Watershed Solutions Blog

Posts Tagged ‘depression’

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Stress is meant to protect us from dangerous predators and situations. However today our stress response is triggered by less hazardous situations (e.g. deadlines, countless interruptions). Because these situations are constant, we never get the break needed for our bodies and minds to recover. As a result, stress can cause a multitude of problems, such as physical (cardio-vascular diseases), mental (depression), and behavioural (absenteeism) symptoms.

Here are some quick ways to reduce stress:

• Stretch - Tension and stress build in your body throughout the day especially if you are sitting at a desk or working at a computer. Make a habit of getting up every hour to stretch your muscles, paying special attention to your wrists, arms and shoulders. Some of the benefits of stretching include increased energy, better circulation, reduced muscle tension, improved posture and relaxation. Stretching is easy and can be done almost anywhere.

• Take a walk - Go for a walk even if it’s for only 5 minutes. It will get you away from your desk, give you an opportunity to view your stress/stressors from a different perspective and allow you to return to work with a fresh perspective. Besides the exercise will do you good.

• Take a mental vacation- Give yourself a 10 minute mental vacation by imaging yourself on a real vacation. It doesn’t matter whether or not you’ve been there before simply guess what it would be like and dream away. Be sure to think of who you are with, where you are, what you are doing, and all the other fun details (e.g. weather, food etc.). Soon you’ll be away from your stress and return to work relaxed and with new energy.

These were only a few simple tips to help you. If you think more would help, take a look at our Stress busters eBook where we provide fast methods for handling stress.

Mindsight is a must-read for anyone who wants to live a happier and more productive life. Through detailed explanations of the brain, Daniel J. Siegel shows how to change dysfunctional thoughts, and become more flexible and emotionally stable. He also shows how to use meditation to develop a special kind of lens, to see your mind clearly, which he calls “mindsight”.

Jonathon, a sixteen-year old high school teenager, had bipolar disorder when he first visited Dr. Daniel J. Siegel. This made it very difficult for him to maintain daily equilibrium and he often found himself exploding with rage. Instead of using antidepressants, which have numerous side-effects, Jonathon and his family decided to walk down the path of Meditation
and basic relaxation skills with Dr. Siegel to help Jonathon understand himself and live a happier life. Dr. Siegel describes the meditation technique and relaxation skills that he used on Jonathon also with explanations of how meditation affects our brains and help us change over time. After just a few weeks of therapy, Jonathon wrote this in his diary “I know this sounds lame, but my view of life is changed now” which shows the power of meditation to change our lives.

Not only has Dr. Siegel used this technique to help Jonathon, but he also helped a ninety-two year old man recover from cold childhood memories and start appreciating and caring for the people close to him. I found this an inspiring story because who would have thought that meditation could change the mind of an older individual.

Daniel J. Siegel has written Mindsight using simple language despite the complexity of the topic which makes this an easy read. The detailed description of the meditation technique and relaxation skills allows the reader to perform the same techniques at home.

After reading the book, I believe meditation should be practiced daily even if you don’t suffer from depression or other emotional or mental challenges. Meditation simply helps you reflect on and have a better understanding of yourself. It can also help you deal with personal and professional stress, keep balance in your life and be more productive. All in all practicing meditation will make you a better person; Dr. Siegel shows you how to meditate with ease.

See Dr Siegal talk about Mindsight with the Blue Man Group

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNi3huu5KAY]

In July I wrote about the importance of meditation as a way of managing stress.  Meditation has been proven to have many benefits in addition to stress relief which are listed below. I hope these benefits help convince you to give meditation a try.

You don’t need to become a Buddhist monk or move to India to start meditating.  You can start with as little as 5 minutes a few times a week and gradually increase your time.  There are also guided meditations to help make your introduction an easy one.  If you’re interested in our Meditation for Non Meditators Program, email us at info@watershedtraining.ca.

• Meditation boosts the immune system (Stein, J. (2003) The Science of Meditation, TIME Magazine)

• Meditation controls high blood pressure at levels comparable to widely used prescription drugs and without the side effects of drugs (Hypertension, AMA Medical Journal)

• Meditators were able to reduce chronic pain by more than 50% even 4 years after completing an 8-week training course (Jon Kabat-Zinn, M.D. Stress Reduction Clinic, University of Massachusetts)

• Meditation may slow aging. A study found that people who had been meditating for more than five years were biologically 12 – 15 years younger than non-meditators (International Journal of Neuroscience, 1992)

• Meditation can relieve many arthritis symptoms, such as pain, anxiety, stress and depression, as well as ease the fatigue and insomnia associated with fibromyalgia (Arthritis Foundation)

• Meditation reduces the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (State University of New York, 2001)

• Meditation offsets the sluggishness of sleep deprivation better than a nap (University of Kentucky)

• Meditation increases in empathy (University of Wisconsin, 2008)

• Meditators notice more, but react more calmly than non-meditators to emotionally arousing stimuli (The Physical and Psychological Effects of Meditation, Institute of Noetic Sciences, 1997).

• Reduces chronically depressed patients relapse rate by half (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2000)

Give meditation a try and see what benefits you experience from this ancient practice.

P.S. If you aren’t sure where or how to start, email us info@watershedtraining.ca and we’ll help you start this amazing practice.

Note: Ask us about our new stress management e-book Stress Busters in 5 Minutes or Less