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A new year means new beginnings. Ed Gould shares his Top Ten round-up of feel-good news stories from January to kick-start 2020. January was full of feel-good news. If you thought that there was too little happiness and not enough to cheer you in mainstream news outlets, then read on to discover some of the positive stories you may have missed. 1. Stem cells used to combat pain in global first The use of stem cell research is controversial, but supporters of it are now likely to find more people being supportive of the technique thanks to work conducted at the University of Sydney. A research team there has claimed to have made a breakthrough with pain management, something that should bring happiness to anyone who suffers from the chronic condition. Taking stem cells from patients with injured nerves, the researchers have been able to repair them, thereby alleviating often excruciating pain without relying on drugs. 2. New process allows rubbish to be made into wonder material Engineers and product designers have long considered graphene, a carbon-based material, to be strong, durable and light. However, it has never been made out of rubbish before. According to The Engineer, this is soon to change because of a process developed at Rice University in Texas. Now, plastic waste and even old rubber tyres can be made into graphene at a fraction of the usual outlay, thanks to the work of researchers there. It's hoped that the graphene made will be industrialised and added to concrete, making it stronger and more environmentally friendly. 3. Mindfulness can help us to be less fearful According to a report in Medical News Today, mindfulness has been shown in numerous scientific studies to help people unlearn what they've learned from their fear. Of course, fear is an adaptive response that helps us to survive. However, with mindfulness, we can unlearn the traits associated with fearfulness that may be holding us back. According to the latest research in Scandinavia and China, inappropriate fear responses – such as phobias – can be addressed by invoking mindfulness techniques. Fear not: mindfulness may help shutterstock/Avesun 4. New hope for anti-cancer drugs The search for new and more targeted oncology drugs is something that continues around the globe. However, according to a report published by Reuters, US scientists have discovered that many drug therapies already in use for other conditions may have a cancer-fighting effect, too. Dr Steven Corsello of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute at MIT said that a surprising number of non-oncology drugs have the ability to see off cancer cells under laboratory conditions. His team tested some 4,500 drugs with no previously reported anti-cancer properties and found that at least 50 were successful. 5. Breakthrough in solar technology announced A research team led by Claudia Turro, a chemistry professor at Ohio State University, has found that a lone molecule could be harnessed in a way that will make solar panels more effective. The chemistry involved means that the full spectrum of sunlight can be captured by solar cells, thereby making them much more effective than at present. The idea is to develop the technique to make a much sought-after type of hydrogen fuel from sunlight. 6. Doing good relieves mental and physical pain People who are kind all the time may already realise the power of kindness, but researchers in China have scientifically demonstrated that being nice to others has a benefit to us. Their work, published during January in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has shown that altruistic behaviours led to relief from acutely induced physical pain and even had a positive effect on those suffering chronic pain. Their work suggests there must have been some kind of evolutionary benefit to kindness, as humans developed into more social animals living in groups. Kindness leads to happiness shutterstock/Daisy Daisy 7. China moves against single-use plastics Some people complain that the moves many of us make – such as phasing out the use of plastic bags – is not worth it until hugely populous countries such as China do the same. However, the People's Republic announced that it would do so from the end of 2020 and hopes to remove all single-use plastics from urban centres in as little as two years. In a report published by the BBC, the restaurant industry in the country will have to do away with plastic straws almost immediately. 8. Blood flow study could help dementia sufferers A team at University College London in the UK has discovered the bio-mechanism that allows brains to monitor their blood supply in a study conducted on rats. It's now hoped this can be monitored to work out the relationship between this mechanism and the onset of dementia, which has long been associated with blood flow rates in the brain. 9. Lego is bringing about a more mindful approach The Daily Telegraph reported a particular generation was increasingly using Lego building as a way to achieve flow and greater happiness in their daily lives. In January, the newspaper said that millennials were playing with the plastic bricks to make things that had an effect on their mindfulness which was akin to engaging in practices like yoga. Some have put this down to the fact that younger adults are more aware of mental health stresses than older generations and are therefore seeking therapies they can enjoy to avoid them. Could Lego boost flow? shutterstock/FamVeld 10. Dry January being overtaken by increasing numbers of teetotallers According to Men's Health magazine, more people are getting involved with alcohol abstinence than ever before, and it's not just for the first month of the year. In increasing numbers people are opting to abandon booze all together, thanks to public health campaigns and the publicity associated with dry January. The report cites scientific research at the University of Washington as well as changing British attitudes to alcohol as revealed in a recent YouGov survey. What a sobering thought! ● Main image: shutterstock/diy13 Written by Ed Gould Ed Gould is a UK-based journalist and practitioner of Reiki.

The terms 'meditation' and 'mindfulness' are often used interchangeably. However, although the practices share some traits, they are not the same thing. Stanislava Puač Jovanović looks at the three main differences of mindfulness versus meditation. Meditative practices first entered mainstream Western society in the 1960s – mainly through the hippie movement – with a gradual shift away from spiritual and towards a more secular approach. Much more recently, interest in mindfulness has followed. Indeed, nowadays, both practices are hugely popular around the world. Still, many people get puzzled by the question of mindfulness vs meditation, and the terms are often used interchangeably. So, are they one and the same? The short answer is, of course, no. Nonetheless, there is an overlap that causes confusion. And the fact that you can also practise mindfulness meditation doesn’t help in differentiating between the two either. This article will explain the differences, and show you how you can incorporate mindfulness meditation into your everyday life. Meditation and mindfulness in the West Western thinkers (Schopenhauer, among others) have been interested in Eastern philosophy and practices for a long time. Although some thinkers (such as Jung) opposed the notion of Westerners engaging in Eastern meditative practices, that warning may not apply to many of the currently practised modifications of meditation and mindfulness. Is this meditation? Mindfulness? Or both? What is clear is that these tools for mental health and well-being are becoming increasingly used. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics, 14.2 per cent of Americans meditate. That’s a more than threefold increase between 2012 and 2017. The CDC also found that 9 to 14 per cent of Americans engage in some of the structured forms of mindfulness. Elsewhere, in the UK, the positive effects of both meditation and mindfulness have been recognised by the National Health Service (NHS). Moreover, the Wellcome Trust is funding a £6.4m study as a part of an effort to introduce mindfulness to teenagers and young people as a preventive measure against the adverse effects of stress. Mindfulness vs meditation: what’s the difference? Before we dig deeper into the matter of mindfulness versus meditation, let’s get to know each a bit better first. Meditation is a practice with a long history of use for increasing focus, calmness, awareness, and overall psychophysical well-being and balance. You can engage in guided or unguided forms, as well as decide between insight or calming types of meditation. “Many people get puzzled by the question of mindfulness vs meditation. So, are they one and the same? The short answer is no, they're not.” Some of the most common types of meditation practised in the West are focused attention, gratitude meditation, progressive relaxation, kundalini meditation, zen meditation, loving-kindness meditation, visualization meditation, and, yes, mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness, similarly, is a mental practice aimed at increasing awareness, focus on the present moment, and non-judgement or acceptance. It has been widely used to relieve the effects of stress and trauma, reduce chronic pain, increase physical health, and bring better cognitive functioning and emotional stability. Shore thing: the benefits of meditation are proven shutterstock/javi_indy Mindfulness teaches us to become free of dwelling about the past or worrying about the future – a cognitive habit some of us spend as much as half of our time on: a habit that makes us utterly unhappy. In the words of Jon Kabat-Zinn, the man who has done most to popularise mindfulness based on scientific evidence of its benefits: “Mindfulness practice means that we commit fully in each moment to be present; inviting ourselves to interface with this moment in full awareness, with the intention to embody as best we can an orientation of calmness, mindfulness, and equanimity right here and right now.” Differences between mindfulness and meditation So, what are the differences between mindfulness and meditation? They can and do work together to produce an overall benefit. In fact, the two practices complement each other, increasing the other’s positive impact. Nonetheless, when you want to compare meditation vs mindfulness, they’re different in a few distinct ways: 1. Subject Meditation is awareness of “no-thing”, meaning that it aims to let thoughts, perceptions and intentions pass us, with a focus purely on our breath or mantra. Mindfulness, on the other hand, teaches us to become aware of “some-thing”. Indeed, as many aspects of our surrounding as possible, learning to engage in a meaningful perception of our inner and outer worlds. 2. Structure You usually need to follow a formal routine for meditation (when, how, for how long, etc.). However, for mindfulness, you don’t have to (although you can) set up a formal routine. Indeed, you can incorporate it into your everyday interaction with yourself, the world, and the others. “Instead of thinking about mindfulness vs meditation, we should be more inclined to embrace both of these tools as possible conduits to as harmonious state of mind and emotion.” 3. Form Meditation is definitely an activity, even though it can yield changes in our constitution, capabilities, and attitudes. Expanding on the previous point, mindfulness can be understood as more of an attitude, a capacity, a way of being even. It can be an all-encompassing ability that follows us around whatever we do. OK, so what is mindfulness meditation? Now that we’ve clarified the difference of meditation vs mindfulness, it’s time to bring them back together again. Mindfulness meditation is a structured form of mindfulness, a practice in which you fully commit to being mindful for a certain amount of time. It combines the benefits of the two. Here’s how to do it: Set aside five or ten minutes and set up a (soft) alarm to warn you when the time’s up so that you don’t have to check the clock. Sit somewhere where you’ll be comfortable and you won’t get interrupted. Drop your chin and let your gaze fall downward. You can, but you don’t have to, close your eyes. Be present for a few moments, gently focusing on here and now. Begin following your breath as it enters your nose and travels down to your lungs and then back out. Notice all the sensations that follow your breathing, tenderly focusing your attention over and over again. Your mind will wander, over and over again (less, as you become more proficient in the practice). When it does, simply acknowledge the fact, don’t be judgmental of yourself, and return your attention to your breath and the present moment. Just let the thought slide beside you and away from you. Before you make any movement, such as scratching an itch, become aware of your intention, then move with the consciousness of every aspect of it. Then return to your position and refocus to your breath. When you’re ready, slowly exit the meditation. Start noticing the room around you; the sounds, light, smells, and open your eyes fully. Notice how your body feels. Be aware of how your mind is at the moment. Then decide how you want to continue your day. Reaping the benefits: meditation vs mindfulness Instead of thinking about mindfulness vs meditation, we should be more inclined to embrace both of these tools as possible conduits to a harmonious state of mind and emotion. The benefits of meditation and mindfulness have been empirically proven and testified by millions of people around the world. If you too decide to give them a try, you're on the path of leading a happier and more balanced, but, primarily, an aware life. ● Main image: shutterstock/maxpetrov happiness.com | The fine art of being: learn, practise, share Are you a happiness.com member? Sign up for free to: ■ read our happiness magazine with practical life tips ■ share and support others in our happiness forum ■ learn with free online classes in our happiness Academy Written by Stanislava Puač Jovanović Stanislava Puač Jovanović has a master’s degree in psychology and works as a freelance writer and researcher in this area. During her early career, she gained several certifications (life coach, assertive communication trainer, peer educator, fitness instructor). Her primary focus is on questions relating to mental health, stress-management, self-development and well-being.