March 2018 Leaflet

The Leaflet 3.22.18 | Vol. 4 Issue 7

m i n d f u l n e s s

mindfulness issue The stress of everyday life can be overwhelming, especially with exams and college decisions coming up.

Therefore, it is imperative that everybody takes time to rest and relax.

This can be done through a myriad of means--including practicing mindfulness.

Being mindful can allow you to take control of your life and focus on what is important.

Mindfulness can be utilized at any point in time, from taking 30 minutes out of your day to meditate to even being thoughtful about the food you are eating.

By practicing mindfulness, everyone gets the chance to open their eyes to a new, healthier way to live.

Open up this issue and take the first step towards making your day a mindful one.

Taylor Close & Sydney Evans

staff members Jenna Bao Natalie Brinkman Lindsey Brinkman Ally Bonhaus Morgan Brownell Emily Chien Adhiti Chundur Taylor Close Sydney Evans Maya Goldenberg

Ben Green Harsitha Kalaiarasan Anisa Khatana Everett Kohinke Hannah Lee Abigail Lefton Emme Loon Jessica Lu Harsimran Makkad Sara Margolis

Leaflet Editors-in-Chief Taylor Close Sydney Evans Executive Editor Jenna Bao Associate Editor Adhiti Chundur Print Editors-in-Chief Natalie Brinkman Adhiti Chundur

This issue Anne Marsh Lydia Masset Claire Myers Aidan Noble Yvanna Reyes Madeleine Suh Kirsten Thomas Sydney Weiss Jack Wolfe

Executive Web Editor-in-Chief Harsimran Makkad Social Media Director Sydney Weiss Creative Projects Directors Anne Marsh Sydney Weiss Ally Bonhaus

p4: Meditation p8: Eating p10: exercising p14: stress relief p16: workplace p18: environment p20: flaws becoming strengths p22: mindfulness challenge The Leaflet, the official digital newsmagazine of Sycamore High School, serves as an educational tool in the training of student journalists. We provide information and editorial leadership concerning school, national, and world issues. We also provide a public forum for the exchange of ideas and viewpoints and give coverage to newsworthy events directly related to our diverse school population. These viewpoints are purely from the staff of The Leaflet and not the administration.

Sycamore High School 7400 Cornell Road Cincinnati, OH 45242

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MINDF

noun min(d)

a mental state achiev awareness on the pre calmly acknowledgin feelings, thoughts, a used as a therapeutic

2

Information by Taylor Close Source: Oxforddictionaries.com

ULNESS

)f( )ln s e

e

ved by focusing one's esent moment while ng and accepting one's and bodily sensations; c technique.

Design by Taylor Close Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

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MEDITATION

Meditate verb med·i·tate \ ‘me-de-itat \ Definition 1: to engage in contemplation or reflection 2: to engage in mental exercise (such as concentration on one's breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness

Very simple practice to help you better understand your thinking, relax, rest your mind, and experience being fully in the moment.

1. Find a quiet, comfortable spot where you can be relaxed.

2. Decide on a fixed amount of time to meditate. Start off with only five to ten minutes, and set some kind of timer so you do not worry about checking on time.

3. Sit with your legs crossed if you are on the ground, or with your feet touching the ground if you are on a chair

4. Straighten your back, but do not feel stiff/hunched.

5. Drop your chin and either relax your eyelids or close your eyes.

Focus on feeling your breath, following the breath’s movement in and out.

Experience the physical sensation of the air in your chest and belly.

6. Naturally, your mind will probably drift from breathing. There is no need to try to prevent that--practice observing persistent thoughts. Without judging or interacting with the thoughts, observe trends in your thinking.

7.

4

Eventually, try to redirect your attention back to breathing.

Information by Jenna Bao Source: https://www.mindful.org,, www.dictinoary.com

Tips and Tricks Find guided meditation tracks on Youtube and/or music for meditation.

Use apps that offer guided meditation for beginners, such as Headspace or Calm. These will remind you to do it regularly.

Make meditation a regular part of your routine so that it serves as a preventative measure, like taking vitamins.

Designed by Sydney Evans Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons

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mindfu

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF

Why meditate?

Meditation is an active training of the mind to increase awareness, and different meditation programs approach this in different ways.

Meditation is one of the tools that may help manage symptoms.

MindfulnessBased Stress Reduction

(MBSR)

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), developed

by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts’ Center for Mindfulness, aims to reduce a person’s stress level, physically and mentally.

It uses a combination of mindfulness meditation, body awareness, and yoga to help people become more mindful.

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Information by Adhiti Chundur Source: Forbes, Positive Psychology

DEFAULT MODE NETWORK Mindfulness meditation decreases activity in the default mode network (DMN), the brain network responsible for mind-wandering and self-referential thoughts.

The DMN is “on” or active when we are not thinking about anything in particular, when our minds are just wandering from thought to thought.

BRAIN BENEFITS Eight weeks of MBSR increases cortical thickness in hippocampus (in charge of memory and learning) and in areas involved in emotional regulation.

Also, there was a decrease in brain volume of the amygdala, which is responsible for fear, anxiety, and stress.

ulness A study found that the effect size of meditation was at 0.3. The effect size for antidepressants is also 0.3.

Mindfulness was a product of Hinduism and Buddhism. Specfically, “Sati,” known as mindfulness in Buddhism, is the first step in enlightenment, and is thought to be a simple translation of the concept of “Sati. “

Given its effects on the self-control regions of the brain, meditation can be very effective in helping people recover from various types of addiction.

Research has also shown that mindfulness meditation, in contrast to attending to the breath only, can reduce anxiety. It has also been shown to help people with social anxiety disorder.

Design by Adhiti Chundur Photo courtesy: Creative Commons Public domain; Ervin Bartis Gray texture ttps://www.

flickr.com/photos/bartiservin/6002197850

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F E E L S W E ET W H EN Y KNOW the difference between actual hunger and wanting to eat

CHOOSE

to consume as many unpackaged foods as possible

EAT

only until you are full

MORE T IPS:

• Always try to sit down at a table when you eat • Do not skip meals • Eat plenty of protein and healthy fats to stay full • Eat slowly and with intention

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Information by Jenna Bao Source: https://www.rd.com, https://www.healthline.com, https://www.huffingtonpost.com

YO U EAT : LISTEN

to physical hunger cues -engage your senses by noticing colors, smells, sounds, textures, and tastes

AVOID

distractions while eating -try not to eat in front of a screen

SNACK IDEAS: cheese boiled eggs

hummus and veggies

apples Design by Yvanna Reyes Photo Courtesy of Yvanna Reyes

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Mindfulness & Exercise Use your breath. Be conscious of your breath throughout your workout; use it as a way to check in with your body.

When you hit peak exertion during your workout, try taking deep, long breaths.

Stay dedicated/focused. Put away any distractions and do not attempt to multitask. Allow your workout to be a break in your day and a way to take

10 Source: mindbodygreen.com

Information by Anisa Khatana

Set an intention. Th small goal, but is remember why y when you enco Keep your intent exercising, but avo up ab

Connect to your discomf pain or discomfort whil often the case, embrac a sign that you are bec same time, be aware of the discomfort of exertio Determine if you need t are doing or change so balance between pushin respecting bodily limits t opposite d

his can be a big or meant to help you you are exercising ounter difficulty. tion in mind while oid beating yourself bout it.

Be aware. Pay honest attention to how your body is feeling. If it helps, pick one part of your body to focus on for your entire workout. Additionally, notice the environment in which you are exercising.

Stretch it out. Stretch slowly and intently; use your cool-down as a way to decompress and take care of your body.

This gives you one final chance to incorporate a bit of mindfulness into your exercise routine.

fort. When you encounter le exercising, which is ce it and remember it is coming stronger. At the the distinction between on and the pain of injury. to stop doing what you omething. Maintain the ng yourself to grow and that will send you in the Stay in the zone. Be completely present in your workout while direction. simultaneously letting go of your other thoughts. Do not zone out, but allow yourself to simply exist within this exercise.

Design by Harsitha Kalaiarasan

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Health benefits

Meditation helps with...

Anxiety Asthma Cancer Chronic pain Depression Heart disease

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Information by Natalie Brinkman Source: https://www.mayoclinic.org

Design by Sydney Evans

s of meditation

.

Information by Sydney Weiss Source: ranking.com, google.com

High blood pressure Irritable bowel syndrome Sleep problems Tension headaches

Design by Natalie Brinkman

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Why MINDFULNESS? Mindfulness teaches us how to respond to stress with awareness of what is happening in the present moment, rather than simply acting instinctively, unaware of what emotions or motives may be driving that decision. By teaching awareness for one’s physical and mental state in the moment, mindfulness allows for more adaptive reactions to difficult situations.

Nonjudgm experience the without evalua thoughts/sens good or

STRESS R To deal with anxiety in a mindful manner, it is necessary to become aware of the present moment and create some space between ourselves and what we are experiencing 14

Information by Jenna Bao Source: https://www.mindful.org, https://www.anxiety.org

Basically, bec the thought p lead to anxie the power of thoughts Inquire into, familiarize yourself with, and redirect the thought process that is getting you into trouble

TRY THIS EXERCISE Focus on breathing/exercise diaphragmatic breathing--feeling your stomach rise and the air coming in and out

ment e moment ating your sations as bad

RELIEF

come aware of patterns that ety, reducing f persistent Recognize what is out of one’s control and work to let go of those things and move on. This is not meant to be easy, but it comes with practice.

Accept negative thoughts’ presence instead of refusing to experience them.

Important mindset: acknowledge your anxiety, how much you dislike it, and also how it will pass

Design by Adhiti Chundur

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1. Be Consciously Present

Make a clear decision at the start of your work day. Make an effort to work more consciously, even if that means that you need to work a little slower at first.

Do not get lost in a train of thoughts as you are working.

2. Use Short Mindful Exercises While Working

Mindful exercises train your brain to be more mindful.

Even one minute of consciously connecting with one of your senses helps to rebalance your nervous system, toning down the fight-or-flight response, and engaging the wise part of your brain, so that you make reasoned decisions rather than automatically reacting to situations.

3. Use Mindful Reminders Setting an alarm--one which vibrates and will not disturb others--on the phone to stay on track.

Put mindfulness in your calendar.

Keep a small note or picture on your desk to remind you to be mindful.

Start associating certain activities with mindfulness i.e. meal times, meetings, or finishing one task and starting another.

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Information by Sydney Evans, Jessica Lu Sources: https://www.mindful.org, https://www. topuniversities.com

4. Be a Single-Tasker

Quick experiment: Keep a time journal of what you achieve in a block of time. Work out when you’re single-tasking and when you’re multi-tasking.

Note down what you achieved in that time block and how mindful you were.

Notice your productivity going up when you single-task, noticing the benefits can motivate you to do one thing at a time in a mindful way.

Hint: Group tasks in categories. Practice mindfulness exercises between categories.

6. Feel Gratitude

Humans are more lik and dwell on somet gone wrong than on that have gone well gratitude makes you and has a positive im your creativity, heal relationships, and q work.

Rather than allowing to dip into low mood brood over all the a work you do not like feed your mind with gratitude and use it your natural

Mindfulness The Workpla Workpl 5. Slow Down To Speed Up

Rest can increase efficiency. You need to sleep at least seven hours every night to be able to function effectively. If seven hours of sleep a night can help you achieve a certain amount of work, imagine what would happen if you also did a few minimindfulness exercises during the day?

Pause, focus on listening, stroll rather than run, and generally take your time when at work.

7. Make Stress Y

Your beliefs about s impacts your health A study found that t vessels constricted ( those with heart dise who believed that s for them but stayed healthy in those who that stress was good Change the way yo stress and, in turn, yo response to it.

e

kely to focus thing that’s n things l. Practicing u feel better mpact on lth, working quality of

g your mind ds as you aspects of e, you can h thoughts of t to neutralize brain’s negativity.

In lace ace

Your Friend

stress affect how it h and well-being. the blood (as is seen in ease) in people stress was bad d open and o believed d for them. ou think about your body’s

8. Make Sure You Are in a Mindful Environment

Having a cluttered, uncomfortable study space can hinder your focus. Before you settle down to work: make sure you are comfortable, turn off your phone, free your area of unnecessary papers, and play some light background music (or do not if you prefer to work in silence).

Do your homework at your optimal time. If you know you work better right after you leave school rather than at night, then make it a point to do your work at that time.

9. Take Breaks

If you have been studying for a long period time and feel like your attention is starting to slip, it would be a good time to take a short break. By taking a break, you will allow yourself to refocus and work more efficiently once you start studying again. Just make sure that your break does not end up being two hours long.

10. Highlight Your Notes

When you review, try to actively study instead of just rereading your notes. Try highlighting or rewriting important concepts. This would help with memorization.

11. Cultivate Humility

Humility comes from the Latin humilis, meaning grounded.

Humility is attractive—no one enjoys being around those who continually sing their own praises.

Humility does not mean seeing yourself as inferior; rather, it means being aware of your natural dependence on those around you.

Mindfulness practice helps you to be more connected with your senses—the present self. Your attention widens and you can see how much others contribute to your everyday successes.

Value other people’s opinions: stop and consider in what ways they may be right, too.

12. Accept What You Canot Change

Acceptance lies at the heart of mindfulness. To be mindful means to accept this present moment, to accept yourself, just as you are now. It does not mean resignation or giving up, but it does mean acknowledging the truth of how things are at this time before trying to change anything.

Self-acceptance is embracing all facets of yourself—your weaknesses, shortcomings, aspects you do not like and those you admire.

When you accept yourself, you cut down on energydraining self-criticism.

Design by Sydney Evans 17

ENVIRONMENT By being mindful, one can become more aware of their impact on not only social, but also environmental, aspects of the world. This new awareness can help make a more sustainable environment and improve our relationships with the natural world around us.

"The practice of mindfulness helps us to touch Mother Earth inside of the body, and this practice can help heal people. So, the healing of the people should go together with the healing of the Earth, and this is the insight and it is possible for anyone to practice.�

- Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh

Ways to be mindful ab

Think about how we are inte around us.

Use your senses to better rel

Accept that in order to creat better understand the enviro

Visualize an environmentally appreciating the good and gr

by Taylor Close 18 Information Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, www.theguardian.com

The National Institute of Health created a Mindful Climate Action Plan, which includes: improving personal health decreasing energy use reducing automobile use increasing active transport shifting to more plant-based diets reduce unnecessary purchases

bout the environment

erwoven with the living things

late to your environment.

te a better change, you have to onment.

y-healthy future by actively rowing things around us.

Design by Taylor Close Photo coursety of Taylor Close

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FROM

flawsto flaw

Fear inside you is an indication of a deeper desire; the only way to make it go away is to face it head on.

Break down what you are afraid of.

Your worst case scenario is never as bad as you think.

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Information by Taylor Close Source: https:///pickthebrain.com

Just by try will learn about you you want i enough, y get back u keep lea

Whatever your unique “flaw” is, there is a path where you can make it work for you.

wless

ying, you n more urself. If it badly you will up and arning.

Staying too “in your head” can lead to overthinking. Thinking too much feels like a flaw in those situations, but having a lot going on in your head can be a huge advantage in other parts of life.

Design by Adhiti Chundur

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1

30 Day Mindfuln

Create a goal for the day.

7 Try to do things with your opposite hand, like eating.

13 Take a walk and pay attention to your surroundings.

19 Have a meaninful conversation with your family.

25 Sit in silence and/ or meditate for 20 minutes.

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Information by Aidan Noble Source: positivemindpositivelifestyle.com

2

Make smaller food portions at meals.

8 Have a conversation with someone you normally would not.

14 Give someone a hug.

20 Remember to be thankful.

26 Take a longer shower and pay attention to the warm water.

3

Practice deep breathing to reduce stress and anxiety.

9 Stop stressing and get up and exercise/move.

15 Compliment three people.

21 Write a poem/journal entry about your day.

27 Make a list of 5 things you are grateful for.

ness Challenge 4

Sit in silence and pay attention to your surroundings.

10 Mindfully listen to converstations.

16 Spontaneously dance for five minutes.

22 Pay attention to what food you eat, and how it makes you feel.

28 Color outside the lines.

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Relax and listen to your favorite music for 20 minutes.

11 Practice five minutes of breathing meditation.

17 Pay attention to how you use your senses today.

23 Read a chapter or two of your favorite book.

29 Make a to-do list of everything you want to get done.

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Step away from your phone for a couple hours.

12 Think of what you are stressing about and how you can handle it.

18 Reflect on your day and establish your successes.

24 Spontaneously laugh.

30 Get off your phone/ electronics for three hours.

Design by Taylor Close

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