“You cannot solve a problem with the same level of mind that created it.” Albert Einstein.
I think it's true that a short burst of stress or pressure can help us rise to an immediate challenge. Many thousands of years ago, when our ancestors were Cavemen, and needed to chase down a Wooly Mammoth, this fight-or-flight response was an incredibly useful evolutionary trait to have in our toolbox. However, that's what the Fight-or-Flight response was designed for...a short burst of Adrenaline and Cortisol that would get us somewhere in a very short space of time.
However, in today's world this Fight-or-Flight response seems to be turned on all the time, causing us various symptoms, including anger and anxiety, difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, breathlessness and chest pains. People who are under prolonged stress are at greater risk of health problems like high blood pressure and heart attacks. It's no coincidence that most heart attacks occur at 9AM on Monday morning!
Something has to be found to stop this, or at least lessen it..! As far as a natural, safe alternative is concerned, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction does a pretty good job. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) offers an integrative approach by utilising techniques such as meditation, gentle yoga and mind-body exercises to help people cope with stress. The mind is known to be a factor in stress and stress-related disorders, and meditation has been shown to positively effect a range of autonomic physiological processes, such as lowering blood pressure and reducing overall arousal and emotional reactivity.
It is a way of connecting in to the body and becoming present with your current experience, by lying on one's back and focusing one's attention on various regions of the body, starting with the toes and moving up slowly to the top of the head. By taking your focus away from your thoughts, and towards your body, your attention is taken away from the thinking processes which are currently causing you distress. It simply starts with just coming back to your breath. This is the fastest, quickest way to become present.
In Layman's terms, it is simply, "Moment-to-moment, non judgemental awareness [of yourself." Jon Kabat-Zinn. A way of tuning in..a way of moving from your Headmind to your Bodymind (I explain more about this in another Post!) and just the simple act of observation of what is happening. It can be extremely peaceful and nourishing.
Even though I'm at the stage in my health where I don't really need to practice Mindfulness anymore, I still do on a daily basis, because it helps keep me grounded, whilst also keeping things in perspective, and reducing overwhelm which can be triggered by 'over-stress.'
A Bit too Spiritual For Me?
MBSR is in fact not Spiritual at all. Although its roots are grounded in spiritual practice, the program is in fact secular, and should be approached as so.
'Mindfulness-based approaches have been the subject of increasing research interest: 52 papers were published in 2003, rising to 477 by 2012.[1] Nearly 100 randomized controlled trials had published by early 2014.' Hurley, Dan (January 14, 2014). "Breathing In vs. Spacing Out" . New York Times Magazine. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
For Sufferers of Chronic Pain?
When I was first diagnosed, I was in a lot of physical joint and muscle pain...every single day. It was relentless. The only thing I found which gave me some relief from my symptoms at the time was doing some Mindfulness-Based Stress Relief, usually for around 20 minutes a day. I suppose you could say it was my first window to recovery. It was then that I started exploring nutrition and psychology, which is where the majority of my recovery lay. Mindfulness or Meditation is not a cure, but it certainly helps soften pain, and acts as a good lubricant to make change a possibility in your life.
On a final note, for Fibro sufferers..."MBSR might be beneficial for people with fibromyalgia: there is no evidence of long-term benefit but low-quality evidence of a small short-term benefit." Lauche R, Cramer H, Dobos G, Langhorst J, Schmidt S (December 2013). "A systematic review and meta-analysis of mindfulness-based stress reduction for the fibromyalgia syndrome". J Psychosom Res (Systematic review) 75 (6): 500–10
So...could this benefit me?
A good place to start is by assessing your own stress levels and how your managing them. If you click on the link, you'll be taken to the BeMindful stress test.
Additionally, if you're a bit of a bookworm, this could be the most useful book you ever buy!
