How the 9 Attitudes of Mindfulness Help You Reduce Stress

Have you ever wondered if it’s possible to reduce how often you feel impatient, frustrated, worried, or anxious in daily life? Brain science says it absolutely is! While we may think of our common reactions to stressful or triggering events in our lives as part of “who we are,” we have the power to transform them.

Stress is a natural byproduct of responding to something from a place of worry or fear. On one hand, it gives you the energy to take action if your life’s being threatened. Most of the time, however, our physical safety is not at risk nearly as much as our mind makes it out to be.

We’re rarely aware of how often our minds cause us to act in ways that are not always aligned with the loving, joyful, confident, or kind person we’d like to be. Yet if we can shift the content of our minds, we can shift how stressed we feel.

This is where the attitudes of mindfulness are a key component of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program created by Jon-Kabat Zinn. We review each of the 9 attitudes here so you can better understand how they can help you be less reactive and reduce stress.

1) Mindfulness attitude of non-judgement

If you sit still, you’ll notice how often your mind creates stories about everything that happens around you. We all have internal judgements about ourselves, about others, and about how life should or shouldn’t be.

This is a natural part of the brain’s activity. It tries to make sense of everything happening and tie it to what your mind already knows. The only problem is that we sometimes get so caught up in the mind’s stories that we lose touch with reality as it is now.

Our judgments are collections of our past experiences. The most negative ones often stick out so that our mind sees the “bad” more often than the “good.” As a result, we feel like there’s never enough good going on in our lives. 

How the mindfulness attitude of non-judgement reduces stress: When we cultivate non-judgement through the practice of mindfulness, we start seeing reality as it really is instead of how our mind interprets it. We start to relax and see the possibilities instead of the negative scenarios.

 2) Mindfulness attitude of patience

In today’s society, most people want everything now (or yesterday). We’re used to the instant gratification of social media, next day package deliveries, or immediate access to millions of movies or songs online.

Yet the most meaningful and rewarding aspects of life often takes time. Whether we’re going after our goals, learning a new skill, or growing a business, success doesn’t come overnight.

To see true changes in our lives, we have to learn to be patient. It takes time for a seed to flourish into a flower or fruit. If we can be patient with ourselves, with others, and with the process of life itself, we can start experiencing more peace in this very moment – without waiting for another moment to make us happy.

How the mindfulness attitude of patience reduces stress: Mindfulness allows us to notice our mind’s impatience. When we’re able to feel peace in the stillness, we see that there’s no need to rush to the next thing and we can feel less stressed and more at ease.

“Patience is a form of wisdom. It demonstrates that we understand and accept the fact that sometimes things must unfold in their own time.” - Jon Kabat Zinn

3) Mindfulness attitude of beginner’s mind

Many people find themselves stuck in a rut, feeling like every day’s the same. They no longer notice the beauty and joy in the little things. They’ve forgotten what it’s like to see things through the eyes of a child.

Even though we may have the same routines and see the same people every day, we always have a new choice in how we see them. The ability to see things as if for the first time can infuse a beautiful sense of awe and wonder into even the most ordinary parts of our day.

We often see people or events through the lens of yesterday. Instead, we can become curious and open to the possibility that today is a whole new day and that these things or people are showing up in our lives for the very first time as they are now.

How the mindfulness attitude of beginner’s mind reduces stress: Seeing through fresh eyes can reduce stress and tension in relationships as we’re able to meet our loved ones from a space of non-judgment and kindness. In turn, they treat us differently and we feel more awe and wonder at everything in our lives.

“In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few.” - Shunryu Suzuki 

4) Mindfulness attitude of trust

Whether it’s trusting ourselves, trusting others, or simply trusting the process of life, feeling trustful brings a sense of ease and peace into our days. 

If you inquire into why you sometimes feel stressed, it often comes down to the fear that something isn’t going to work out as your mind wants it to. With mindfulness you can see and be with these fears without allowing them to overwhelm you.

When you shift your focus to remembering everything that’s already worked out well in the past, you gain a stronger sense of faith in the natural unfolding of your life. You then feel a greater sense of trust in yourself and in the things that happen in your life.

How the mindfulness attitude of trust reduces stress: When you trust yourself, you feel the relief of knowing that you can’t make the “wrong” choice in life. As long as you trust yourself, you don’t feel as much stress about not being able to manage something 

5) Mindfulness attitude of non-striving

Can you enjoy the journey to your dreams and goals without making your happiness dependent on how you get there? The attitude of non-striving is a quality of mindfulness that helps you stay grounded and present even as you’re growing to new heights.

Whether it’s career goals, health and fitness goals, or other personal goals, cultivating an attitude of non-striving can help you appreciate the process. Rather than chasing after the goal without paying attention to how you feel now, you learn to love where you are in the journey.

Meditation is a great tool to practice the attitude of non-striving. In meditation, you’re sitting simply to sit. You’re learning to be without trying to be someone else or somewhere else.

How the mindfulness attitude of non-striving reduces stress: When you’re no longer fearful that your desired outcome won’t happen (or that it won’t happen on your schedule), you can relax. You do whatever activities you need to do for practical reasons while enjoying the opportunities for personal growth they provide along the way.

6) Mindfulness attitude of acceptance

When things don’t go our way, we feel resistance and tension. Instead of opening up to life or our feelings as they are, we push against the uncomfortable, hoping it’ll go away. Yet life is an unending series of ups and downs.

Once you recognize that your mind will always push back against tough things, you can work with this resistance. The moment you’re able to accept what is, the fear or stress you feel loses its grip over and you enter a space of empowerment. You find within yourself the ability to make a new decision, to head down a new path. 

When you accept what’s happening, it’s easier to navigate challenges because you can see opportunities for change rather than ruminating on the current negative situation.

How the mindfulness attitude of acceptance reduces stress: Acceptance opens you up to exploring the things that may need to change so you can move forward. This may help you let go of thought patterns, habits, or behaviors that no longer serve you and cause you stress.

“Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it.” - Eckhart Tolle

7) Mindfulness attitude of letting go

Our brain’s natural instinct to hold on to what has brought us pleasure or rewards in the past. We tend to hold on to things, memories, beliefs, and opinions. Yet this holding on often causes much pain.

The nature of life itself is fluid. Things and people come and go. Everything is a dance between giving and receiving…taking in and letting go.

The attitude of letting go invites us to enjoy each moment fully right now without the mental need to have it last forever. It makes each experience even more precious because we realize that at some point it will dissolve into a memory.

How the mindfulness attitude of letting go reduces stress: When you honor the fact that everything in life is impermanent, you relax into this knowing. Through mindfulness, you see that no thought, feeling, or physical sensation lasts forever so you can release fear of any negative or painful experiences.

“With every breath, the old moment is lost; a new moment arrives. We exhale and we let go of the old moment. It is lost to us. In doing so, we let go of the person we used to be. We inhale and breathe in the moment that is becoming. In doing so, we welcome the person we are becoming. We repeat the process. This is meditation. This is renewal. This is life.” - Lama Surya Das

8) Mindfulness attitude of gratitude

The attitude of gratitude helps you go through life in a much lighter manner as you shift your focus to what’s right. In a world where the media always focuses on what’s wrong, it’s no wonder that so many people feel stress 24/7.

When your attention is on what’s missing in your life, it can feel as if life is a constant struggle. But when you consciously shift your attention to something to be grateful for, your world view changes.

Gratitude invites us to notice that there’s always something in our lives we can be grateful for. Whether it’s a strength of character that got us to where we currently are, a friend we can always count on, or simply the health that we do have, noticing what we can be grateful for evokes a sense of relief.

How the mindfulness attitude of gratitude reduces stress: You can’t be grateful and worried at the same time. When you’re grateful, you’re able to see the resources you have to help you resolve any obstacles or challenges you face. 

9) Mindfulness attitude of generosity

Generosity doesn’t just refer to sharing physical or financial resources with others. As Jon Kabat-Zinn defines it, it also includes generosity of spirit. It means being willing to share your joys, smiles, talents, and skills freely with others. 

The attitude of generosity helps you recognize the abundance of your spirit. As you share, you see that there’s more than enough inner strength within you to share with others. 

Through practicing mindfulness, you discover the inner strengths that you have within. This helps you gain the courage to express them and share them with others.

How the mindfulness attitude of generosity reduces stress: As you give, you recognize that you can be the source of all the things that you wish for yourself. You feel less stress about having to gain happiness from something external because you believe in your own ability to create peace for yourself and others.

“See if you can give yourself gifts that may be true blessings, such as self-acceptance, or some time each day with no purpose. Practice feeling deserving enough to accept these gifts without obligation – to simply receive from yourself, and from the universe.” - Jon Kabat-Zinn

If you’d like to learn how to practice these attitudes of mindfulness more often in your life, you can sign up for my next Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) class here. Get 9 weeks of live class instruction where you can work with these attitudes and learn how to live with less stress and more ease in everyday life. 

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