Stress contributes to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes and cancer, and many other physical and mental ailments. A recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that people given mindfulness-based interventions for eight weeks experienced a decrease in anxiety comparable to those prescribed a general anxiety medication. And new research shows that mindfulness works as well as a commonly prescribed drug to curb the effects of anxiety.
Understanding how stress affects the body can help you realize how important it is to alleviate it.
Stress and anxiety are a normal part of life, but anxiety disorders, which affect 40 million adults, are the most common psychiatric illnesses in the US. The benefits of exercise may extend beyond just relieving stress to improving anxiety and related disorders. Exercise alone is not a solution, calming your mind is also important.
Simple steps to help us go from anxious to calm:
Soothing touch gives your body a head start in calming down. It uses your mammalian caregiver’s response, releasing oxytocin and opiates in your brain to counteract cortisol, the stress hormone. So place your hands where you find it soothing. Practice placing your hands on your heart, your stomach, cheeks, upper arms in a hug, hands holding hands. Use the placement you are most comfortable with.
Name your feeling: “I feel frustrated. I feel sad. I’m afraid. I’m angry.” Labeling the emotion activates the thinking brain and calms your system. Dive into the emotion and see what’s there. Avoid judging it. Just curiously observe. This is the core of what mindfulness is all about It takes practice, but soon you will be able to tune in and notice what is happening inside you. Once you notice these feelings, you can work with them, giving yourself the space to breathe and change your relationship with it.
Action: Apply the right Mindful Method to nourish yourself. Note that you are currently physically safe, assuming this is the case. You have a roof over your head. You are most likely not in physical danger. Open your senses. Notice what you see in your surroundings. Spend a few moments listening to the sounds that are present. See how the air feels on your skin. Let yourself realize that you are actually safe.
Praise: What do you need to hear or do now to make yourself feel better? Make a sentence and repeat it like a mantra to yourself. It could be something like this:
I am healthy and strong.
I am safe.
I’ll get through this.
Whatever happens, I’ll be there to meet it.
I am loved and appreciated.
Concentrate on the mantra until it sinks in and you believe in it. Don’t worry if it feels forced at first. As a bonus, you can change the channel by moving into a positive mental state from a memory. Feel that goodness for a few breaths to transform it from a mental state to a neural quality. This will rewire your brain for greater happiness and resilience.
Psychologist Rick Hanson, senior fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center and New York Times bestselling author, says, “The SNAP method is brilliant. In one simple exercise, Julie Potiker integrates brain science, mindfulness, compassion and other effective tools to improve your mood, relieve anxiety, calm stress and open your heart.
About Julie Potiker: Julie Potiker is a mindfulness expert with extensive certifications and teacher training in a variety of tools and methods, including Mindful Self-Compassion. Her new book is “SNAP! From chaos to peace.” Through her Mindful Methods for Life program, Julie helps others bring more peace and well-being into their lives. Learn more at MindfulMethodsForLife.com.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2798510?utm_campaign=articlePDF&utm_medium=articlePDFlink&utm_source=articlePDF&utm_content=jama.2022.23506