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Next Thursday is Thanksgiving, an opportunity to express thanks for all that we have. Often it is easy to do this. At other times, especially if we are dealing with disappointment or hardship, it may be more difficult. Our minds inherently focus more on what is not going well rather than what is, an attribute that is often referred to as negativity bias. This may well be an evolutionary adaptation from our ancestors who needed to be vigilant and anticipate the worst in order to survive. Although most of the time now we are not actually in danger, our minds can hold on to thoughts about negative events as if we are.
In response, we can both acknowledge our circumstances and still choose to focus on something positive, something we are thankful or grateful for instead. One way to do this is by practicing brief gratitude meditation. We can start by closing our eyes and bringing attention to the region of the heart, on the center left side of the chest, then breathing in a little deeper and longer than usual, noticing the flow of air into and out of the lungs. We can then bring to mind someone or something or some place that we really appreciate or are grateful for, holding this image in the mind while we continue to breath in and out slowly and deeply. While doing this, we may notice a sensation of warmth, lightening or opening in the region or the heart, or we may not notice any particular sensations. In either case, we can continue doing this for as long as we like. Even a minute or two can be beneficial. When we’re ready we can then let go of the image, begin to breath normally and open the eyes.
This simple meditation can help us counteract the negativity bias by intentionally shifting our attention to something for which we are grateful or thankful. It has been shown to have measurable positive physiologic effects by decreasing the activation of the sympathetic (stress) nervous system and increasing the activation of the parasympathetic (relaxation) nervous system. So not only can it have positive psychological effects, it can also positively affect our physical state.
Thanksgiving can be an ideal time to practice being thankful, expressing gratitude and appreciation using this meditation or however else we may choose to, even if our circumstances are difficult. Thanksgiving was established as a national holiday by President Lincoln in 1863, in the middle of the Civil War, as an opportunity to appreciate the blessings of life in the midst of the sufferings of war. Although it is not easy, with awareness and intention it is still possible to hold such disparate circumstances as both being true. |
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News and Notes More |
Space Is Still Available in the Mindful Eating Course Beginning in January
The Mindful Eating course will be offered again on Mondays from January 13 – March 3 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The class is taught by Barbara Maile who is a psychotherapist with over 30 years of clinical experience. Barbara is passionate about helping people change their relationship with food, eating and their bodies and easing the pain and suffering related to food/eating and body-shaming that is so pervasive in our culture. The goal of the course is to assist participants in developing long-term, sustainable practices that support a healthful approach to eating and food-related thoughts and behaviors. The course is offered on a sliding scale fee schedule, and scholarships are also available. Please click here to register. Contact Harriett Whiting at hw8w@uvahealth.org for more information about financial assistance. |
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Mindfulness Apps for College Students Can Improve Mental Health
Stress, anxiety and depression among college students are important mental health issues. These investigators conducted a literature review and metanalysis of studies that addressed the acceptability and efficacy of mindfulness training apps on mental health outcomes among college students. A total of 47 studies were included in a qualitative review and the quantitative effects on stress from 19, anxiety from 12, depression from 13, and emotional well-being from 8 trials (total N = 2974) were analyzed.
The apps were felt to be acceptable with varying usage levels. Stress was reduced by 0.435 standard deviation units, 95 % CI (−0.615,-0.255), and emotional well-being increased by 0.431 (0.162,0.7) which are medium effect sizes. The apps reduced depression by 0.219 (−0.374, −0.065) units and anxiety by 0.218 (−0.42, −0.016) which are small effect sizes. Participants who were more distressed had larger improvements on all outcomes except depression.
The authors concluded that, with moderate certainty of evidence, mindfulness training apps may improve student mental health with similar or larger effect sizes than in the general adult population. |
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