easy" is a good way of holding this paradox of mindfulness. The format or structure is simple enough - find an undisturbed location (silence not required), sit comfortably, set a timer, practice noticing while suspending judgment and striving and greeting all (inside and out) with curiosity - using breath or some other sensory-based attentional anchor. You will make direct contact with all the stuff you have been avoiding with busy-ness and distraction. You may be surprised that your capacity for being with discomfort greater than you believe, as well as your capacity to experience joy!

Pick a sitting period that you can handle easily to start. I like to suggest 15 minute meditations (that's 1% of your day!). Using an app to keep you motivated and track consecutive day runs can add a little fun into your practice. Just don't get attached to it and don't freak out when you miss a day.

Journalling is a good way to broaden your practice and help bring the fruits of meditation to life. Hand-written is best but you can use any note-taking app too.

I do like using the HRV measure as a way to assess my emotional regulation improvements. The more that I am in a mindful state, and I see the higher HRV readings, the more valuable those skills are me.

Monitor your relationships Awareness of your interpersonal interactions can be another way to measure your mindfulness progress. How are you showing up in your life? Are you able to relate to your colleagues or loved ones with greater ease these days? Do you feel more present and engaged in your day-to-day? What about your ability to manage stress and respond calmly when things get challenging? Are you feeling less reactive with others? Remember, the changes won't always be dramatic, so keep an eye out for these signs of progress. These insights may feel “small”, but they can help propel you on your journey of well-being. Recognize that your mindfulness practice is not just benefiting you, but also those around you. Keep up the good work!

The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) is an eight-week mindfulness/meditation program that includes logs for tracking your practice and how it affects your thinking and mood. It is usually taught in a group setting so that you can interact with people participating in the same program. MBSR has demonstrated numerous positive benefits, including decreased stress, improved mood, better chronic pain management, and treatment of headaches, chronic pain, PTSD, sleep issues, eating disorders, high blood pressure, etc. https://positivepsychology.com/mindfulness-based-stress-reduction-mbsr/

Another way to measure your progress in mindfulness is to reflect on how it impacts your daily life. Notice if you find yourself being more present and engaged in your activities, relationships, and surroundings. Pay attention to any changes in your overall well-being, such as increased calmness, clarity, or resilience. Mindfulness is not just about the formal practice, but about integrating it into your everyday experiences. By observing the positive shifts in your daily life, you can gain a deeper appreciation for the transformative power of mindfulness.

In addition to celebrating your achievements, it's important to remember that progress in mindfulness is not always linear. There may be times when you feel like you're not improving or when you face setbacks. During these moments, it's crucial to practice self-compassion and patience. Understand that mindfulness is a lifelong journey, and it's natural to experience ups and downs along the way. Embrace the process and trust that even during challenging times, you are still growing and learning.

To me, mindfulness is simply being present in the Now. So much so, that we allow ourselves to understand despite whatever it is we may be currently enduring, there is a lesson for us, here, and now. It’s being able to see things as they are, seeing ourselves as we are, while remaining open to whatever the universe wants to bring, understanding that we do not always see the big picture. Mindfulness is focusing our Mind, fully on the present moment by focusing on our intentions and attention, intentionally.

Journaling is an amazing way to practice mindfulness, for it allows us the space to become more familiar with our emotions, rather than being emotionally reactive and impulsive, or completely avoidant to what it is that we are feeling. Our emotions show up for us. Therefore, journaling is a way of practicing mindfulness by allowing what we feel to help guide us on becoming higher versions of ourselves, for ourselves and for others so that we can fully experience our life journey.

Try and spend some time practicing with a community (sangha). Find a local meditation group and sit with them when you can. The specific tradition or style doesn't really matter. Just find a group or teacher that you like and feel some connection to.