Mindfulness / Study, green tea, nap, repeat

Transcription

1 Mindfulness / Study, green tea, nap, repeat Dr Kwong Djee Chan Griffith Medical School Senior Lecturer Medical Education - Communication Skills Stream Lead Professional Communication and History Stream Course Convener Human Skill for Medicine Clinical Tutor Gold Coast University Hospital Adv Dip Holistic Counselling (Sophia Australia) MD (KMU Taiwan) MA Life and Death Studies (NHU Taiwan)

2 Acknowledgement of Country I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we are meeting, the Yugambeh and Kombumerri people and pay my respect to the Elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

3 Any burning questions before we start?

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5 Department name (edit in View > Header and Footer...)

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9 Professional Communication and History Stream.

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12 What is Mindfulness? 12

13 Mindfulness is The awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non judgementally to the unfolding of experiences moment to moment. Kabar-Zinn (2003) Self regulated of attention so that it is maintained on immediate experience, thereby allowing for increased recognition of mental events in the present moment and adopting a particular orientation toward one s experience that is characterized by curiosity, openness, and acceptance Bishop et al (2004) About waking up, connecting with ourselves and appreciating the fullness of each moment.

14 Mindfulness is Mindfulness is living in the now. It is essentially about being more aware and awake in every moment of your life. It is about intentionally paying attention to each moment, being fully engaged in whatever is happening around you and within you. It involves bringing an attitude of curiosity, acceptance and friendliness to whatever is experienced, rather than habitual patterns of judgment and criticism.

15 In other words it s a constant quest of

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18 The default mode Research shows that when we are not deliberately paying attention to something, our brain clicks off into Default Mode. This is a type of attention characterised by mental chatter, mind wandering, operating on automatic pilot, dwelling on the past and worrying about the future, judgment and criticism. Default mode has been found to activate specific areas of the brain, mostly in the temporal and parietal lobes, along with the hippocampus and certain prefrontal areas. The amygdala (the brain s fear centre ) also becomes over activated. This activation pattern tends to result in experiencing the world through thoughts and ideas, rather than directly through the senses, and is increasingly being linked to mental health problems such as stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD and even autism and schizophrenia. It has also been associated with reduced cognitive functioning, and therefore impaired academic and occupational functioning as well as difficulty understanding others and communicating effectively.

19 Being Mindful and present In contrast, when we pay deliberate attention to what we are doing, we engage different parts of the brain (primarily prefrontal regions such as the insula and anterior cingulate cortex). We experience things directly, through the senses, and avoid getting caught up in worrying, dwelling, judging and fight/flight reactivity. We all experience this way of being at times while exercising, playing music, being in nature, engaging in hobbies and spending times with loved ones, for instance. In these moments, we are effortlessly in the present, fully engaged in the senses and fully present.

20 Through Mindfulness Actually, mindfulness begins with learning to focus on the moment. But ultimately becomes about connecting with the awareness that is conscious of whatever we experience that is, what is looking through your eyes and feeling through your skin right now. Once we learn to pay attention, we can start to discern both what we are aware of in each moment and what it is that is aware. Getting in touch with this awareness, we start to notice that while what it is aware of changes from moment to moment, the awareness itself remains unchanged. Furthermore, if we pay close attention to it we will notice that it has an innate quality of acceptance and openness to whatever is experienced. We get in touch with a space that is bigger than anything that we experience, and which is therefore able to hold it without being overwhelmed. When we bring this open and accepting awareness to ourselves and others, we tend to act and relate with more compassion and care. We become gentler and kinder and our relationships start to change. And as we become able to sense this clear, open awareness in each moment, we become able to maintain emotional equilibrium in any situation.

21 Research on mindfulness Reduced self reported state and trait anxiety Reduced reports of overall psychological distress including depression Increase score on overall empathy level, spirituality Observed during exam period. A survey of 78 premed and medical student at University of Arizona. Shapiro,S.L., Schwartz, G.E. & Bonner, G. (1998) Effect of Minfulness- Based Stress Reduction on Medical and Premedical Students. Journal of Behavioral Medicine. 21,6,

22 Research on mindfulness Overall improvement in medical students well being during pre exam period. A survey of 148 medical student at Monash University. Hassed, C., De Lisle, S., Sullivan, G. & Poer, C. (2008) Enhancing the health of medical student : outcomes of an integrated mindfulness and lifestyle program. Advance in Health Science Education, 14,

23 Research on mindfulness Mindfulness-based therapy is an effective treatment for a variety of psychological problems, and is especially effective for reducing anxiety, depression and stress. Khoury B., Lecomte T., Fortin G., Masse M., Therien P., Bouchard V., Chapleau MA., Paquin K., Hofmann SG.(2013) Mindfulness-based therapy: a comprehensive meta-analysis. Clin Psychol Rev Aug;33(6):

24 The benefit of mindfulness Cognitive and academic performance Improves ability to maintain preparedness and orient attention Improves short term memory and processing speed Improves ability to process information quickly and accurately Increased thickness of brain regions involved in self-awareness and sensory processing Long-term mindfulness meditation practice has even been shown to result in the ability to bring 100% concentration to a chosen object or mental state for an indefinite period (the experiment, using an fmri brain imaging device, was stopped after 30 minutes, but the participant being studied said he could have gone on concentrating as long as they needed him to.

25 The benefit of mindfulness Health and wellbeing Decreases stress, anxiety, and depression Supports better regulation of emotional reactions and increases positive psychological states Decreases burnout Increased immunity to the influenza virus Improved relationships Increases creativity Improves skills needed for interpersonal relationships Improves empathy and compassion Brain imagining research also shows that regular mindfulness practice for 15 minutes a day over a 6-week period produces growth in brain areas associated with learning and memory processes, emotion regulation, self-referential processing, and perspective-taking

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27 How can mindfulness impact your profession?

28 Some Characteristic of Mindful Practice Active observation of oneself, the patient, and the problem. Critical curiosity Courage to see the world as it is rather than as one would have it Willingness to examine and set aside categories and prejudices Adopting of a beginner s mind Humility to tolerate awareness of one s areas of incompetence Compassion based on insight Presence» Epstein, M. R. (1999). Mindful Practice. JAMA, 282 (9),

29 Lets give it a go

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32 Study, green tea, nap and repeat?

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35 From 2004

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45 It takes a village to pretty much do anything Physician know and heal thyself Surround yourself with good support net work One step at a time Be connect to the original intention Gratitude gratitude gratitude

46 No thought is problematic in and of itself. Our thoughts only become problematic if we fuse with them. R. Harris & B. Aisbett (2013) The Happiness Pocket Book.

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48 I am having the thought that

49 I noticed that I have the thought that

50 Thoughts are Nothing more or less than words and pictures May or may not be true (we don t have to believe them) May or may not be important (we pay attention only if they are helpful) Are not orders (we don t have to obey!) May or may not be wise we don t have to follow the advice Are never actual threats, no matter how negative

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52 Mindfully reconnect to life

53 Through Mindfulness Actually, mindfulness begins with learning to focus on the moment. But ultimately becomes about connecting with the awareness that is conscious of whatever we experience that is, what is looking through your eyes and feeling through your skin right now. Once we learn to pay attention, we can start to discern both what we are aware of in each moment and what it is that is aware. Getting in touch with this awareness, we start to notice that while what it is aware of changes from moment to moment, the awareness itself remains unchanged. Furthermore, if we pay close attention to it we will notice that it has an innate quality of acceptance and openness to whatever is experienced. We get in touch with a space that is bigger than anything that we experience, and which is therefore able to hold it without being overwhelmed. When we bring this open and accepting awareness to ourselves and others, we tend to act and relate with more compassion and care. We become gentler and kinder and our relationships start to change. And as we become able to sense this clear, open awareness in each moment, we become able to maintain emotional equilibrium in any situation.

54 Be present and stay connected

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56 Why are we here?

57 Acknowledgement Mindfulness at Monash»

58 Thanks for your time and attention..