mindfulness

3 antonyms for mindfulness — opposites grouped by meaning.

Noun — The practice of paying deliberate, non-judgemental attention to the present moment, including your breath, body and thoughts, often as a way of reducing stress.

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

The practice of paying deliberate, non-judgemental attention to the present moment, including your breath, body and thoughts, often as a way of reducing stress.

“Ten minutes of mindfulness each morning has helped her anxiety.”

present-moment awareness meditation attentiveness heedfulness

Opposites

unmindfulness

2. noun

The mental state of being fully aware of what is happening now rather than lost in worry about the past or future.

“He ate slowly, with unusual mindfulness.”

awareness attentiveness presence

Opposites

distraction absent-mindedness

Antonyms

unmindfulness distraction absent-mindedness

How to use mindfulness

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

practise mindfulness mindfulness meditation mindfulness-based stress reduction

Neutral and widespread in health, education and workplace contexts; occasionally used dismissively when it feels like corporate wellbeing jargon.

Etymology

From mindful plus -ness. The modern psychological sense translates Pali sati, 'awareness, recollection', from Buddhist teaching.

Full origin of mindfulness →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between mindfulness and meditation?

Meditation is a formal practice you sit down to do; mindfulness is the quality of attention it trains, which you can bring to anything, including washing up or walking. Mindfulness meditation is one type of meditation among many.

How do you practise mindfulness?

Choose something to anchor your attention, usually the breath or physical sensations, notice when your mind wanders, and return to the anchor without criticising yourself. A few minutes a day is enough to start.

Does mindfulness actually work?

Structured programmes such as mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy have reasonable evidence for reducing stress and preventing relapse in recurrent depression. It is not a substitute for treatment of serious mental illness.

People also searched

presence awareness meditation distraction attentiveness heedfulness

Nearby words

← Back to the full definition of mindfulness