Answer this question to the best of your ability:
How does the practice of mindfulness during pain stimulation differ from simply distracting oneself from the pain?
While distraction can temporarily alleviate the sensation of pain by redirecting attention away from it, mindfulness involves a more profound shift in how one relates to the experience of pain. Instead of avoiding or ignoring the pain, mindfulness encourages an attitude of acceptance and non-judgmental awareness. This allows individuals to develop a different relationship with their pain, learning to coexist with it in a more peaceful and less reactive way. Moreover, mindfulness can lead to changes in brain structure and function associated with enhanced emotional regulation and stress resilience, which are not necessarily achieved by mere distraction.