Attention, Awareness, and Mental Health: An Overlooked Triangle in Everyday Life
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52053/jpap.v7i1.496Keywords:
Attention, Awareness, Cognitive Processes, Everyday Life, Mental HealthAbstract
Mental health research increasingly highlights the critical role of everyday cognitive processes, particularly attention and awareness, in shaping psychological well-being. While applied psychology traditionally emphasizes symptom management, deficits in attention and awareness often precede clinical manifestations such as anxiety, emotional dysregulation, and burnout. Recent studies demonstrate that attentional strain and low metacognitive awareness can compromise emotion regulation, decision-making, and resilience, especially in contexts of digital overload and constant information exposure. This guest editorial argues for recognizing attention and awareness as foundational mechanisms in mental health, highlighting their interactive role in mitigating stress and promoting psychological flexibility. Incorporating these cognitive processes into preventive and applied psychological frameworks offers a scalable, evidence-based approach to enhancing daily functioning and resilience, bridging the gap between neuroscience insights and real-world mental health practice.
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