by Ann S. Williams, PhD, RN, CDE
This column is Part 3 of a continuing series on stress management. In the first column, I defined stress as a reaction to a change or strain, and discussed a few basic ideas about stress. In the second column, I suggested using mindfulness meditation as a way of responding to stress. I defined mindfulness as awareness of the present moment, and described a simple way to begin to learn mindfulness meditation. If you have not read those columns, you can get copies online at www.nfb.org/voice.htm or by contacting Voice of the Diabetic; telephone: (573) 875-8911. Today’s column covers some ways to decrease stress by increasing mindfulness in stressful moments.
PRACTICE MINDFULNESS
First, I want to go back to the definition of mindfulness: awareness of the present moment. If you have never really tried to do this, you may not realize how difficult it really is. But it’s easy to find out! For example, suppose you stop reading this for a moment, and try sitting quietly, simply noticing your feeling of the moment. Maybe you feel anticipation, wondering what will come next in this article. Maybe you feel irritated, because you want some practical advice on managing diabetes, and an article on mindfulness was not what you expected. Or maybe you feel an emotion left from whatever you were doing before you began to read this article. Whatever you feel, take a few minutes to notice whether your mind stays focused on that feeling, or whether it moves its attention to something else, and then moves again and again. Within a few short minutes, most people find their minds far away from the first thought or feeling they noticed.
For most people who have not intentionally practiced mindfulness or some other form of meditation, the mind is like an untrained puppy. When awake, it is energetic and even unruly, moving from one thing to another in rapid succession. You might tell a puppy to stay in one place, but until it is trained, it will quickly move on to sniff your shoe, play with a toy, and so on. In the same way, most people’s thoughts and feelings also move from one thing to another in rapid succession.
You may be wondering what this has to do with managing diabetes. Stress can make diabetes control more difficult. Stress causes physical changes that can increase blood glucose, blood pressure, and “bad” cholesterol, and people who are feeling stressed also are likely to pay less attention to the things they need to do to manage diabetes. But the stressful event itself is not the cause of the problem. Rather, a person’s reaction to stress determines whether the stressful event affects the person in a negative way. One of the ways you can greatly reduce the negative effects of stressful events in your life is to focus your attention onto the present moment.
TRY THIS
Let’s look at an example of the sort of small stresses and hassles that most of us experience frequently in everyday life. Imagine that a friend has forgotten to call you at a time you both agreed to. You try to call your friend, and no one answers. Your immediate feeling is disappointment. Disappointment is closely followed by anger. Perhaps you feel insulted, and furthermore, you may feel that this so-called friend, and many other people too, often ignore you and insult you.
In fact, you may start thinking that you should tell this person just how angry you really are, so you begin composing a lecture in your mind about how the person has wronged you, retelling all the times you have felt insulted and ill-treated in both large and small ways by this person. As you recall all this bad treatment, you become more and more agitated. The stress hormones in your body rise, your muscle tension rises, and your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol all begin to rise. You may even be gritting your teeth, or tightening your hands into fists. Your thought process has moved rapidly from the present moment to the past and to an imagined future, and your experience of stress has grown larger at each step of the process.
Now, imagine what could happen if we begin with the same situation, but you stay in the present moment. You still do not hear from your friend at the appointed time, and your friend does not answer the phone when you call. But instead of allowing your thoughts to move to greater feelings of anger, you simply stay with the uncomfortable feeling of disappointment for a moment. You notice it, feel it fully, and acknowledge it as it is. You simply accept that you feel disappointed. Maybe you realize that you do not know why the other person did not call you.
Perhaps you think you will tell the person that you were disappointed, when you have the chance. Then you turn your attention to something else in the present moment. Perhaps you notice that your dog is leaning against your leg, and you have a moment of enjoying the soft texture of his fur. Or you hear the sound of the wind or rain outside your window, or see light streaming in a window, or feel the warmth of the sun on your cheek or the pressure of the chair you are sitting in, and you take a moment to notice and enjoy this sound, sight, or sensation. You turn your attention to your breathing, and follow the sensation of your breathing for a few cycles of inhalation and exhalation. Then you turn to your next activity of the day. Your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol do not rise. Your body is in the dynamic equilibrium of healthy life, and an experience of momentary stress has faded to a normal level of alert activity.
STAY IN THE MOMENT
This is an example of the practice of mindfulness in a moment of stress. As soon as you notice a physical or emotional stress, you simply acknowledge and accept it. You hold it in your mind and allow it to be exactly what it is, without judgment. And you also notice whatever else is present in that moment: a sound, a sight, a feeling—and allow your mind to rest on that sensation. Since your breath is always with you, you turn your attention to your breathing. Especially if you practice mindfulness meditation regularly (as described in the previous article in this series), paying attention to your breathing will help you to calm your mind and remember the feeling of a deeply relaxed state.
Most people have moments each day when they find a stress has come along with one of life’s many everyday hassles. Acknowledging the feeling that comes with the stress, accepting it, and staying in the moment can give a person a healthy way to respond to the stress and return to a physical and emotional equilibrium.
(to be continued)