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As beautiful and joyous as life can be, it can also be plain ol’ stressful. Whether it’s hefty mortgage payments, killer commutes, or bosses who don’t give us the credit we deserve, stress can come at us from all different angles. Surveys have uncovered some pretty disturbing statistics about stress. 33% of people feel they […]
As beautiful and joyous as life can be, it can also be plain ol’ stressful. Whether it’s hefty mortgage payments, killer commutes, or bosses who don’t give us the credit we deserve, stress can come at us from all different angles.
Surveys have uncovered some pretty disturbing statistics about stress. 33% of people feel they live with extreme stress, while 48% believe the stress in their lives has increased over the past five years. And a whopping 77% of people surveyed said they experience physical symptoms caused by stress.
What are some of these physical symptoms linked to chronic stress?
• Pain of any kind
• Sleep problems
• Autoimmune diseases
• Digestive problems
• Skin conditions, such as eczema
• Heart disease
• Weight problems
• Reproductive issues
• Thinking and memory issues
How Meditation Can Help
There is now scientific evidence that meditation is effective against physical symptoms of stress such as IBS, high blood pressure, and ulcerative colitis. Meditation has been linked with improved immune response, reduction in pain sensitivity, and a shift from negativity to positivity.
Further, research has shown that meditation may physically alter the brain and how we are able to cope with chronic stress.
But what exactly is meditation? When many people hear that word, they have instant visions of people sitting in lotus position chanting, “Ohmmm.”
Mindful meditation is simply the practice of harnessing our attention to quiet our chattering minds. Instead of letting our brains run rampant like energetic puppies, sniffing one thought after another and another and another, mindfulness focuses our attention in the now.
The problem is because mediation is so deceptively simple, many people either feel it can’t possibly work in general, or they won’t benefit from it. And because we live in a society that seems to promote instant gratification, other people expect that after their first 20 minutes of meditating, all of their problems will magically dissolve.
But meditation is called a “practice” for a reason. Like anything else that is beneficial to your mind and body (sound nutrition and exercise), it takes commitment to reap those benefits.
Tips for Beginner Meditator
If you are interested in trying meditation for yourself, here are a few key tips:
• Get comfortable – you don’t have to sit in the lotus pose. You can sit in a comfy chair or even lie down. The trick is to be comfortable enough that your body sensations don’t distract you, but not so comfortable that you fall asleep.
• Don’t try and control your breath, just breathe naturally, simply staying aware of your breath.
• Start with just a few minutes and build from there.
• Don’t try to be perfect. There is no perfection in life or meditation, so just keep practicing every day.
If you find after you’ve been meditating for a little while that you could use some extra help dealing with the stress in your life, get in touch with me. I’d be happy to explore treatment options with you and talk about how I may be able to help.
Filed Under: Anxiety, Depression, Mindfulness
Does this happen to you? You sit down with a bag of chips or pint of ice cream intending to eat only one serving, but before you know it the entire container is empty. You have no real recollection of tasting what you just ate, much less enjoying it, as your attention was focused elsewhere. Just like […]
Does this happen to you?
You sit down with a bag of chips or pint of ice cream intending to eat only one serving, but before you know it the entire container is empty. You have no real recollection of tasting what you just ate, much less enjoying it, as your attention was focused elsewhere. Just like coming home from a familiar place and not remembering the drive, you seem to have eaten the whole thing on autopilot.
This is mindlesseating is how many of us eat every meal of every day. Consuming our food without any awareness of what or how much food we are eating. This reactive, thoughtless process is part of the reason for much of overeating and weight gain in this country.
What is Mindful Eating and How Do I Do It?
Mindful eating is exactly that– it is a practice of staying present as you eat. It is noticing what and how much food you are eating by focusing on the sensory experiences of fueling your body. What are the colors in this meal? What textures are present and how do they combine in each bite? What flavors do you notice both in individual foods and bite combinations?
Mindful eating is not a fad diet which promises quick results and then sends you on to the weight and self-esteem roller coaster. Instead, mindful eating is about changing your relationship with food, so that you don’t feel controlled or afraid of it. When you eat mindfully, you practice sustaining your attention, you taste and experience food more fully, and you feel more satisfied after you eat.
If this sounds like something you’d like to try, here are four ways you can begin practicing mindful eating every day:
1. In Sight – In Mind
You know the old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind?” Well the opposite is also true – the food we see and have readily available is what we tend to want to eat. Try putting away (or throwing out) any foods that you don’t want to eat impulsively and instead put out a bowl of fruit and/or nuts on the counter for when you have low blood sugar and your body says “feed me, now!”
Mindful eating starts with being prepared by meal planning and grocery shopping. Focus on stocking your fridge and shelves with healthier foods and snacks that you will feel good about eating. Having these healthy options readily available makes it easy to make a choice you feel proud of!
2. Stop Multitasking
How often do you just eat and only eat? Most of us eat while watching TV, reading, doing homework, or checking our phone. Try making meal times a time for eating and only eating, so that you can actually be present with the process and enjoy your food. If you absolutely must work through your lunch break, try alternating between tasks so you can focus on one thing at a time. For instance, take a few bites of your lunch focusing on the look, smell, taste, and texture, then put down your fork and write and send that email that has to get out. By switching back and forth you can eat mindfully and not rush your meal while still getting some work done.
3. Slow Down
Unless you’ve entered a pie-eating contest, there’s no rush. Too many times we wolf down our food, then wonder why we feel sick or tired after eating. Take your time to notice the eating process. It might help to remind yourself as you chew, to slow down and take your time. Eventually slow, purposeful eating will become an ingrained habit, but like any habit change it takes practice.
4. Assess Your Hunger
How hungry are you when you begin to eat? Are you even hungry at all, or are you eating for another reason, like as an emotional coping tool?
Before you dive into that large pizza with the works, check in with your real hunger level. On a scale of 1-10, if your hunger is a 3, one slice should suffice. If you’re not hungry, but in a bad mood because the boss is making you stay late, then pizza probably isn’t the best solution. Instead, you might try to lift your mood with a non-food treat like a funny YouTube video you know you like or thinking of something that you are looking forward to.
Try to incorporate these tips into your everyday life. You will be surprised how mindful eating can change your entire life, from the size clothes you wear, to your health, to how in control you feel in other areas of your life.
Therapy can help if you would like support working on changing your relationship with food or the emotions that you are trying to manage with food. Feel free to call me for a free consultation session to discuss starting therapy.
Filed Under: Mindfulness, Self-Esteem
Dealing with grief is one of the most devastating things in life that we must unfortunately experience. The finality of losing someone we love can cause us to feel angry, depressed, or anxious. When dealing with grief, it may feel like you can’t move forward, or you don’t know how you can continue living in […]
Dealing with grief is one of the most devastating things in life that we must unfortunately experience. The finality of losing someone we love can cause us to feel angry, depressed, or anxious.
When dealing with grief, it may feel like you can’t move forward, or you don’t know how you can continue living in a world without your loved one in it.
To help deal with these intense and overwhelming emotions, turning to meditation can help. Meditation is a practice of calm and silence, where the frenetic thoughts and worries in your mind are quieted for a moment of reflection or mindfulness. Through meditation, you can begin to calm your emotions, assess your feelings, and come to a place of acceptance and peace.
A Meditation to Cope with Grief:
Try this meditation any time you feel the need to do so.
There are apps you can download for your smart phone or tablet to help guide you through different meditations; just search for “meditation” in the App Store. You can also search YouTube for “meditations for grief” and try the guided meditations available there for free.
There is no one way to grieve; everyone grieves differently. There’s also no time-table or deadline. The journey of grief is a very personal one, and the only way to get through it is to deal with the emotions you’re experiencing as they come.
If you’re having trouble moving forward after losing someone you love and would like some help, please give me a call today so we can set up an appointment. I offer a free initial consultation session and I often use Mindfulness and meditation in my practice.
Filed Under: Grief, Mindfulness
Life is full of moments that cause us to feel stressed or nervous. Situations like public speaking, starting a new school, and trying to ace that important job interview can make us fearful, resulting in sleepless nights and performance jitters. However, when the fear becomes persistent and overwhelming and interferes with everyday life, “normal fear” […]
Life is full of moments that cause us to feel stressed or nervous. Situations like public speaking, starting a new school, and trying to ace that important job interview can make us fearful, resulting in sleepless nights and performance jitters.
However, when the fear becomes persistent and overwhelming and interferes with everyday life, “normal fear” becomes a full-blown anxiety disorder.
While a licensed therapist should be consulted to develop a plan for treating your anxiety disorder, yoga can be helpful addition. It is an effective and natural way to get some relief from symptoms like trouble sleeping, muscle tension, and chronic digestive upset.
Yoga, it turns out, can help in anxiety management in a few different ways:
1. Yoga Builds Confidence
Anxiety can result from a lack of confidence in our ability to handle negative situations that may arise. We are not so much fearful of public speaking, as we are fearful that we are somehow going to “mess it up” or “look like a fool.”
Yoga is a major confidence-builder because it works to strengthen the body and mind at the same time. The practice includes body postures, breathing techniques, and meditation, which can help a person feel calm, centered, and ready to take on new challenges.
2. Yoga Distracts Your Mind from the Negative Loop
What can you do when your mind seems to be stuck on an endless loop of negative and worrisome thoughts? Purposefully put you mind somewhere else.
Yoga trains a person to focus their thoughts on the moment, specifically by thinking only of their rhythmic breath and body posture. As soon as the mind wanders to its typical negative thinking, the practitioner simply guides it back to the breath and body without anger or judgement. Feelings of calmness and acceptance naturally follow intense breath work and mindfulness.
3. Yoga is like Your Inner Therapist
Yoga is a wonderful compliment to therapy because, like your therapist, yoga helps you to observe how your inner world. And, also like your therapist, there is no judgement involved. Mediation is simply about paying attention to the thoughts and feelings that you are having, thereby giving you choice in how you respond through awareness.
If you or a loved one is interested in exploring treatment for your anxiety disorder, please contact me today for a free consultation session.
Filed Under: Anxiety, Depression, Mindfulness
