To get a better sense of mindfulness, you may want to listen to these recordings from from past Inward Bound Teen Retreats.
According to UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC),
"significant research has shown mindfulness to... increase attention and focus, including aid those suffering from ADHD; help with difficult mental states such as anxiety and depression, fostering well-being and less emotional reactivity; and thicken the brain in areas in charge of decision making, emotional flexibility, and empathy."
In other words, adding mindfulness practices into your daily routines, may help alleviate stress, improve focus, and help with decision making.
Mindfulness practices focus on being, not doing, which is almost opposite to other aspects of our daily life. It can be difficult and uncomfortable.
The practice also teaches you to approach and be with difficult emotions instead of avoiding them. This too can be difficult for some people. (Williams)
However, mindful awareness helps still thoughts, feelings, and urges that often muddy our vision, enabling one to begin to see more clearly. (Willard)
Special Thanks to Zaiga Alksnitis, librarian at the Warburg Library at Middlesex for her Mindfulness Resources LibGuide. This guide includes many of the materials she initially recommended.