Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Mindfulness

I attended a webinar on Mindfulness last month (October being a Mental Health month) and would like to share here what I gained from the short session (I had attended one similar programme before). The session was conducted by Ms Evelyn Soong, a Clinical Psychologist.

 

She started off by sharing that we can become our own therapist by:

1. Knowing how our body works - physiological and psychological changes

2. Understanding mindfulness

3. Applying S.T.O.P. strategy

 

Flight-Fight-Freeze (FFF) Response is a self-protection and survival mechanism.

 

Physiological

When FFF is activated, breathing starts to slow down, heart rate and blood pressure increase. Blood flows to major muscle groups and sensory becomes sharper. Mouth goes dry, and you may start to sweat or have tremors.

 

Psychological

Negative thoughts, tunnel vision, anxious and scared, hypersensitive, restless.

 

Effects of Chronic Stress

Physical: increased risks of:

1. Gastrointestinal problems e.g. loss of appetite

2. Cardiovascular diseases because the heart beats faster than normal

3. Skin problems e.g. acne, pimples

4. Reproductive problems - difficulty conceiving, premature ejaculation

 

Psychological

Possible effects:

1. Cognitive: can’t concentrate, memory problems

2. Emotional: irritable, moody, lonely, unhappy

3. Behaviour: affects eating and sleeping habits, withdraw from others

 

Mindfulness: awareness that arises from paying attention on purpose in the present moment and non-judgementally. Being aware of what you’re feeling, of your surroundings and what is happening, for example stopping back at a zebra crossing and looking at traffic and watching others non-judgementally. Being mindful means being fully present for the moment, paying attention to self, sensations, thoughts, what you see around you, and not overly reacting to the situation.

 

How being mindful is beneficial:

1. Reduced activation of amygdala

2. Changes in brain reaction, better emotional regulation, reduced anxiety and aggression

 

Mindfulness helps calms one down, improves concentration, reduces rumination, improves communication in relationships, enhances body immunity

 

S.T.O.P. strategy

Stop what you’re doing and putting things down for a while

Taking deep breaths, you can also extend it to a few minutes

Observe your experience, bodily sensations, thoughts, feelings, senses

Proceed to what you were doing earlier or something that makes you feel supported.

 

I hope you will gain some benefits from the above and start applying the techniques.