Living in the Moment with Mindfulness

By Brandon Cornejo M.D., Ph.D.

I hope your first week of 2012 was a good one! How are those New Year's resolutions going? If your goal is to exercise more, my "Mindfulness" two-part blog post should help you stay motivated. In part-one of my post, I discussed the concept of "mindfulness" or living in the moment.

Now I will share how you can use mindfulness to stay focused on a particular goal like exercising. Since exercise and mindfulness enhance mood, decrease stress, and improve negative thinking, these tips will benefit us all as we enjoy 2012!



Tips for staying in the present moment while exercising:

·         One of the most basic tools that you can use in mindfulness is your breathing. By focusing on the sensation of air traveling in and out of your body (just like you do during meditation), you can be grounded in the present moment.

·         You may also try a mantra to stay in the "now" (for example, runners often count out their footsteps – “1, 2, 3…1, 2, 3” – or a mountain biker or skier may constantly remind themselves to “relax”).

·         Applying either technique will keep you in the moment rather than thinking about negative thoughts and feelings that influence behavior in a non-productive fashion during your exercise.

·         Paying attention to physical feelings of your body and your surroundings as you exercise will prevent you from going into “automatic pilot” (when you act and react without conscious awareness).

·         By learning to stay present, you can accept physical discomfort as a temporary state that will soon pass.

·         As you continue your workout, you can “label” both positive and negative thoughts that occur while exercising. Labeling these thoughts will help you understand which thoughts and feelings are limiting your success and need to be changed.

Try out some of these tips and see how you start removing unwanted negative thoughts to overcome challenges that may have held you back in the past. Mindfulness matters when it comes to achieving that New Year's resolution this year.

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The Significance of a Sleeping Brain

By Sara Coffey, D.O.

As a mother of a newborn, "sleep" is an increasingly interesting and important topic in our household.  Not only for my baby, but for my husband and myself - which brings me to the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Weissbluth.  Since I'm a psychiatry resident as well as a mom, I'm especially drawn to Dr. Weissbluth's discussion on studies showing sleep linked to temperament and attention in children.

Children need sleep in order to develop.  A sleeping brain is more than just a resting brain; it is a brain that's able to restore, process, and complete essential tasks that an active awake brain is unable to do.  Dr. Weissbluth explains that for young infants, daytime sleeping or naps can help to enhance the brain’s capacity to think.  When we become adults, our busy schedules cause us to forget the importance of these daytime respites and restorations.  Our hectic grown-up days may not always allow naptime, but naps are essential to raising healthy infants and kids.  

The significance of sleep doesn't only apply to young children.  Did you know that teenagers need more sleep than pre-teens?  So, to all parents who are noticing behavior problems, irritability, decreased concentration, or other changes in your children's moods, focus on their sleeping habits.  HealthyMinds.org blogger Dr. Gariane Gunter shares how many hours of sleep a child needs according to his or her age in this post.  I've included some of her tips below:

• Birth-6 Months: Children need 16-20 hours
• 6-12 Months: Children need 14-15 hours
• Ages 1-3: Children need 10-13 hours
• Ages 3-10: Children need 10-12 hours
• Ages 11-12: Children need 9-12 hours
• Teenagers need 10-12 hours of sleep per night

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Live Longer by Making Mental Wellness Your Mission

By Felicia Wong, M.D.

September is National Recovery Month and SAMHSA's National Wellness Week (Sept. 17-23), a time to remind us why "wellness" is so important to our overall health. Did you know, people with mental and substance use disorders die decades earlier than the general population, mostly due to preventable medical conditions?

Each day, we face all sorts of demands and drama which can lead to insomnia, lack of concentration, problems in our relationships, and other mental health issues. In a past blog post, I identified coping tools for dealing with stress and boosting your overall well-being. Here are "Top 8 Tips for Mental Wellness." I hope you will take another look and share with your loved ones this week. 

1) Help Others. People who consistently help others experience less depression, greater calm, and fewer pains.

2) Take Care of Your Spirit. People who have strong spiritual lives may be healthier and live longer. Spirituality seems to cut the stress that can contribute to disease.

3) Stay Positive. Positive emotions can boost your ability to bounce back from stress.

4) Get Physically Active. Exercise can help relieve insomnia and reduce depression.

5) Get Enough Sleep. Not getting enough rest increases risks of weight gain, accidents, reduced memory, and heart problems.

6) Eat Well. Eating healthy food and regular meals can increase your energy, lower the risk of developing certain diseases, and influence your mood.

7) Deal Better with Hard Times. People who can tackle problems or get support in a tough situation tend to feel less depressed.

8) Get Professional Help if You Need It. More than 80 percent of people who are treated for depression improve.

Which tips on this list are missing in your life? Today is the perfect time to take action! Your wellness matters. 

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Family Game Night Can Make You Smarter

By Scott Benson, M.D. 

My daughter brought two treats when she came home for college break.  A new game, Bananagrams, and a new book by Richard Restak, M.D. and puzzle master Scott Kim called The Playful Brain: the surprising science of how puzzles improve your mind. 

In this collaboration, Kim shares some of his favorite puzzle formats, and Dr. Restak explains the science behind the games.  Together they cover a wide variety of puzzles that have been shown to keep us alert, thinking, and youthful in mind and spirit.  fMRI data (which shows electrical activity in different parts of your brain) helps to tease out which areas of the brain are activated as people solve different types of puzzles.  

Scientists have not been able to prove a direct link between these forms of brain exercise and prevention of various forms of dementia.  But the puzzles, and games like Bananagrams, provide a focus for interpersonal interaction – playing with your family, talking with your neighbors – which does have a powerful effect on mood and our sense of well-being. 

Summer is the perfect time to bond with your kids in a board game challenge.  How do you get your family to put down their cell phones and turn off the TV to play a game?  Please share suggestions!

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Make Mental Health Your Priority Every Month

By Felicia Wong, M.D

As the month of May comes to an end, make a promise to yourself that personal mental wellness will remain a daily priority.  Mental Health America has been working for 100 years to promote well-being for all Americans and recently developed a resource called 10 Tools to Live Your Life Well based on extensive scientific evidence.

Each day, we face all sorts of demands and drama which can lead to insomnia, lack of concentration, problems in our relationships, and other mental health issues. 

These "10 Tools" provide proven, healthy ways to cope with stress and boost your overall well-being.  Make a commitment to follow this list and feel more relaxed, fulfilled, and focused long after Mental Heath Month is over. . .  

1) Connect with Others. People who feel connected are happier and healthier--and may even live longer.

2) Stay Positive. People who regularly focus on the positive in their lives are less upset by painful memories.

3) Get Physically Active. Exercise can help relieve insomnia and reduce depression.

4) Help Others. People who consistently help others experience less depression, greater calm, and fewer pains.

5) Get Enough Sleep. Not getting enough rest increases risks of weight gain, accidents, reduced memory, and heart problems.

6) Create Joy and Satisfaction. Positive emotions can boost your ability to bounce back from stress.

7) Eat Well. Eating healthy food and regular meals can increase your energy, lower the risk of developing certain diseases, and influence your mood.

8) Take Care of Your Spirit. People who have strong spiritual lives may be healthier and live longer. Spirituality seems to cut the stress that can contribute to disease.

9) Deal Better with Hard Times. People who can tackle problems or get support in a tough situation tend to feel less depressed.

10) Get Professional Help if You Need It. More than 80 percent of people who are treated for depression improve.

So now you know the tools. . . Today is the perfect time to start incorporating this list into your day-to-day routine.  For more information, go to http://www.liveyourlifewell.org/ . 
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Yoga Helps Heal Heart & Emotional Scars of Cancer

By Felicia Wong, M.D.

“Cancer is a very alienating and existential disease. I know of no other common disease that immediately causes so much fear, anxiety, depression, confusion, and a sense of impending disaster in a patient or his/her significant others when they hear the word “cancer” for the first time.” --- Murray Krelstein, MD, a psychiatrist and cancer survivor.

Although oncologists, family members, and friends can provide significant sources of support, adding a mental health professional to a cancer patient’s treatment team is often helpful. Talking about the emotions and worries associated with cancer can be difficult, and it is important to have a therapist who is familiar with these situations. Additionally, cancer patients and survivors often suffer from sleep disorders, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and other mood changes.

Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center found that among patients receiving chemotherapy, over three-quarters suffer from insomnia. Those who suffer from insomnia are, in turn, more likely to suffer from fatigue and depression. For 65% of cancer survivors, insomnia continues even after the completion of chemotherapy.

Cancer is a diagnosis that affects both body and mind. So, it makes sense that cancer patients and survivors practice yoga to improve their quality of life.

While research on the use of yoga for cancer is relatively new, there have been recent studies confirming yoga’s mental health benefits. A Harvard Health Publication highlights the benefits of yoga for stress, depression, and anxiety:

- By reducing perceived anxiety, yoga appears to adjust stress response systems. This, in turn, reduces heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and can make breathing easier.

- There is evidence that yoga practices helps increase heart rate variability, an indicator of the body's ability to respond to stress more flexibly.

Optimizing wellness after a cancer diagnosis and beyond involves a complex integration of interventions that address both the mind and the body. Ideally, a psychiatrist is part of the cancer treatment team. However, if this is not available, please ask your doctor for referrals.

For additional resources on coping with cancer:
http://www.cancersupportivecare.com/live.html
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Mental Health Checkup: Mood, Concentration, Balance, Energy

By Gina Duncan, M.D.

I’m rounding out my list of topics to consider in a personal mental health checkup. Keep in mind, this list is not exhaustive. It’s meant to provide a starting point to help you examine how you’re doing emotionally and mentally.

Mood — Do your moods feel pretty stable, or are you experiencing significant mood swings (either highs or lows)? Are you crying more than usual? Feeling persistently depressed for two weeks or more and any thoughts of suicide could indicate clinical depression.

Concentration — Are you able to focus on the task at hand, whether at work or at home, and get it done in a timely manner? Or, do you find yourself overrun with missed deadlines and undone chores? Often the first sign that our concentration is waning is when our productivity goes down. Poor concentration is a hallmark of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but it can also be a symptom of depression and anxiety and should not be overlooked.

Balance — Is there an appropriate balance between your home life and your work life? Between family time with your kids and “date nights” for you and your spouse? Are you getting in some “me-time”, including physical exercise and spiritual pursuits? Achieving perfect balance in your life is probably not possible, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth striving for! Juggling too many responsibilities is a prime way to end up stressed out and unhealthy.

Energy — Do you feel that you have the energy to do the things you need and want to do? Fatigue can be a sign of depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses, but it can also be a symptom of many physical illnesses including cancer, diabetes and sleep apnea. If you find that you are feeling unusually fatigued or have other concerning symptoms, it is important that you contact your doctor right away.

In my next blog entry, the last in this series, I’ll provide a statement to help you consider whether you are thriving or just coping.