Imagine a day without distractions – no daydreaming, no anxiety and no stress. This may seem like an impossible task, but through “mindful-based stress reduction” and other similar mindfulness inducing techniques, it may be acquired.
William Yeatts, a doctoral candidate at the University of Arkansas who is receiving training with SMU psychologists, spoke on the topic of mindful-based stress reduction at the Mental Health Center’s regular Brown Bag lunch series Friday at noon.
According to Yeatts, mindfulness can be described as “the self-regulation of attention so that it is maintained on immediate experience, thereby allowing for increased recognition of mental events in the present moment.” Furthermore, it allows this present mind to experience curiosity, openness and acceptance to a greater extent.
A mindful brain is simply a brain engaged in this type of mindfulness, one induced most often by meditation and awareness, of both body and thoughts. This mindful brain has the potential ability to help both students and teachers focus on the thoughts at hand, obtain objectivity and flourish in the present, free from distractions.
Mindful brains may even have the capacity to increase positive emotions, quality of life, longevity and immunity, while at the same time counteracting anxiety, stress, chronic depression, substance abuse and chronic pain.
Studies have been done in which mindfulness interventions have been administered in the area of chronic pain. Patients have reported feeling less pain, asking for fewer dosages of medicines and even reducing their visits to the doctor’s office.
In today’s society, mindfulness can be achieved in many ways, including mindfulness-based stress reduction, acceptance and commitment therapy, marriage counseling and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.
Mindfulness interventions are also somewhat similar to psychotherapy, a technique used at the SMU Mental Health Center and many other clinics, as well. Psychotherapy involves patients talking about their own struggles and, through casual conversation, learning to deal with the problem at hand.
Yeatts encouraged his small audience to focus on a mindful brain and work to train one’s mind to act mindful in everyday situations.
