MDF Magazine Issue 64 April 2021

Healthy Living
to use meditation as they are waiting for an appointment
or before falling asleep at night. If used regularly, it
becomes ingrained as a useful daily habit that becomes
much more automatic and helpful.
What do meditation and mindfulness practices
consist of? How much time is needed to incorporate
these practices into a daily or weekly routine?
There are many different types of meditation and mindfulness.
Both have the goal of helping us slow down, be
more aware of ourselves and our senses, and turn off
our body’s fight-or-flight response (also called our autonomic
nervous system response). They promote relaxation
and help us pay very close attention to our emotions,
thoughts, and whatever else is going on in the
moment. Often, they involve exercises and prompts to
use skills such as deep breathing or to gently direct our
attention to helpful thoughts or images. Also, meditation
and mindfulness encourage a person to use all their
senses, with the rationale that doing so deepens the
experience and makes it much more powerful.
In our age of media and technology, there are abundant
“scripts,” YouTube videos, smartphone apps, audio files,
and other tools online that are great guides to walk you
through the process. When done effectively, mindfulness
and meditation naturally evoke positive emotions
and/or physical states to allow an escape from stress
or unpleasant physical sensations. For example, if a
person loves skiing and uses guided imagery to think
deeply about an exhilarating, bright day on the slopes,
that person is essentially creating a state of mind not too
different from being there in reality.
It is possible to use these strategies as you are going
about your day without them interfering with anything else
on your schedule. For example, there are ways to walk
and to eat mindfully. Rather than devoting large chunks
of time to using these skills, I recommend incorporating
them more frequently throughout the day or week in small
amounts, which requires only a few minutes at a time.
What are some good resources for people interested
in meditation?
Some popular apps with meditation exercises include
Calm; Headspace; Stop, Breathe & Think; Buddhify; and
Insight Timer. There are also podcasts for those who
prefer this format, such as 10% Happier. The Imagine
Project and Mindful.org are great websites as well. In
addition to these, there are numerous books and publications
on the topic.
Are there other tools or self-care practices people
with chronic illness or disabilities can use to maintain
their mental health?
Relaxation techniques are always useful, such as diaphragmatic
breathing, progressive muscle relaxation,
and cognitive-behavioral strategies that involve changing
one’s thinking and actions. Cognitive techniques can be
used to catch common thinking mistakes, such as catastrophizing
and changing one’s thoughts to be more
helpful. And a strategy used to treat depression, and one
that can help prevent depression, is something called
“behavioral activation” or “pleasant activity scheduling.”
This strategy is just what it sounds like in that it emphasizes
the importance of protecting time for and engaging
in positive activities that boost one’s mood. As with physical
health, healthy habits in general serve as the foundation
for one’s mental health as well. So, ensure you are
getting good exercise and eating, hydrating, and sleeping
well. Of vital importance is also community support
‒ connecting with those who are also affected by NMD.
What advice do you have for those living with neuromuscular
disease, especially during a difficult time
of change?
Above all else, it is important to remember that many
families affected by NMD live fulfilling, happy lives and
find ways to be resilient despite adversity. It is totally
normal to have low moments or even low days in times
of stress, so validating a range of emotions without judgment
and just being a great active listener to those who
are struggling can go a long way. It is important to find
social support, communicate openly, be willing to try new
things that may help, and try to look out for those “silver
linings” that are often tough to see at first.
In addition to supporting a person with an NMD, it is
important to support and take care of everyone’s mental
health within a family. Youth with NMD often are reassured
by developmentally appropriate explanations,
opportunities to ask questions, and being given choices
or a sense of control in general. It is important to look
for ways to boost one’s independence whenever possible.
In times of stress, people benefit from structure,
routine, and access to pleasant, enjoyable activities that
can reduce anxiety and maintain a sense of normalcy.
Professional mental health services are recommended
(and can be extremely helpful) if adjustment or coping
concerns begin to impact one’s overall happiness, relationships,
or functioning at school or home.
Article available at: https://strongly.mda.org/meditationand-neuromuscular-disease/?fbclid=IwAR3YT29l0Tr1
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