Which mindfulness practice is best for your MBTI type?
Melissa, Global Content Marketing Manager
Which mindfulness practice is best for your MBTI type? Mindfulness is a hot topic. It can reduce stress, increase happiness, and help you be more productive. And starting that meditation or yoga practice might be easier if you keep your MBTI type in mind. Here's how:
Mindfulness is a hot topic right now. You’ve probably heard about mindful eating, or maybe a mindfulness practice or meditation. You may have also heard about all the benefits of mindfulness – lowering stress, being more productive, increasing happiness.
But what is mindfulness?
The Mayo Clinic says it’s “a type of medication where you focus on being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgement.”
It’s like turning your awareness dial up to full force.
One of the keys to mindfulness is the awareness *without the interpretation or judgement*.
Let’s say your feelings and emotions are a car. Normally you’re in the driver’s seat, viewing your world through that car’s windshield. Sometimes the road ahead is going to be bumpy and you hop into a different car. But the entire time, your view is partially distorted by your cars windshield and the blind spots that car may have.
Mindfulness is like putting the car in neutral and stepping outside of the car.
Instead of viewing the world through the car’s windows, you’re noticing things around you at a much slower pace, and perhaps even noticing the cars parked around you from an “outside” perspective.
And you’re not judging whether any of the cars are good or bad, you’re just noticing them. Maybe naming them. And watching them.
The thing with mindfulness is that it doesn’t come easy to most people. Like a mental sport, mindfulness takes practice. And the more you practice mindfulness, the more you can make choices about how you want to respond vs. reacting without thinking, choose where you want to put your energy, de-stress, and more. There are lots of ways to practice mindfulness:
And as you might have already guessed, you can use knowledge of your personality preferences to give you clues into which types of mindfulness practices might work best for you.
Extraversion and Introversion
If you prefer Extraversion, you get energized from being around other people. When starting a mindfulness practice, try it in a group setting. Maybe a group yoga class or group mediation would suit you.
If you prefer Introversion, you get energized by spending time alone with your own thoughts. If you want to try a mindfulness practice, consider something solitary like journaling or walking where you can focus on your thoughts in a quiet environment without being distracted by others.
Thinking and Feeling
If you prefer Thinking, you probably want some evidence for which type of mindfulness works best. Try one of the science-based practices like Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction or do your own research about the different types of mindfulness and try one that appeals to you most.
If you prefer Feeling, you focus on values and people. Try a mindfulness practice around gratitude, whether that’s journaling about the things that you’re grateful for or listening to a guided meditation around gratitude.
Want to learn more about mindfulness? Check out these articles:
What is the best mindfulness practice for your MBTI type?
Five essential elements to develop your mindfulness practice
23 Amazing health benefits of mindfulness for body and brain