A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook

This is a time for you to make a very important choice in your life. This is a choice that won’t only affect you, but will affect your children, your friends and the world we live in.

Make no mistake, I’m a big technology advocate, but we’re living in an age where our brains are becoming addicted to screens. Phones and tablets at the moment are the biggest culprits. Let me explain what you may not know about how these affect your brain and why you’re going to want to start taking control back.

To get more specific, dopamine is one of the main chemicals regulating the pleasure center of the brain. At the most basic level, it regulates motivation — it sends signals to receptors in the brain saying, “This feels good!”

Dr. Nora Volkow, head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, says that images of substances affect the rise of dopamine in our brains. So if we pass a McDonald’s and see the arches, our brain associates that with a tasty hamburger (for some) and shoots up dopamine. That good feeling will unconsciously drive the motivation to go in and get a Big Mac. It’s a conditioned response.

There is little doubt in my mind that the same thing is happening with our relationship to screens (i.e., phones, tablets, computers).

Whenever you hear the familiar message sound or blinking light that likely releases dopamine and drives an unconscious behavior toward the phone. That is why you have difficulty stopping texting and driving or you may find yourself developing an obsessive compulsive type of habit toward checking your phone, email, Facebook, twitter or whatever for new messages.

Today you have a choice to recognize what is happening individually, to our families and to our culture and not pass on this unhealthy brain restructuring habit to the coming generations.

The Experiment:

Join me in a critically important mindful experiment today.

Create a 1 hour technology (i.e., phone, tablet, computer) free zone as a simple way to how addicted your brain is to it. Notice how many times thoughts come up around checking it, see if there are any impulses or movements toward checking it.

Put any judgments aside of whether this is a good idea or bad idea and give it a shot. If you want a greater challenge, increase the amount of time.

Again, screens are not bad; they provide an enormous amount of value individually and in our culture. In fact, I encourage you to tweet your experiences @Mindful_Living or go to The Now Effect Community and let others know what you noticed. We can skillfully use these mediums for many different agendas including raising awareness.

It’s not the technology, but how we relate to it that makes the difference.

This is a choice you can make right now that could free up your time, reduce stress, build self-reliance and reconnect you to what truly matters in the moments of your life.

As always, please share your thoughts, stories and questions below. Your interaction provides a living wisdom for us all to benefit from.

Woman holding a tablet photo available from Shutterstock.

Reposted from Elisha Goldstein’s Mindfulness Blog on Psychcentral.com

Recently I finished a movie whose theme and moral I found right on the money. Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” is a movie about the romantic idealization of times past and in its own way speaks to our brain’s default to escape perceived discomfort of the present moment. Here’s a quote from the movie that sums it up:

“Nostalgia is denial — denial of the painful present,” says a philosopher (Michael Sheen). “The name for this denial is Golden Age thinking: the erroneous notion that a different time period is better than the one [that] one’s living in. It’s a flaw in the romantic imagination of those people who find it difficult to cope with the present.”

The movie isn’t talking about personal nostalgia, the mind drifting back to an earlier time in one’s life remembering the “good old days.” This can actually be a good thing, creating mind states of joy, love, gratitude and humor. It’s pointing to historical nostalgia, remembering a past era as “better” than the present era, wishing to be there rather than here.

The truth is the present can be painful and the more we entertain wanting to be somewhere else but here, the stronger the tracks get laid in the brain making it a deeply seeded belief. Then we insist to others how the “Golden 20’s” were the best time to live, or maybe it was the 60’s with free love and activism, or maybe the 80’s – people really loved those leg warmers you know.

When the mind is so fixed on wishing it were somewhere else, its capacity to pay attention to the wonder of what’s actually here shrinks. That’s simple math.

If you or someone you know has the habit of wishing to be somewhere else but here, here’s a short practice to help prime their mind for the good of here, giving them a better chance to be happy.

Actively make a list of all “the good” that’s happening in life in this time. Including your life, the life of your friends and family and even the good that’s happening in the world

Look online for “the good” that people are doing.

Make it a daily practice to do good in your life. This may be giving more smiles to people, helping a friend in need, donating money if you have some, giving time to an organization that can use your strengths.

Try these three simple steps out as an experiment and see how you feel. It could turn a life around – and not just yours.

As always, please share your thoughts, stories and questions below. Your interaction creates a living wisdom for us all to benefit from.

Reposted from Elisha Goldstein’s Mindfulness Blog on Psychcentral.com

Recently I finished a movie whose theme and moral I found right on the money. Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” is a movie about the romantic idealization of times past and in its own way speaks to our brain’s default to escape perceived discomfort of the present moment. Here’s a quote from the movie that sums it up:

“Nostalgia is denial — denial of the painful present,” says a philosopher (Michael Sheen). “The name for this denial is Golden Age thinking: the erroneous notion that a different time period is better than the one [that] one’s living in. It’s a flaw in the romantic imagination of those people who find it difficult to cope with the present.”

The movie isn’t talking about personal nostalgia, the minds drifting back to an earlier time in one’s life remembering the “good old days.” This can actually be a good thing, creating mind states of joy, love, gratitude and humor. It’s pointing to historical nostalgia, remembering a past era as “better” than the present era, wishing to be there rather than here.

The truth is the present can be painful and the more we entertain wanting to be somewhere else but here, the stronger the tracks get laid in the brain making it a deeply seeded belief. Then we insist to others how the “Golden 20’s” were the best time to live, or maybe it was the 60’s with free love and activism, or maybe the 80’s, people really loved those leg warmers you know.

When the mind is so fixed on wishing it were somewhere else, its capacity to pay attention to the wonder of what’s actually here shrinks. That’s simple math.

If you or someone you know has the habit of wishing to be somewhere else but here, here’s a short practice to help prime their mind for the good of here, giving them a better chance to be happy.

Actively make a list of all “the good” that’s happening in life in this time. Including your life, the life of your friends and family and even the good that’s happening in the world

Look online for “the good” that people are doing.

Make it a daily practice to do good in your life. This may be giving more smiles to people, helping a friend in need, donating money if you have some, giving time to an organization that can use your strengths.

Try these three simple steps out as an experiment and see how you feel. It could turn a life around and not just yours.

As always, please share your thoughts, stories and questions below. Your interaction creates a living wisdom for us all to benefit from.

Reposted from Elisha Goldstein’s Mindfulness Blog on Psychcentral.com

Eating is something that is a part of all of our lives, and for some of us, it’s a source of please and pain. Try as we might to avoid it, we get caught in unhealthy styles of eating in attempts to soothe discomfort. Unfortunately, this is followed by self-judgment, which takes all the joy out of eating.

This is why I am thrilled to bring to you a true expert on the topic, Susan Albers,  Psy.D., who has authored the latest book “But I Deserve This Chocolate!: The Fifty Most Common Diet-Derailing Excuses and How to Outwit Them,” along with “50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food,” and the classic, now in its second edition, “Eating Mindfully: How to End Mindless Eating and Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with Food.”

Today, Susan will talk to us about why we sabotage healthy eating, the mind traps involved and give us some tips to get started on a healthier mindful eating.

Elisha: What’s behind our subtle drive to sabotage healthy eating?

Susan: Many people wake up in the morning and say, “Today is the day that I am going to eat healthier,” and then by noon, their mind talks them right out of it with thoughts like “I’ll start tomorrow,” or “I’m too stressed out.”  We often want nothing more than to eat healthier.  But why don’t we do it?

My clients often scratch their heads trying to understand this dilemma.  Unfortunately, many chalk up overeating to “laziness” or lack of knowledge about food. Instead, I think self-sabotage actually comes from fear, stress and habit.  When you’ve tried fad dieting, you can easily become afraid that nothing will change or that you will fail.  When stressed and overwhelmed, we automatically slide right back into old behaviors.

If you notice that you talk yourself out of eating healthier, do a mini self-assessment.  Ask yourself if there is anything you might be afraid of if you should start today?  Are you fearful of disappointing yourself?  Worried that you can’t eat healthier for the long term?  Pinpoint which emotional obstacles you need to tackle to really get started.

Elisha: Are there any specific common mind traps or excuses that we should look out for?

Susan: Although I list 50 mind traps, there are many, many more.  In fact, I include a space in the book for you to write down your own mind traps and excuses.  I developed this list of 50 from simply listening closely to my clients.  I noticed that they kept saying the same things over and over again—things like “I don’t have time,” or “I’ll start after things calm down in my life.”

These often aren’t “excuses” because they are often very true.  You may not have a lot of extra spare time.  Instead, these thoughts are like emotional roadblocks.  Also, be cautious of self judgment.  Being critical of yourself can crush your motivation and stop your action in your tracks.  If a judgment pops into your mind, just notice it.  Try not to get caught in your emotional reaction to your reaction (being frustrated about being frustrated).  This creates a mental tug of war which distracts you from putting all of your energy into making healthy, mindful choices.

Start by keeping a record of the thoughts, excuses, rationales that your mind frequently enlists to hinder your efforts to eat more mindfully.  You will likely notice a pattern.  The book, “But I Deserve This Chocolate,” gives you ways to counter these thoughts to help you to continue to move forward.

Elisha: If someone was sitting across the table from you and asking for some specific practices that can support them in meeting their health goals, what would you say?

Susan: Here are three tips:

1. You don’t have to make grand changes.  Just start with being more aware–noticing each bite (more on this in Eating Mindfully, 2nd Edition). Pay more attention.  Turn off distractions while you eat.  Psychological research indicates that we do better when we know someone is watching like a boss, coworker–or even yourself.  Focus on changing how you eat before you alter what you eat.
2. Focus on the processes, not the outcome.  Instead of setting a goal to lose 5lbs (the outcome), keep your mind aimed at the process of mindful eating—things you can do to bring you closer to eating healthier.  Eat slower.  Put your fork down between bites. Etc. When you are eating mindfully, the weight takes care of itself.  You only have control over eating well in this THIS moment, not the outcome in the future.
3. Manage stress, not weight. Doing a simple, short mindfulness meditation (like you find in The Now Effect and 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food) can help you cope better with cravings.  Mindfulness research indicates that being mindful can change the way you experience cravings, even on a neural level.  Practice taking a mindful breath or doing a yoga pose.  The good news is that mindfulness requires no formal training and is free.  Ultimately, learning mindful skills can pay off by making you happier, healthier and decrease your stress eating.

Thank you so much for your wisdom, Susan. It’s easy to talk ourselves out of getting started on a path to mindful eating. That’s why your tips are so critical to help us get moving and get past the thoughts that slow us down or keep us from getting back on track.

Reposted from Elisha Goldstein’s Mindfulness Blog on Psychcentral.com

Here’s is a quote from the blog post 10 Quotes for a Mindful Day by the influential author and mindfulness teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh:

“There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way.”

It can sometimes seem like we are on a lifetime quest to achieve happiness. “Once I find my soul mate, then I’ll be happy” or “If I get that promotion, then I’ll be happy” or “Once I’m making this or that income, then I’ll be happy.” Woven within the mere thought itself is a sense of being “less than” you want to be and therefore makes you less happy than you were before that thought even arrived.

Some might argue that it’s not the conditions of our lives that make us happy (although some can certainly help at times), it’s the way we relate to ourselves and our lives that provide the happiness. It’s the way we walk through life.

In other words, we’re always practicing something. If we spend our time wrestling with negative, excessive worrying, or hopeless thoughts, we’re practicing unhappiness. If we spend our time noticing and acknowledging these unhelpful habits of the mind, without judgment, we can then choose to turn our attention to matters that walk in line with greater happiness and sense of peace.

In the realm of behavioral therapy, a therapist might say, “what would you be doing differently if you were happy?” Some people might answer, “I’d be smiling more” or “I’d be riding my bike” or “I’d be spending giving more to others.”

Then the response from the therapist would be, “now let’s put these into action.”

Sometimes we need to put our feet in front of our heads and then our thoughts and emotions will follow. We don’t have to climb Mount Everest, but if all you can do is take even one step in that direction, it can make a difference.

Try: What would you do if you were happy or what have you done when you’ve been happy? Write these things down and begin practicing them. Don’t take my word for it, try it yourself and see what happens.

Please share your thoughts, stories, and questions below. Your interaction here provides a living wisdom for us all to benefit from.

Reposted from Elisha Goldstein’s Mindfulness Blog on Psychcentral.com