March 2019

Mental Health Challenge

Anxiety can have a significant impact on your mental health and physical health. To effectively manage your stress you need to calm down your amygdala, which is the part of the brain that alerts your to potential stressors and leaves you feeling fear and worry. Research has found that keeping a simple mindfulness practice can combat and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present in current moment, and being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations. Mindfulness also helps to manage your impulses and gives your more control over your reactions so your are not becoming reactive to strong negative emotions.

With mindfulness practice, you’re aware of the stress and anxiety flowing through your mind and body without getting stuck in negative thoughts and feelings. You keep an awareness of the thoughts and feelings that arise as you experience the stress but not attaching to them and recognizing that those emotions and thoughts are not all that you are. One way of visualizing this process is imaging that your mind is a stream and your thoughts and feelings are like leaves on that stream. The leaves float by, but the stream is always there. The stream is the space that holds the leaves to float on. You can observe the leaves as the float by until the stream is clear.

Here are some instructions for a basic breath  mindfulness meditation. Do this once or twice a day for two weeks. There’s no right or wrong way to do this mindfulness practice for stress and anxiety.  If you are struggling to focus on your breath, do not get discouraged. The goal is not to focus just on your breath, rather to develop a better understanding of how your mind works. You are human, so naturally your mind will wander. The practice is to catch your mind when it wanders and to bring it back to the intention of focusing on your breath. Through this practice you are learning to control your focus and gives you more control over what you want to pay attention to in the moment. 

1. Pick a comfortable, quiet place where you won’t be disturbed.

2. Sit with your spine upright on a cushion on the floor or a chair. If you use a chair, make sure your feet are touching the ground. Close your eyes, or maintain a soft, unfocused downwards gaze.

3. Begin to notice your breathing. Notice where your breath goes when it enters and leaves your body.

4. If your mind wanders, notice where it goes and then gently shift your attention back to your breath.

5. Continue observing your breath for five minutes. At the end of the practice, notice how your mind and body feel, then slowly come back to the room.

As you continue this mindfulness practice for stress reduction for two weeks, notice if you have judgemental thoughts regarding yourself or the practice (e.g. "I can't do this" or 'this is dumb"). You don't have to attach to these judgmental thoughts, simply notice them and shift your attention back to your breath. 

Mental Health Tip

Spring is a time for new beginnings. It can be a time to try new things. For individuals with anxiety or depression this can be difficult. Others in their lives may say why don't you come out and join us in doing something. Their family and friends may be less understanding when they say they do not want to meet up with them. If you experience anxiety and/or depression this can make you feel worse. You begin to question more about why you do not feel happy or do not want to go outside. After all the weather is starting to improve and everyone else is excited.

Unfortunately anxiety and depression does not melt away with the snow. They can affect people all year round. For others they do notice that their mental health improves in the spring as the days grow longer and there is more sunshine. Whether your anxiety and depression symptoms improve in the spring or not, there are still things that you can do to help yourself feel better.

Research has shown that one of the ways to decrease depressive symptoms is to do pleasant activities. This does not necessarily mean going to a movie with a friend or a party (it may for some people). Often times pleasant activities that will improve your mood need to be connected to a value that you have. So for example if you value being creative a pleasant activity that may taking a drawing class or painting at home. If you value fitness then it may be taking a walk with a friend.

If you experience depression it will be difficult for you to at times find the energy to do any activities. One motivating factor may be considering why are you choosing to do something. If it is just because you were told to do it or someone said this will make you feel better then your motivation may not be very high. Whereas if you decide to do something because of your values then you may feel more motivated.

If you experience anxiety then values can also help you feel motivated to do something It is likely that even if you value you what you are doing that you will still feel anxious. That is okay. Your anxiety will increase and decrease for different reasons. Research has shown however, that if we avoid something that makes us anxious that you are more likely to experience higher levels of anxiety the next time you do it. So recognize that you feel anxious and that your anxiety is not bigger then you are. Even when you feel anxious you can still move your arms and legs. You can move your head and see what is around you. You can hear what is going on. All while still acknowledging your anxiety. If you experience depression you can practice the same strategy for managing your depression and still doing what you choose to do.

Try giving the above strategies a try. Let us know how they worked for you.