How Can I Use Mindfulness To Relieve Stress?

These days, there is so much going on in the world, and stress can feel ever present. At times like these—and always—stress is an incredibly important issue. It plays a role in your physical health, in your interpersonal relationships, your work life, and of course, your own daily happiness. So can you get a handle on this stress? 

I have a graduate degree in clinical psychology, and I am trained in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). I can say with confidence that mindfulness, and the practice of it, can help significantly lower your stress, no matter the cause.

What is Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction?
MBSR is a program created by Jon Kabat Zinn and Saki Santorelli, two professionals in academic medicine who have built a body of work over the last 40 years speaking directly to how mindfulness practices can reduce stress. For a more in-depth exploration of their work, I recommend Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat Zinn.  We also get more into their work and how it intersects with my own practice, which I’ve had for about 30 years now, on the latest episode of the Snow Wellness podcast. 

How can you use mindfulness today?  

Mindfulness, in its most basic iteration, is a focus on the present moment with awareness and compassion. As I mentioned in my weekly email (which you can sign up for here), my general recommendation when we move through this challenging time is to notice when we are feeling reactive and attached to a point of view. Practice focusing on your breath, soften your viewpoint and do your best to have more compassion, for yourself and for others.    

On this week’s episode of the Snow Wellness podcast, you can follow along as I lead listeners through a specific MBSR technique, the body scan, which is designed to help you release tension in all areas of your body. 

A few other stress-relief options to try today are: 

• Limit your exposure to social media and the TV news coverage, if possible.
• Count to three and think before you speak about politics to family and friends that are not on the same page with your political views and even those who are.  
• Go for a walk or a run. At least, take 30 minutes to be outside in nature. Breathe deeply. Any aerobic exercise, which includes walking, improves emotional regulation, which helps reduce stress.
• Reach out to schools, homeless shelters, or food banks. Helping people in need allows you to feel as though you are making a difference in a world that can otherwise feel out of control.  
• Connect with friends, family, or a like-minded community in a non-political way, if possible.
• Utilize the 4, 6, 8 breath technique while you say to yourself, “I am okay.”
• Above all, remember, acceptance is the key, and resistance creates so much stress on your body.
• Notice that this list identifies the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of ourselves. Engaging all of these areas is a way of activating our internal checks and balances.
• Take care of yourself and of others. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but it bears repeating: nothing makes people feel connected like helping others.

Maybe you feel you need additional help overcoming your stress. I am here to answer any questions you may have—please reach out and we can set up our first session together.