Relaxing with Mindfulness

23.1.2017

We lead such hectic lives these days, so it’s no surprise that many of us speak about not having enough time for ourselves. And when we do get that time off, many of us find it difficult to switch off. The busier we get the less relaxation time we have and, often, the worse we feel. This chronic stress cycle can cause many physical and psychological symptoms.

Mindfulness training can help to break this cycle. It can help you to choose to come away from work and other pressures when there is time for that, and this means that when you do get free time it feels more like your own, and that you feel refreshed thereafter.

What happens to the body when we’re under stress?

When we are under stress, an area of the brain known as the amygdala, which plays a key part in the regulation of emotions, goes on high alert. This in turn signals to the hypothalamus to produce a cocktail of hormones. A hit of adrenaline pulses through the body to give us the energy boost we need to get through it, priming us for fight or flight. Meanwhile, through other chemical reactions in the hypothalamus, the stress hormone cortisol is produced.

The effect of stress hormones on the body are wide-ranging. Your heart rate goes up, your blood pressure is raised, levels of inflammation in the body increase, you might experience tightness in the chest and changing to respiration. In the short-term, these symptoms usually pass; but during prolonged periods of stress, the immune system becomes compromised, making you vulnerable to illness.

What is mindfulness and how can it help?

In 2010 the Mindfulness report by the UK’s Mental Health Foundation describes mindfulness as…

“...a way of paying attention to the present moment by using meditation, yoga and breathing techniques. It involves consciously bringing awareness to our thoughts and feelings, without making judgments about them. It is a method for observing what is happening right now, in our bodies, minds, and the world around us.”

As well as helping us to come to terms with our thoughts and feelings, mindfulness helps us to reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress. As a result, our blood pressure might decrease and we will be at lesser risk of suffering from hypertension. Additional associated benefits include a reduction of the risk of developing cardiovascular disease; and, if cardiovascular disease were to indeed develop, it would be of a less severe nature.

How can meditation fit into a daily routine?

Here is a paradox: mindfulness training does work to reduce stress, but only if you put the time in. Ironically many people who are busy and stressed feel that they don’t have the time to be mindful. But taking just 10 minutes in the morning for meditation can be great preparation for a busy day. In a recent study, Megan Reitz, Michael Chaskalson and colleagues looked at the positive effects of mindfulness in improving leadership skills. The leaders who practiced the meditations they were assigned for just ten minutes or more per day became significantly more resilient. Just that short investment of time every day made them much better able to deal with their daily stressors.

Mindfulness training not only helps with relaxation, but it helps us to deal more effectively with those aspects of our lives that are busy and hectic so we can lead a fuller and more purposeful existence.

To find out more about mindfulness and relaxation, contact michael@mindfulnessworks.com or call (+44) 01223 750666.