Mindfulness for Stress Management

Why use mindfulness

Mindfulness allows you to be in the present moment and become more aware of your emotions and reactions without judgement. It has the ability to gently build inner strength & resilience, tolerance, improve mental clarity and emotional intelligence.

• Mindfulness also helps improve mood and sleep.

• It helps to relieve stress, reduce negative thoughts & feelings.

• Positive psychological effects include increased feelings of well-being, reduced emotional reactivity and improved regulation of behavior.

• It helps you to become aware of your own thoughts, gives you a moment to pause and enhances focus and problem solving.

• It’s beneficial for common forms of psychological distress e.g. anxiety, worry, fear & anger.

Tips about starting your practice

• Mindfulness techniques can be done in as little as 3 minutes or as long as you like.

• It can be done passively or actively e.g. walking meditation.

• The more you practice the easier it gets. The type of mindfulness activity you choose can be flexible and depend on your availability of time and personal preferences.

• It may be difficult for some people to switch off their mind – which is ok.  It is about becoming aware of your thoughts & letting them pass.

• You may need to try different techniques before you find one that suits you.

Different types of mindfulness/meditation

Breath awareness meditation:  Focus your entire attention on breathing in and out, how your abdomen rises and goes down with each breath. If thoughts start crowding in, gently let them go and refocus on your breathing.

Progressive relaxation or body scan:  A practice where you focus on each individual body part in turn, from head to toe. Some people like to tense each body part and then completely relax.

Walking meditation:  Concentrate on the feel of the ground under your feet, breathing while walking & observe what is around you as you walk, staying in the present & enjoy the moment.

The observer-thought meditation: This teaches you to notice as thoughts arise, label them as positive or negative, but avoid getting absorbed in them.

Five senses meditation:  What are 1-2 things you can see, feel, hear, smell or taste.  This exercise is used to quickly ground yourself in the present when you only have a moment. The goal is to notice something that you are currently experiencing through each of your senses.

Loving-kindness meditation:  A meditation to improve positive feelings of love and care, toward a close loved one, to yourself and others.

Guided visualisation: Practiced by listening to guided meditation with or without music. It focuses on visualisation and designed to deepen your body awareness, calm your mind and improve relaxation.

Different breathing techniques

There are numerous breathing techniques you can practice during mindfulness practice. The easiest breathing technique is to count your breaths, start by counting 1 on the inhale, 2 on the exhale, 3 on the inhale and so forth.

Some other breathing techniques include:

Abdominal Breathing Technique:  With one hand on the chest and the other on the belly, take a deep breath in through the nose, ensuring the abdomen (not the chest) inflates higher than the chest.  Take 6 to 10 deep, slow breaths per minute and aim for 10 minutes each day to experience reductions in stress response and heart rate.

Box breathing:  Helpful during extreme stress, where you practice the following process: Inhale for a count of 4 ... hold your breath for a count of 4 ... exhale for a count of 4 ...wait at the very end of the exhale for a count of 4, and repeat. This is a deep breathing exercise that has been shown to calm and regulate the nervous system.

The Breathing Waltz:  Breath in for a count of 3 ... Hold your breath for a count of 3 ... Breath out for a count of 3.  Repeat steps 1 to 3 for a period of one minute or as long as needed.

The 4-7-8 technique:  Breathe in quietly through the nose for 4 seconds ... hold the breath for a count of 7 seconds ... exhale forcefully through the mouth, pursing the lips and making a "whoosh" sound, for 8 seconds. Repeat the cycle up to 4 times

A practice such as mindfulness is not only beneficial to both mind and body, it is free and has a positive impact on overall health and wellbeing. It is safe to do and anyone can try it no matter what age. It can be done as a stand alone practice or combined with psychological or other therapies.

Managing Anxiety Holistically

Natural ways to manage your anxiety

If you’ve been suffering increased anxiety lately, you’re not alone. The world has changed since early 2020 and mental health has suffered enormously affecting many people from all walks of life. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health conditions in Australia with almost 30% of adults experiencing it at some point, and in children it is the second most common mental health disorder experienced by about 7% of young people.

Anxiety Overview

There are a number of conditions which fall under the anxiety umbrella, such as social anxiety, OCD, panic disorder and PTSD, but for the purpose of this blog, I am referring to generalised anxiety.

Everyone experiences anxiety differently, but it is common to feel nervousness, being on edge, feeling restless, increased heart rate or a sense of fear, however there isn’t always a real or known danger or a clear cause. Symptoms can be physical such as shortness of breath, heart palpitations, dry mouth, digestive upset or they can be psychological such as impaired concentration, racing thoughts, heightened alertness or irritability.

Causes of Anxiety

There are a number of different causes of anxiety, some of which are not commonly known. Finding the source can then help find the best treatment to manage and prevent it.

Much of the time it is due to current circumstances, such as acute or chronic stress, living arrangements, work/financial reasons, living through uncertain times, loss of loved one, but there are also other contributing factors listed below:

• Nutrient deficiency:  Magnesium, calcium, zinc, B complex, protein (amino acids)

• Digestive:  Leaky gut, imbalance of gut bacteria, IBS

• Neurotransmitter imbalance:  Low GABA, serotonin, dopamine

• Fluctuating blood sugar levels

• Genetic predisposition / family history, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s)

• Food intolerance / chemical sensitivity: Gluten, dairy, grains, histamine intolerance, additives, colours, flavours, preservatives

• Dietary – excess processed foods or stimulants, refined carbohydrates

• Health conditions: Hyperthyroidism, cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, a serious health diagnosis

• Heavy metals, liver, gallbladder, detoxification issues

• Relationships:  Personal boundaries, relationship breakdown, abuse, bullying

• Lifestyle:  Lack of exercise, lack of downtime, excess blue light exposure

• Chronic inflammation, oxidative stress

• Psychological:  Thinking style, depression, other mental health disorders

• Sleep disturbance / insomnia

• Substance use: Caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, sugar, opiates, recreational drugs

• Medication side effects

Experiencing chronic anxiety can be disruptive to health, as it affects dietary choices, motivation for exercise and the ability to sleep well. Whatever your reasons for experiencing anxiety, there are some practical everyday tips that can be introduced in your daily life that will make a difference over time:

Lifestyle:

• Regular activity or exercise - helps to relieve tension, increases endorphins which improves mood & reduces pain, enhances ability to cope with stress, uses up excess stress hormones such as adrenaline & cortisol and boosts self esteem.

• Learn techniques to calm the mind: Taking deep breaths into the diaphragm (abdominal breathing instead of shallow breathing into the chest), helps to calm the nervous system by activating the sympathetic NS and lowers heart rate.

• If possible include some downtime, self care or do something that brings you joy, hope or laughter. Service to others or an act of kindness adds value to life and takes the focus off your own challenges.

• Listen to your favourite music, similar to exercise it can boost mood & energy.

• Mindfulness: There are various different methods such as focusing on an object, noticing your surroundings using different senses or it can be done as a walking mindfulness meditation. Even 5 minutes a day can be helpful over time.

• Relaxation is the antidote to anxiety and its importance can’t be under estimated. Book a massage, play with your pet or children, catch up with a friend, reading a book - figure out what relaxes you and prioritise time in your week.

Dietary:

• The Mediterranean diet is associated with lower incidences of anxiety & depression because it includes a good variety of wholefoods such as fruits and vegetables and lean protein. It also includes quality essential fatty acids and a moderate amount of whole grains but limiting starchy grains.

Nutritional Supplements:

• Maintain healthy gut bacteria: A dysfunctional microbiome has been associated with a number of chronic health conditions including anxiety. Balanced gut bacteria helps to produce neurotransmitters, such as serotonin & GABA and reduces inflammation and stress hormones. This can be achieved through diet and/or probiotic supplementation.

• Ensure Vitamin D levels are optimal which helps with protection of the neurons. Low levels have been associated with anxiety & depression.

• Magnesium helps to relax muscles & the nervous system and is a co-factor (or vital ingredient) for the serotonin pathway (B6, Vitamin C & zinc are also a co-factors).

• Vitamin B complex - the B vitamins work synergistically with each other helping to produce neurotransmitters & hormones which includes controlling sleep, mood, energy & the stress response. We use up more B vitamins when under stress and because they are water soluble, they cannot be stored in the body.

• Zinc is involved in over 300 actions in the body. It plays a role in neurotransmitter synthesis and influences both GABA and dopamine. It can impact how well we are able to cope with stress and deficiency may influence mood disorder development.

• Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) play a preventive role and have a therapeutic effect on psychological disorders such as anxiety. EFA’s reduce inflammation including in the brain membrane and provide building blocks essential for the normal function of the neurons.

Herbal Medicine:

There are a number of herbs that can help anxiety symptoms and work on different pathway systems. Herbs that work on enhancing GABA to reduce tension and anxiety include: Kava, Zizyphus, Passionflower, Magnolia, Lemon Balm, Skullcap & Chamomile. Other herbs which have an anti-anxiety effect are Lavender, Oats, California Poppy & Holy Basil. Herbs which act as an adaptogen (enhances your ability to adapt to stressors) include Withania (Ashwanganda), Gotu Kola, Siberian Ginseng, Korean Ginseng, Licorice & Rhodiola.

Depending on each person’s circumstances, a liquid herbal blend can be customised by a qualified practitioner and made up to address individual needs. Blends are also available in tablet or capsule form as well as in the form of herbal teas.

*Please note that this is only general information and it is important that any interactions or contraindications must be checked with prescription medications. Many herbs are not suitable to be taken while pregnant or breastfeeding & it is vital that any herbs prescribed are done so by a qualified naturopath or herbalist.