ISSUE NO.131 SEPTEMBER 2021C A NMEDITATIONBE THEFOUNDATIONFOR MENTALHEALTH?Written by Lucille Plantemoli, MPH,RN, CIC, NBC-HWC
MMental health is such a vitalpart of our overall health and wellness. A healthy mindsets the tone for our attitude and outlook on life. Theprevious year of 2020 brought so much anxiety andtension on a national level related to the Covid-19pandemic and social unrest.The year brought many issues such as stress, fear,insecurity, addiction, loneliness, social isolation, jobloss, and illness. These heightened negative emotionshave caused a large number of people to develop moresevere mental health episodes.According to a poll done by the Kaiser FamilyFoundation in July, 2020, many adults were reportingspecific negative impacts on their mental health andwell-being, such as difficulty sleeping (36 percent) oreating (32 percent), increases in alcohol consumptionor substance use (12 percent), and worsening chronicconditions (12 percent), due to worry and stress over theCovid-19 pandemic.How common is anxiety related to stress?According to the Anxiety and Depression Associationof America (ADAA), anxiety is a normal part of lifeexperience, but when anxiety interferes with daily lifeactivities this can be disabling. Here are some factsrelated to anxiety provided by the ADAA:• Anxiety disorders are the most common mentalillness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in theUnited States age 18 and older, or 18.1 percent of thepopulation every year.• Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only 36.9percent of those suffering receive treatment.• People with an anxiety disorder are three to fivetimes more likely to go to the doctor and six times morelikely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders thanthose who do not suffer from anxiety disorders.• Anxiety disorders develop from a complexset of risk factors, including genetics, brainchemistry, personality, and life events.What can be done to deal with stress and anxiety?There is growing evidence that alternative therapies,that include deep breathing, mindfulness, andmeditation can help a person with anxiety related tostress. These relaxation techniques can help a persondeal with stress and decrease signs and symptoms ofanxiety that can range from mild nervousness to moreserious panic attacks.A meditation technique that has been used toreduce stress and anxiety is Mindfulness-Based StressReduction, which was developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinnand his colleagues at the University of MassachusettsMedical Center’s Stress Reduction Clinic in the 1970s.This program is presented in an eight-week stressreductiontraining program that trains people inmindfulness and helps them become familiar with theirown behavior patterns, especially in relation to stressfulsituations.They also learn that although they cannot change thecircumstances in their lives, they can learn how to identifythe triggers and respond accordingly. Participants aretaught the difference between responding to a situationversus reacting to a situation.How can someone get started in a meditationpractice?Less structured meditation practices have beendeveloped to introduce novices to meditation techniques.There are also meditation apps, such as Headspace thatprovide guided meditations for beginners.Starting a meditation practice can seem veryintimidating to someone who has never meditated.People often ask questions like, should I sit cross-leggedlike a yogi, or do I totally need to clear my mind? Inmindfulness meditation, people are taught how to focuson the inspiration and expiration of the breath. Theact of focusing on the breath helps a person build themuscle of attention and mindfulness. When we focus onour breath we learn how to quiet our minds and stay inthe moment.Developing a meditation practice takes patience,self-compassion, and a quiet, comfortable place to sit.