On many occasions, I’ve discussed the importance of social connectedness. Being socially connected provides you with more opportunities to have fun and to have a support system. Furthermore, during the aging process, there is a strong association between loneliness and poor health and a shorter lifespan. Something that can get lost in the process when…
Historically, according to the Centers for Disease Control, up to 40% of premature deaths from major diseases could be prevented with lifestyle modifications. In addition, most illnesses are stress-related. These figures don’t even take into account the Covid-19 pandemic that resulted in a higher proportion of severe illness and death from the disease among individuals…
I’m old enough to remember when meditation wasn’t much of a thing – at least not outside of Asia. I never learned about it during my Bachelors, Masters, or Doctoral programs. When meditation began to gain some prominence in the last third of the 20th century, it was initially kind of a fringe practice before…
One of the most widely adapted practices in the psychotherapy field in recent years has been the inclusion of mindfulness in conjunction with more conventional therapies as well as being a distinct treatment modality on its own. While formal Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programs (MBSR) have received the most notice, the use of mindfulness in addressing…
When I first learned Mindfulness Meditation, I was immediately impressed by several features of the discipline. Obviously, I found it relaxing and a way to help manage stress. I also began to appreciate being “in the moment” more – which enabled me to attain greater pleasure from my surroundings or the people with whom I…
When I teach relaxation skills or biofeedback, I encourage my patients to practice twice a day at roughly the same times each day so that their bodies and brains begin to treat to their “behavior medicine” in the same way that they would adjust to a daily oral medication. People who have regular meditation practices…