 |
|
GENERAL INTEREST
Information on the effects of stress and the benefit of meditation.
(See also MBSR-NYC in the News as well as Dr. Weiss's paper on Utilizing MBSR.)
USA Today
CLOSE FRIENDS AT WORK ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE ENGAGED IN THEIR JOB
People who have a close friend at work are more likely to be engaged in their job, get more done in less time, have fewer accidents, engage customers more easily, and are more innovative on the job. Author, Tom Rath in his book, Vital Friends: The People You Can’t Afford to Live without, Gallup Press, lists 8 roles that friends play in one’s life: Builder (motivator); Champion (sing your praises); Collaborator (has similar interests, passions); Companion (always there for you); Connector (introduces you to others); Energizer (gives you a boost, makes you laugh); Mind Opener (embraces new ideas); Navigator (helps with your decisions). USA Today, 8/14/06.
|
AOL JOBS
MAKE YOUR WORKSPACE MORE PLEASANT
Most of us work for corporations so a cubicle is the place where a good part of the day is spent. Personalize your space by bringing a couple of items from home; At the same time, be sure to consider the company standards which you can know from seeing the workplace of your manager and other senior executives; Add some extra lighting, from professional to funky desk lamps; Bring a bit of nature into your place, like a small ivy or a petite bamboo plant; And, be sure not to let your cubicle become a pig sty. AOL Jobs, July ’06.
FAMILY THERAPY MAGAZINE
TEEN SUICIDE IS ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH AMONG ADOLSCENTS
Warning signs include, but are not limited to: Substance abuse disorders; Pulling away from friends and family; Trouble concentrating; Changes in eating, sleep patterns, and appearance; Talk about feeling hopeless of feeling guilty; Changes in personality; Changes in sexual interest; Low self esteem; No hope for the future; Making out a will; Arranging for the care of a pet; Giving away possessions. Family Therapy Magazine, July/August ’06.
LADIES HOME JOURNAL
WOMEN TAKE NOTE, STRESS IS CONTAGIOUS
Women are especially prone to absorb stress spillover from friends and family. In turn, their children also suffer from the mother being overstressed. It is, therefore, urgent that women find ways to take care of themselves. For example, healthy eating, moderate exercise, meditation, a support group of other women. Ladies Home Journal, ‘06.
CONSUMER REPORTS
PAIN PERCEPTION CAN BE CONTROLLED BY OUR BRAINS
The following are things that you can do on your own, 15-20 minutes once or twice daily: Redirect attention to non-hurting body regions; Concentrate on something else that you enjoy, like music, reading, visualizing images that are soothing or healing, like a scene that is enjoyable for you; Imagining white light entering the pained area and broadening it to your whole body; Relaxation methods, like abdominal breathing or meditation; Trying to perceive the pain as weak and harmless rather than damaging or severe. … Consumer Reports, Sept. ‘06.
RESEARCH
There have been countless studies, reports, television specials, and books addressing the impact that meditation has on your life, emotionally and physically. To mention a few:
Socialwork Today
Neuoplasticity [changes] of the brain can occur in response to experience and training… the same training as done in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, including Lovingkindness meditation, has the ability to build compassion and wisdom in clients AND therapists – Orzech, D. - Compassion at the Core of Social Work. Socialwork Today (March/April 2006).
American Psychologist
This article is an excellent overview of research on meditation, as well as the historical, current, and possible future relationship between meditative disciplines and western psychology. – Walsh, R. & Shapiro, S.L. The Meeting of Meditative Disciplines and Western Psychology: A Mutually Enriching Dialogue. American Psychologist (April 2006), 61 (3), 227-239.
American Psychological Society: Current Directions in Psychological Science
The regions of the brain that support emotion (affect) and those regions that support cognition (thinking) are completely intertwined (Davidson & Irwin, 1999). Therefore, Buddhist practices of meditation offer a therapy for all who seek to improve the quality of their lives. – Ekman, P., Davidson, R.J., Ricard, M. and Wallace, B.A. Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotion and Well-Being. American Psychological Society: Current Directions in Psychological Science (2005).
National Geographic
Richard Davidson, Ph.D., U. of Wisconsin, compared two groups of volunteers from a high-tech company. One group of volunteers received 8 weeks of training in meditation, while a second group did not learn how to meditate. Both groups received flu shots. By the end of 8 weeks, Meditators showed a pronounced shift in brain activity toward the left, “happier,” part of the brain (frontal cortex). The Meditator group also showed a healthier immune response to the flu shot, suggesting the training affected the body’s health as well as the minds – National Georgraphic (March 2005), pg. 31.
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
One group of patients, who learned MBSR along with their regular psychotherapy, was compared to a group of patients who experienced psychotherapy only. At the conclusion of MBSR training, both groups showed a comparable significant decrease in psychological distress. However, the MBSR group’s gains on goal achievement was significantly greater than those of the psychotherapy-only group. In addition, the MBSR group terminated therapy at a significantly greater rate than the psychotherapy-only group – Myra Weiss et al. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) as an Adjunt to Outpatient Psychotherapy. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (February 2005), Vol. 74 (2), 108-112.
New York Times, Science Section
Given the proper training in mindfulness practice, people learn to monitor their moods and thoughts and drop those that might spin them toward emotional distress. Daniel Goleman. Finding Happiness. New York Times, Science Section (February 4, 2003).
READ DR. WEISS'S PUBLISHED PAPER ON UTILIZING MBSR WITH PSYCHOTHERAPY IN THE JOURNAL OF PSYCHOTHERAPY & PSYCHOSOMATICS:
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) as an Adjunct to Outpatient Psychotherapy, by Myra Weiss et al (The Journal of Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics [Feb. 2005], Vol. 74, No. 2, pp. 108-112).
> On-line version or downloadable > PDF version |
|
|
