by Dr. Robert L Smith, PhD
Resilience as a resource for PTSD, anxiety and many other organic diseases is supported by strong scientific research. Many people say they need to develop good coping habits that promote resilience but may not know where to start. We become too busy and can’t slow down enough in our day to practice. Mindfulness is one source of resilience that can be practiced in as little as one minute a day.
Dr Roane Sokol is a physician at the Cleveland Clinic who writes about mindfulness. Dr. Sokol recommends starting with a one-minute mindfulness meditation exercise. Dr. Sokol calls this a starting point that can be used initially in practicing mindfulness meditation. The steps are: Find a place where you are not likely to be disturbed. Next, sit up straight and close your eyes. Next, breathe in for five seconds then breathe out for five seconds. Finally, repeat this five times ( this takes about one minute). Adding minutes is the goal of practicing and can be achieved easily.
Slowing down equals calming down. Our body and brain alarm state is forced to turn off if we do these exercises with regular frequency. The common denominator in slowing down exercises is breathing. Specifically, the body and brain stress alarm system involves the activation of the HPA ( Hypothalamus- Pituitary-Adrenal) axis. Like a domino effect, the pituitary gland signals the adrenal glands to secrete cortisol and other biochemical messengers that prepare the body for stress. These biochemical messengers speed things up ( pulse rate, blood pressure etc.). Leaving this alarm on is not optimal because it creates wear and tear on the brain, organs and body. Slowing this process down is essential for optimal behavioral ( and general) health.
This alarm state is not designed to operate long term and needs to be turned off when we are not in crisis. Slowing down the rate of breathing is the quickest way to return the brain and body systems to baseline calm. I have worked with many firefighters, physicians, nurses and military professionals who have used these ‘slowing down’ exercises effectively. Everyone can use these to facilitate calming if practiced frequently.
Dr James Stahl, MD, a Harvard University researcher has reported that meditation, mindfulness and resilience exercises can reduce stress. He reported that people in his internal medicine practice reported good results by using these techniques for 15 minutes per day. He also reported that the use of IT applications such as Headspace, Meditating Oasis or Calm produced good results for his patients. These types of apps help to introduce breathing techniques that you might not be familiar with and can give structure to your practice.
Everyone can benefit from resilience behaviors. Mindfulness and meditation are two of the most effective coping skills we can learn. Don’t let the words of mindfulness or meditation keep you from trying it out on an app or practicing in a quiet place. Slowing down aids us in shutting down our alarm state which is essential for optimal behavioral and overall physical health.
REFERENCES Adapted from Dr. Roane Sukol, M.D., Cleveland Clinic. 2022 Dr. Robert Smith Ph.D. 2023 Adapted from Dr. James Stahl, M.D. Harvard University (now at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical center). 2022
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