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INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE Mindfulness Resources for the Pandemic of Stress
30 April 2020 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net | HandWmagazine &
MINDFULNESS RESOURCES FOR THE PANDEMIC OF STRESS We are all in this together. Be safe. Be mindful. Be hopeful. Be kind. IntegrativeMedicine.
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We have always been in this life together. As we all worry about the coronavirus pandemic, our health and safety, our loved ones and the vulnerable people in our society, let’s look at some ways you can manage your stressful emotions and help others do so, too. If you regularly practice any of the following mindfulness practices, it may help you and others manage the pandemic of stress, anxiety, fear and panic. Discuss your interest in these self-care exercises with your medical or mental health provider before using them to treat any symptoms.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is the leading behavioral intervention for managing stress in your work life, personal life, caregiving and living with chronic conditions. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), which combines MBSR with cognitive behavioral therapy, can relieve anxiety and depression for many sufferers. The creators of MBCT offer you six free guided meditations from their book Mindfulness: Finding Peace in a Frantic World. See their website (below) for full details and audio recordings. 1. Mindfulness of Body and Breath (8:08). Mindfulness of the body is the first foundation of mindfulness practice. Mindfulness of the breath is closely related as the breath moves in and out of the body. You can train yourself to be present and bring your attention back to the body and breath when your mind wanders off to focus on other sounds and thoughts. 2. Body Scan (14:45). Experiencing sensations in the body, rather than thinking about or judging or analyzing them, trains the mind to pay attention – the fundamental skill in mindfulness practice. 3. Chocolate Meditation (4:43). This eating meditation can be done with a raisin or date or any food. All sense perceptions (touching, seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting) are used to help you connect to this moment, the complexity of eating and the wisdom of your body. 4. Sounds and Thoughts (8:03). You can learn to recognize just how fleeting are sounds and thoughts, unless you get hooked and stuck on them by wanting/liking or not wanting/not liking them. You can learn to simply observe without emotional reactivity as sounds and thoughts come and go, like clouds drifting across a windy sky. 5. Befriending Meditation (9:37). You can cultivate a sense of kindness toward yourself, including your happy/confident self and your anxious/fearful self. You can learn to genuinely and unselfishly wish yourself well and extend that self-kindness to others. 6. The Three-Minute Breathing Space (3:27). This brief meditation can be practiced almost anywhere/anytime, weaving meditation into daily life at home or work. Even three minutes daily is infinitely better than no practice and nurtures a self-care antidote to life’s hurrying and worrying. In addition to the above six practices from MBSR/MBCT, here are more practices for your toolkit of self-care skills. • Slowing down and being. Regularly shifting from your busy-doing mode to your restful-being mode helps heal your mind and body. Slowing down mentally and physically at regular intervals throughout the day can be as simple as pausing to take one mindful breath before you turn on the computer, as you sit at the traffic light, as you begin a meal, as you simply be with people or pets with no agenda other than being. Slowing down does not have to take extra time. It simply takes remembering to slow down. • Journaling about your emotions. Emotional journaling is therapeutic for many people, sometimes as much as counseling and medication. Daily write about any and all emotions – pleasant and unpleasant – without holding anything back. You can save or destroy what you write. The point is to get the emotions into the light of your own awareness. It may be helpful to dialogue with the emotion, actually writing down both sides of a conversation between you and fear, worry or anxiety. You may discover things about these unpleasant emotions that help you relate to them more effectively. • Practicing gratitude. Daily count your blessings – the fact that you woke up today, the wisdom of your body, having enough to eat, shelter, clothing, health professionals and community members helping us stay safe (see What Went Well below). • Connecting to meaning and purpose. Read inspirational material. Create an altar in your home. De-clutter and ask yourself what is really necessary and what can be given away. Write or draw your intuitive response to the question: Why am I here? • Seeking kindness and friendliness. Intentionally train your mind to notice the acts of kindness all around you. Recognize the public health recommendations are acts of compassion for everyone. Call or email friends and family. Send an old-fashioned letter. Donate to worthy causes. Check on neighbors and co-workers. Volunteer. Practice self-compassion as the foundation for compassion for others. Say to yourself, “May I be safe. May I be well. May I be happy. May I be peacefully at ease.” Then say the same for others. • Connecting to nature. Feel the sun coming in the window. See springtime blooming. Get outside. Take a mindful stroll around your neighborhood.
RESOURCES 1. Mindfulness: Finding Peace in a Frantic World http://franticworld.com/freemeditations-from-mindfulness/ 2. What Went Well Practice (3 Blessings) https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=RT2vKMyIQwc 3. Here is a link to 12 recordings I made for patients and students: http://www.mindbodystudio. org/?page_id=1594
About the Author: Dr. John Patterson is past president of the Kentucky Academy of Family Physicians and is board certified in family medicine and integrative holistic medicine. He is on the family practice faculty at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Saybrook College of Integrative Medicine and Health Sciences (Pasadena) and the Center for Mind Body Medicine (Washington, D.C.). He operates the Mind Body Studio in Lexington, where he offers individual consultations and group classes in stress management, mindfulness and relaxation training. He can be reached through his website at www.mindbodystudio.org.
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