Search the Community

Living our lives to the fullest begins with what's already here. These seven mindfulness tips from Dee Marques will help you to stay engaged and transform routine activities into satisfying snapshots of life. Have you ever felt that sometimes we simply go through our lives instead of living them to the fullest? Today it's common to live surrounded by distractions that make staying engaged hard, forcing us instead to continually move on to the next thing and overlook present experiences. Incorporating mindfulness through these mindfulness tips will help you to stay engaged throughout your day and enjoy the present moment. Indeed, staying mindful and finding pleasure and fulfillment in everyday things can make a considerable contribution to your overall happiness. Before exploring our tips, let's examine exactly what mindfulness is. The dictionary describes mindfulness as: “The state or quality of being mindful or aware of something” and “a technique in which one focuses one's full attention only on the present, experiencing thoughts, feelings, and sensations but not judging them.” With that in mind, here are seven tips for mindfulness to help you turn routine tasks into enriching daily activities. Read on if you’re ready to increase your awareness, boost your connection with own emotions, and improve your chances of staying engaged throughout the day. Mindfulness tips: 7 tips for staying engaged 1. Start-of-the-day ritual Cultivating enriching daily activities as soon as you start your day is crucial to your levels of engagement and well-being. Instead of waking up and getting on with your day on auto-pilot, why not create a ritual that increases your chances of staying engaged? After waking up, don't reach for your phone and scroll through social media. Instead, do some gentle stretching and notice your body getting ready for a new day. Acknowledge your gratefulness for a good night's rest that allows you to tackle whatever lies ahead. As you prepare your tea or coffee, take a minute to check in with yourself. Pay attention to physical sensations: is your body tense or relaxed? How are your energy levels? Are you hungry or thirsty? Mornings are also the perfect time to incorporate other mindfulness tips such as mindful eating or showering. Bend to mend: morning stretching is a great mindfulness tip 2. Mindful showering Talking of which! Showering is a peaceful way of starting or ending the day, as it allows you to gain an appreciation for your body and to be grateful for having the opportunity to look after yourself. As you stand under the water, do a “body scan” from head to toe and take note of any bodily sensations and your feelings. The warm water, the aroma of your favourite shower gel, and a gentle massage are treats to the senses that would be a pity to overlook. RELATED: Do mindfulness apps work? Taking note of these micro-moments can help you stay anchored in the present and counter the go-go-go mindset. In the shower, it's easier to realise when your mind wanders into the past or future. Use this mindfulness tip to realize when this happens while taking a shower and gently bring the mind back to the present moment. Shower power: stay engaged through mindful showering 3. Gratitude walks and walking meditation Having a busy life doesn't mean you can't enjoy the benefits of meditation. Simply walking and noticing all those things you have reasons to be grateful for is a way of staying engaged with the most meaningful aspects of your life. For example, you can notice your legs and feet taking you forward, a ray of sunshine helping support life all around you, or the different colours of objects or plants bringing variety and making life more interesting. “Mornings are the perfect time to incorporate mindfulness tips such as mindful eating or showering.” To practice walking meditation, find a space where you can walk undisturbed and start walking while focusing on each movement. Lifting a foot, putting it in front of the other, placing your feet on the ground, noticing how your body weight shifts as you walk, listening to your breathing, etc. This can help slow down your mind and sharpen your self-awareness. RELATED: How connecting with nature benefits our well-being As if that wasn't enough, walking itself is a beneficial physical activity that can help maintain a healthy weight and decrease stress. Moreover, some scientific studies have found that walking can strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. And as you probably know, a healthy body feeds a healthy mind, and vice versa. 4. Mindful eating We all have to eat, but our busy schedules often make us rush through our meals leading to all sorts of ailments, from poor digestion to weight gain. To avoid this, practice mindful eating by engaging all your senses in a conscious exercise of appreciation. Try this mindfulness tip on eating a raisin: Take a raisin and hold it in your hands, imagining you’ve never seen one before. Use all your five senses to examine it. Look at its every detail: colors, structure, shiny or dull – can you see through it? Touch it with closed eyes. Try to hear if it makes a sound if you squeeze it. Smell it. See if it smells differently depending on which nostril you use. Chew it slowly, noticing its texture and flavour. Take note of the feelings and thoughts it generates. This technique is a mindfulness-based stress reduction MBSR exercise aimed at improving your ability to focus on present experiences, increase attention levels, and boost enjoyment. Eat and engage: this mindfulness tip focuses on food 5. Mindful driving The daily commute can be a source of frustration and anger, but using this mindfulness tip can turn this routine into one of those enriching daily activities that increase your awareness. Before you start the engine, take a few moments to breathe deeply and state your intention to drive mindfully. Ensure your car is a distraction-free environment – like a cocoon that protects you from the noise outside – so put your phone on silent and don’t switch the radio on. “Staying mindful and finding pleasure and fulfilment in everyday things can make a considerable contribution to your overall happiness.” While driving, there will be situations that cause anger or anxiety, but all you need to do is acknowledge your feelings: remember that you have a choice not to let those negative emotions take over. Stay engaged and drive paying attention to your surroundings. In fact, try to see the streets as if it was the first time you were driving along them, and take every interruption (traffic lights, traffic jams, etc.) as a chance to check in with your sensory perceptions. 6. Mindful appreciation Staying engaged in the present and savouring everything life has to offer is hard when our appreciation is weak. To fix this, find four or five things (or people) that make your life easier or better. These could be small details like having drinking water flow as you open the tap or having a blanket to keep you warm and cosy when it gets cold. Make a mental note of those things, or even better, write them down while you ask yourself: What benefits does this bring to my life? What is special or unique about this thing/person? How would life be without them? How did they come to be? Using this mindfulness tip to stop and think will improve your appreciation for simple (and not-so-simple) everyday things and give you more reasons to feel blessed. Watch your wash: be mindful, even when doing the dishes! © Colourbox.com 7. Staying engaged with technology Technology can be a constant source of distraction and interfere with mindful practices, so it’s important to set boundaries and know when and how to use it. Mindfulness, different meditation styles and happiness apps and podcasts with uplifting content show that technology and gadgets can be beneficial, but making mindful use of technology is also a matter of changing your habits. For example, instead of reaching for your smartphone to take a picture of your food as soon as a plate is put in front of you, take some time to look at the food. Observe how it is presented, think about how it satisfies you, and about how much work has been put into making it reach your table. Likewise, instead of rushing to check your inbox every time a mail notification pops up on your screen, take a deep breath, pause, check in with yourself, and decide if it's worth responding now or later. RELATED: Mindful people are happier due to clearer authenticity Like all other positive emotions, everyday engagement has to be cultivated. Trying to incorporate these seven tips on mindfulness into daily tasks will bring you a collection of memorable thoughts and moments that enrich your life and make it more pleasurable. And, ultimately, these enriching daily activities will allow you to live your life to the full and not just go through it. ● Main image: shutterstock/lolostock Written by Dee Marques A social sciences graduate with a keen interest in languages, communication, and personal development strategies. Dee loves exercising, being out in nature, and discovering warm and sunny places where she can escape the winter.

Not every news story to hit the headlines in October could be said to be full of happiness – far from it. However, in an uncertain world, there were plenty of feel-good news items that broke into the public domain. Ed Gould shares his Top Ten from the month. There were many stories of hope and happiness in October. Read on to discover some of the more optimistic news items which did not necessarily always get the attention they deserved. 1. New pizza box uses less material Pizza deliveries may bring happiness to many of us (!) but we sometimes feel guilty when we consider the large amount of packaging needed to get them to our door. However, according to CNN, Pizza Hut has developed a new system. The pizza giant has said it plans to launch a round box which uses less material than conventional, square ones. What's more, the pizza franchise company reckons it will be possible to compost this new delivery system. 2. New enzyme helps recycle multiple plastics One of the great challenges for recycling more is the fact that so many plastic items need to be sorted out in order to turn them into the raw materials for new products. Different types of plastic, such as polyethylene, will not always by recyclable if they're disposed of with other plastics. However, a microbiologist has found an enzyme which appears to break down all plastics in a similar way. The news, as reported by the Science Times, means that fewer processes should be needed in future to recycle a variety of plastics, thereby meaning less of it goes to landfill or – even worse – into the world's oceans. 3. Hugging is great for mental health You may have known it all along but hugging really is good for you – and a group of researchers believe they've proved it. In a study of over 400 individuals, people who hugged were shown to feel less negative responses throughout their entire day after they'd received one. People who had been hugged showed lower blood pressure as well as augmented levels of happiness hormone oxytocin. Interestingly, single people and those in partnerships were found to demonstrate the same sorts of responses within the study. Can you hug your way to happiness? 4. Artificial leaf developed, British chemists claim Academics at the University of Cambridge announced in October that they'd hit upon a way of turning carbon into oxygen in the same way that nature does, through leaves. The idea is to turn the artificial leaf into a means of generating carbon-neutral fuel. The 'leaf' is dipped into water and powered by nothing more than sunlight. It's hoped that it can be used to make syngas, a man-made gas that's a combination of carbon monoxide and hydrogen which is used widely in industry. It should make the industrial processes it's used for greener than they ever have been if the idea can be scaled up successfully. 5. Glasgow University to study mindfulness According to The Scotsman, Glasgow Caledonian University will run a nine-week study into mindfulness that aims to find out how it can affect moods. The research programme, known as Heads:Up, will focus on various mindfulness techniques which include meditation, the ability to visualise and physical activities insofar as they impact on mood disorders. RELATED: 7 mindfulness tips for staying engaged Dr Maggie Lawrence said that her programme was based on the teaching of Jon Kabat-Zinn's mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) techniques. In particular, Dr Lawrence wants to examine how MBSR can be used to alleviate moods following certain health disorders, such as stroke, for example. 6. Songbird no longer endangered thanks to conservationists The happiness songbirds bring people is well documented, but more and more species are threatened. However, thanks to a five-decade-long effort by conservationists in the United States, the wonderful Kirtland's warbler has moved off the officially endangered list, according to Science. It's hoped the work done in Michigan to protect it will be rolled out elsewhere for other bird species. Kirtland's warbler Jeol Trick/WikimediaCommons 7. Robots to learn about empathy In an effort to make robots more able to care for geriatrics, a scheme to teach them empathy has been announced, according to Health Europa. The idea breaks new ground because empathy has long been considered to be a human trait that even most animals do not possess. That said, machine-learning techniques have become so advanced in recent years that the idea of an algorithm for empathy is now not considered to be beyond the capabilities of robots. It's hoped the idea will be developed for rollout in elderly care homes. 8. Denmark opens power plant with a difference CopenHill has been billed as the cleanest energy plant in the world. Located on an industrial waterfront, it's designed to make electrical power from nothing more that waste that's been collected from around the country. In fact, the plant's owners claim that it will be capable of turning 400,000 tonnes of rubbish into clean energy each year. And yet, what makes it even more remarkable is that its newly unveiled sloped roof has been turned into a climbing wall, a ski run and a series of hiking trails! 9. Drinking water may bring greater happiness In a report published in the New York Post, people report that they feel happier if they drink water regularly. Research has been conducted with 2,000 people being asked about their well-being and their water consumption. Over two-thirds of people who said they were very happy in their life also claimed to drink more than enough water. However, only around 20 per cent of people very happy people thought they didn't drink enough. Could more water equal more happiness? shuttertsock/Elena Nichizhenova 10. Could a headset cure depression? According to TNW, a headset is being offered to people living with clinical depression in an effort to alleviate their symptoms. Made by a company called Flow Neuroscience, it stimulates the brain with electrical signals meaning it's an alternative to taking traditional remedies, such as drugs. Ten clinics in the UK are trialling the unit. It's hoped similar results to conventional drug treatments will be achieved but with fewer side-effects. Written by Ed Gould Ed Gould is a UK-based journalist and practitioner of Reiki.

We're busier in our jobs than ever before, so could mindfulness in the workplace help us to work more productively and calmly? Calvin Holbrook looks at mindfulness at work and shares six tips to stay present in our jobs. The modern workplace can be full of distractions: loud conversations, interruptions from colleagues, chat channels such as Slack, phone calls, meetings, presentations, mobile phones... and just the internet in general. There's always something that can take us away from the task we're working on. So how can we apply the principles of mindfulness to feel more present at work, as well as boost our productivity? Someone who knows about staying mindful on the job is Jutta Tobias PhD. She's a social psychologist with 20 years of work experience in organizational development and capacity-building. Dr Tobias researches and teaches personal development and leadership in collaboration with executive students and in a variety of organizations. Through her teaching and coaching, Tobias helps individuals develop their personal resilience and emotional intelligence. She works with groups to help improve their decision-making, overcome obstacles, and generate sustainable performance. Dr Tobias' current research focus is on establishing a scientific evidence base for linking mindfulness-based interventions with organizational transformation. Mindfulness at work We spoke with Dr Tobias about mindfulness at work and she offered some valuable insights: “In the last couple of years when I ask people how they are doing in their organisation, they’re no longer just saying they’re busy, they’re actually saying ‘I’m overwhelmed at work.’ “Or they’re now seeing business as the status quo, if not the hero status: ‘I’m busier than you!’ But it doesn’t necessarily make people more effective. And mindfulness practice and mindfulness as a state or a way of being, is a little bit the opposite or the antidote to moving fast to being busy. It’s actually about being.” .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Video by Arlo Laibowitz Mindfulness at work: the studies Research into mindfulness in the workplace is fairly limited, although there are a couple of studies that appear to back its benefits. In a study conducted with Duke University, the insurance company Aetna had over 10,000 employees participate in a mindfulness or yoga class. Aetna found that among those who took part, there was an almost 30 per cent reduction in stress levels, a 20 per cent improvement in sleep quality and a 19 per cent reduction in pain. Participants also became more effective at work, gaining an average of 62 minutes per week of added productivity. The conclusion? Mindfulness at work resulted in a healthier and more effective workforce. “There's always something that can take us away from the task we're working on. So, how can we apply the principles of mindfulness to feel more alive and present at work?” Similarly, a study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and reported on by Greater Good Science Center found benefits to mindfulness in the workplace. The research sought to determine whether an online mindfulness program created for the Dow Chemical Company, could reduce stress while simultaneously enhancing the well-being and resilience of employees. RELATED: Unhappy at work? Here are the six things you need to find Just under 90 participants completed scientific scales designed to measure their levels of stress, mindfulness, resiliency and vigor. They were then divided into two groups — one to take the online mindfulness class and one to join the wait list for it. The researchers came back six months later, just as the first group was finishing the class. And they found that, in fact, the group that took the class was doing a lot better than the group that hadn't yet taken the class – they were less stressed, more resilient, and more energetic. “This online mindfulness intervention seems to be both practical and effective in… enhancing overall employee well-being,” the researchers concluded. Six tips for staying mindful while working So, it seems there is some good evidence that being mindful in the workplace can make us happier and more productive. Even without a formal meditation practice, there are simple and practical steps you can take to give yourself a better chance of staying mindful and present while working. Here are six of the best: 1. Be email efficient New emails in our inbox have a habit of seducing us away from the task at hand to give them our undivided attention. Perhaps it’s because we’re not really enjoying our task so we're looking for an easy distraction. But it could also be because completing small, easily accomplished tasks like replying to an email releases dopamine, one of the happiness hormones, in our brains. However, in fact, answering mail throughout the day means we end up disrupting our focus from the task at hand. • JOIN US! Sign up to learn more about meditation and mindfulness • So, instead of answering email as soon as it pings into your inbox, be email efficient and allot dedicated periods of time to replying to messages. For example, use 30 minutes first thing in the morning to reply to any urgent mails you have, or wait until you have completed one of your major tasks. Apply mindfulness when opening your inbox and watch your productivity rise. Be mindful at work with deep breaths shutterstock/fizkies 2. Turn off pop-up notifications Just like emails, these take your attention away from the task at hand and distract you. Turn off all unnecessary notifications, and, instead, set your own mindfulness notification system with an hourly alarm on your phone during the day. Every hour when your phone pings, take a mindful breath or rub your hands together to become aware of your senses. It will help you come back into the present moment and refocus. Dr Tobias agrees. “The easiest and quickest instruction that I give to others and to myself is that practising mindfulness is all about coming to our senses, and it's a bit of a metaphor but it’s also a physical instruction: get in touch with my body: feel,” she told us. “I rub my hands together, and for a moment or two, notice the sensations in my fingers and my hand and that brings me back into the here and now. The people that now how to do this simple instruction and do it consistently are more present. And because they’re more present, they’re actually more satisfied.” RELATED: Mindful minutes – 10 small practices that make a big difference 3. Accept what you cannot change Acceptance lies at the heart of mindfulness. To be mindful means to accept this present moment just as it is. And it also means to accept yourself, just as you are at this present moment. It doesn’t mean giving up, but it does mean acknowledging how things currently are before trying to change anything. Making mistakes – big or small – at work happen all the time and we need to accept it when it happens instead of worrying. Here’s a workplace example, you made a huge typo in a social media post and can't change it or you went way over your planned budget. Firstly, you should accept that you ca cannot change it so you need to try to move on with the situation by learning from it. RELATED: How to show compassion at work Lack of acceptance can lead to denial of the fact or avoidance (trying to avoid the issue or skipping meetings with your supervisor) or even aggression (blaming someone else for the mistake or taking it out on others). Instead, try to accept the situation, talk to the necessary staffers involved and learn from your mistakes. Acceptance actually leads to change. Self-acceptance is even more powerful. It involves embracing all facets of yourself — your weaknesses, shortcomings, aspects you don’t like and those you admire. When you can accept yourself, you reduce energy-draining self-criticism. You’re then in a better place to enjoy your successes and laugh off your shortcomings. 4. Finish one task before you begin the next People often love to big up their multi-tasking abilities, but the truth is, nobody can actually multitask – trying to do two or more tasks at the same time and switching back and forth between them just isn’t efficient. “Being a single-tasker is more productive and a great way of seeing how much actual time – not including distractions – you spend on regular work activities.” Become a single-tasker by planning a time journal of your working day. Spend five minutes in the morning making a list of all the tasks you have to complete on any given day, then focus on completing one at a time, tracking the time you take for each. It’s more productive and is a great way of seeing how much actual time – not including distractions – you spend your time on regular work activities, which will help you plan your workload more efficiently in the future. 5. Mindfulness exercises You can train your brain to become more mindful by carrying out small mindfulness exercises. In a busy workplace, it’s probably not possible to take 30 minutes out to meditate, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be mindful at work: even a minute or two of simply taking time out to connect with yours senses and how you’re feeling can be classified as mindfulness. • JOIN US! Sign up today and make new friends at happiness.com • Take time out throughout the day to practice small mindfulness exercises in the office, for example, simply to sit upright and focus on your breath for a couple of minutes. Count on each exhalation and release any distractions by going back to focusing on your breathing. During times of high pressure in the workplace, practicing a short mindfulness exercise such as this breathing example can be a godsend. 6. Make meetings more mindful Work meetings are often seen as a necessary evil: they can be painful and unproductive if not managed correctly. But, by being mindful about meetings, you can even turn them into a highly useful and even enjoyable experience. Break to stretch and rub your hands shutterstock/TORWAISTUDIO Firstly, check in with yourself before a meeting. Notice what mental state you're in. Are you excited or frustrated and anxious? By becoming aware of your mental state, you have the chance to reconsider the state you want to be in for the duration of the meeting. If you take part in a state of appreciation or contribution, the impact will be much more positive than if you’re coming from a place of frustration or anger. If you find yourself getting stressed or tense in a meeting, try to focus on the breathing exercise mentioned before. Mindful meetings wrap up effectively and with firm intentions: What have we decided? Who is going to do what and by when? How can we resolve the issues we have agreed upon today? Also, wherever possible, any potential distractions should be removed from meetings, ie, no mobile phones! The takeaway: mindfulness at work Our workplaces are full of distractions that take our attention away from the job at hand. But research suggests that by being more mindful at work we can boost our productivity and reduce stress levels. If you regularly practice the mindfulness at work tips printed above, you should hopefully feel the benefits! ● Main image: shutterstock/pathdoc You might be interested in our other interviews around work. Watch Bodhin Philip Woodward on the impact of mindfulness and compassion in daily life, and our chat with the organizers of co-founders of the summit, Liz Hall and Luis San Martin. happiness.com | The fine art of being: learn, practice, share Are you a happiness.com member? Sign up for free now to enjoy: ■ our happiness magazine with practical life tips ■ share and support others in our happiness forum ■ self-develop with free online classes in our happiness Academy Anger management | Resilience | Leadership Written by Calvin Holbrook Calvin edits the happiness.com magazine, as well being an artist and travel lover. He also loves hiking, nature, swimming, yoga, sweaty dancing, and all things vintage!

Der Ruhestand sollte eine Zeit sein, in der sich Senioren entspannen und amüsieren können. Aber allzu oft kommt es zu Stress und Isolation. Marilyn Coates-Lower, selbst eine Seniorin, sagt, dass es für einen gesunden Ruhestand entscheidend ist, Körper und Geist aktiv zu halten. Mit zunehmendem Alter stellen einige von uns möglicherweise fest, dass das Leben eher stressiger als einfacher werden kann. Daher ist es von entscheidender Bedeutung, zu wissen, wie Stress abgebaut werden kann. Wenn der Ruhestand näher rückt, freuen wir uns auf die Veränderungen, die sich daraus ergeben. Oft planen wir, die vielen Dinge zu tun, für die wir in unserem geschäftigen Arbeitsleben keine Zeit hatten. Es ist jedoch nicht immer einfach, für einen glücklichen und gesunden Ruhestand zu sorgen. Dazu schreibt Patrick J. Skerrett, ehemaliger Chefredakteur von Harvard Health: „Wenn wir nicht aufpassen, kann der Ruhestand viele Gesundheitsprobleme anstatt Zufriedenheit hervorrufen, und wir sollten ihn eher als ‚Prozess denn als Ereignis betrachten.‘“ Einen gesunden Ruhestand planen Einige von uns werden sorgfältig für den Zeitpunkt des Renteneintritts geplant haben und finanziell abgesichert bleiben. Andere wiederum werden plötzlich mit einem enormen Einkommensrückgang konfrontiert sein. Dies kann uns natürlich bei dem was wir erreichen wollen einschränken. Laut einer Untersuchung von Dr. George E. Vaillant, Professor für Psychiatrie an der Harvard Medical School, gibt es jedoch verschiedene Möglichkeiten, wie Rentner - auch über 80 - glücklich und gesund bleiben können. Damit sie einen lohnenden Lebensstil erreichen, für den es kein hohes Einkommensniveau bedarf. Diese Möglichkeiten umfassen: Neue Freunde finden Wenn du dich aus dem Berufsleben zurückziehst, lässt du möglicherweise auch einige deiner Freunde zurück. Aber ein neues soziales Netzwerk aufzubauen, mit gleichgesinnten, gleichaltrigen Menschen, wird sich deiner körperlichen und geistigen Gesundheit gut tun. Vereinen beitreten Es gibt so viele Vereine, aus denen du wählen kannst. Einschließlich Sportarten wie Golf, Schwimmen und Tennis, Gesellschaftstanz, Wandern und Bridge. Sie bringen dich nicht nur aus dem Haus, sondern bieten auch die Möglichkeit, neue Freunde zu finden. Halte deinen Geist und Körper aktiv Nimm Aktivitäten wie Malen und Gärtnern auf. Vielleicht kannst du auch ein ganz neues Hobby erlernen, etwas, dass du schon immer machen wolltest. Lerne eine neue Sprache oder nimm an einem Studienkurs teil und hol dir vielleicht ein Haustier. Dieses ist nicht nur in großartiger Begleiter, sondern bringt dich außerdem dazu, spazieren zu gehen und neue Leute zu treffen. All diese Vorschläge machen nicht nur Spaß, sondern sorgen auch für einen hervorragenden Stressabbau, der Körper und Geist zusammenhält und für einen glücklicheren und gesünderen Ruhestand sorgt. Wir sollten das beste aus jedem Moment machen, denn wie dieses Zitat von Ausonius besagt: „Lass uns niemals wissen, welches Alter wir haben. Lass uns das Glück wissen, welches die Zeit bringt, und nicht die Jahre zählen.“ Tatsächlich ist jeder Tag kostbar, und ein glücklicher und gesunder Ruhestand kann aus so einfachen Dingen wie dem Journaling oder dem Gespräch mit einem Freund bestehen. Gemeinsam in einer Gruppe zu sporteln, hält Körper und Geist fit Stress und wie er die Gesundheit älterer Menschen beeinflusst Ein praktisches Merkblatt des APA Office on Ageing und des Committee on Ageing (Büro und Ausschuss über das Altern der Amerikanischen Gesellschaft für Psychologie) weist darauf hin, dass Stress uns während unserer Pensionierungsjahre sehr stark beeinträchtigen kann, wenn wir nicht aufpassen. Die APA empfiehlt daher eine sehr einfache Möglichkeit um gesund zu bleiben: Nahrhafte Lebensmittel zu sich zu nehmen um ein angemessenes Gewicht zu halten und regelmäßig Sport zu treiben. Des weiteren erklärt die APA, wie Stress zustande kommt. Stress entsteht, wenn unser Körper auf Gefahren reagiert und Hormone in den Blutkreislauf abgibt, was das Herz beschleunigt und die Pulsfrequenz erhöht: die sogenannte „Stressreaktion“. Untersuchungen haben gezeigt, dass zu viel Stress das Immunsystem beeinträchtigt und unsere Fähigkeit verringert, Krankheiten und psychische Gesundheitsprobleme zu bekämpfen. In ihrem Merkblatt werden verschiedene Tipps zum Stressabbau für Rentner angeboten, darunter: Positiv bleiben Vermeide negative Gespräche wie "Ich bin zu alt" oder "Ich kann das nicht mehr tun". Diese Art von Gesprächen hilft nicht weiter. Auch wenn du dich vielleicht so fühlst, das Nichtstun die Lösung ist, solltest du besser Überlegen, was du stattdessen tun könntest. Fokussiert bleiben Du musst dich niemals hilflos fühlen, denn egal wie schwierig etwas auch scheinen mag, es gibt immer eine Lösung. Du kannst jedes Problem wie einen Test oder eine Herausforderung betrachten, die deinen Verstand aktiv halten, während du nach Lösungen suchst. Entspannungstechniken, Meditation und insbesondere MBSR (Meditation Based Stress Reduction) wurden entwickelt, um mit Stress umzugehen, basierend auf jahrhundertealten Techniken. Laut Melissa Conrad Stöppler, Doktor der Medizin, können nur zehn Minuten pro Tag dazu beitragen, Stress zu kontrollieren, Ängste abzubauen und die kardiovaskuläre Gesundheit zu verbessern. In der Folge führt dies dazu, dass du in deinen Rentenjahren gesünder bist. Dr. Stöppler führt weiter aus, dass der Harvard-Arzt Herbert Benson bereits in den 1970er Jahren erstmals meditative Techniken in Amerika entwickelte. Seitdem haben sich diese weltweit durchgesetzt. Sowohl von Ärzten als auch von Therapeuten werden sie eingesetzt, um als wertvolle Ergänzungstherapie zur Linderung von Symptomen bei vielen verschiedenen Krankheiten zu dienen. "Es gibt verschiedene Wege auf denen Rentner glücklich und gesund bleiben können, um einen lohnenden Lebensstil zu erreichen, für den es kein hohes Einkommensniveau bedarf." Dr. Stöppler erklärt: „Unabhängig davon, wie der Entspannungszustand erreicht wird, können die physischen und emotionalen Folgen von Stress durch regelmäßiges Üben gemindert werden.“ Stressabbau kann in dieser Form auch zu Glück und innerem Frieden führen. Um einen ersten Blick auf die Meditationspraktiken zum Stressabbau zu werfen, kannst du 'Mindfulness daily' ausprobieren, einen leicht verständlichen Kurs, der von Tara Brach und Jack Kornfield entwickelt wurde. Flower Power: Gartenarbeit stärkt die Gesundheit und macht glücklicher Ein glücklicher und zufriedener Ruhestand Jeder von uns wird den Ruhestand anders wahrnehmen. Wie wir diese zusätzliche Zeit nutzen, die uns plötzlich zur Verfügung steht, hängt laut Harvard Health Publications stark von den individuellen Umständen ab. Dort wird beschrieben, dass die Pensionierung eine große Erleichterung darstellt, wenn der vorherige Beruf langweilig oder unbelohnt war. In dem Fall, dass man seine Arbeit sehr genossen und der strukturierte Lebensstil einem gut getan hat, kann der Ruhestand auf ganz andere Weise empfunden werden. In letzterem Fall ist es eine größere Herausforderung, sicherzustellen, dass du einen glücklichen und gesunden Ruhestand haben wirst. Ein Ehepaar, das glücklich verheiratet ist oder eine langjährige Beziehung hat, genießt mit größerer Wahrscheinlichkeit seinen Ruhestand als jemand, dessen Privatleben instabil ist. Gesunde Rentner werden sich auf eine aktive und lohnende Zeit freuen, während diejenigen, die bei schlechter Gesundheit sind, diese Option nicht haben werden. Unabhängig davon, in welche Kategorie du passt: Versuche so aktiv wie möglich zu bleiben und deinen Körper und Geist beschäftigt zu halten. Als Senior Stress abbauen: Möglichkeiten der Hilfe Einer der wichtigsten Tipps zum Stressabbau, die das von der APA erstellte Informationsblatt bietet, ist, sich rechtzeitig um Hilfe zu bemühen. Wenn die Rente bereits angetreten wurde und einem alles über den Kopf steigt, ist es schwieriger. Wenn wir von einem gesunden Ruhestand sprechen, beziehen wir uns natürlich auch auf eine optimale psychische Gesundheit als Senior. Hier sind drei Ideen, um diese zu erreichen: KVT (kognitive Verhaltenstherapie) Diese trägt dazu bei, die zugrunde liegenden Gründe für Stress zu erforschen und zu entdecken und negative Gedanken in positive Gedanken umzuwandeln Unterstützende Therapie Oft kann ein nicht wertender Zuhörer dazu beitragen, dass man beispielsweise Gefühle von Angst akzeptiert. Der Therapeut kann außerdem Tipps zum Stressabbau anbieten, um eine positivere Denkweise einzuführen. Entspannungstraining Verwandt mit Meditation, wird hierbei auch über Anspannung und Stress informiert sowie Techniken zur Muskelentspannung vermittelt. Meditation und Yoga senkt den Blutdruck und reduziert das Stresslevel Stressabbau: Was du tun kannst Dr. Dossett empfiehlt, mit Angehörigen oder engen Freunden zu sprechen und außerdem dein Hausarzt aufzusuchen. Über Probleme zu sprechen, die dich belasten, kann manchmal schon zu einer Lösung führen. Aus der Sicht der körperlichen Gesundheit betrachtet, kann dein Arzt jedoch deinen Blutdruck überprüfen und eine gesunde Lebensweise empfehlen, insbesondere im Zusammenhang mit der Ernährung. Für stark Betroffene sind auch Antidepressiva eine Option. "Jeder von uns wird den Ruhestand anders sehen. Wie wir diese zusätzliche Zeit nutzen, die uns plötzlich zur Verfügung steht, hängt stark von den individuellen Umständen ab." Er gibt auch an, dass einer der besten Tipps zum Stressabbau darin besteht, sich darauf zu konzentrieren, genau das Gegenteil der Stressreaktion - die Entspannungsreaktion - durch MBSR, Meditation oder Tai Chi, Yoga und Atemübungen auszulösen. All dies senkt den Sauerstoffverbrauch sowie die Herz- und Atemfrequenz, senkt so den Blutdruck und die Stresshormone und trägt dazu bei, eine positivere Lebenseinstellung beizubehalten. Wie die amerikanische Schauspielerin Valerie Bertinelli so treffend sagte: „Glück ist eine Wahl. Sie können wählen, glücklich zu sein. Es wird Stress im Leben geben, aber Sie haben die Wahl, ob Sie sich davon beeinflussen lassen oder nicht. “ In der Tat können und werden Senioren mit Problemen in Bezug auf Einsamkeit, Gesundheit und mögliche kognitive Beeinträchtigungen konfrontiert sein, aber optimistisch zu bleiben ist unerlässlich. Wenn Du diese Tipps zum Stressabbau für Senioren ausprobierst, kannst du deine Chancen auf einen glücklichen und gesunden Ruhestand erhöhen. Genieß' es – du hast es dir verdient! ● Titelbild: unsplash.com Auch du bist im Ruhestand oder stehst kurz davor? Was sind deine Stressfrei-Tipps im Alter, welche Pläne sollen deinen neuen Lebensabschnitt prägen? Kommentiere hier oder diskutiere im Forum. Geschrieben von Marilyn Coates-Lower Ich bin ein freier Geist, der jeden Morgen mit einem Lächeln aufwacht. Mein Leben war ein Abenteuer und obwohl ich nun offiziell in Rente bin, arbeite ich weiterhin als Autor und Korrektor. Ich lebe mit meinem Pferd und meiner Katze in einem atemberaubenden Teil der Bretagne, Frankreich, und genieße den Blick auf die Wälder, die mein Haus umgeben, und über das Tal zum Dorf. Indem ich meine Erfahrungen teile, hoffe ich durch mein schreiben die Menschen zu inspirieren, positiver, fröhlicher und vorausschauender zu werden.

Need a change from all the negative news in the media? These feel-good stories from August will lift your spirits. Ed Gould shares his Top Ten round-up from the month. August may have seen plenty of news stories about political turmoil and social unrest around the world, but that is not the whole story. In fact, there were plenty of feel-good news items out there, even if these tales of happiness did not always get the attention they deserved. Read on to get some perspective on the feel-good news you may have missed and put a little happiness into your day! 1. Over half of millennials eat in an environmentally-friendly way According to the New York Post, a large survey conducted in the United States has found that millennials have made significant changes to their diets in order to benefit the environment. The poll, commissioned by Sweet Earth Foods, found that nearly 60 per cent of millennials had a low carbon footprint diet, including veganism and eating less red meat. Of these, most said they were motivated by climate change, although some said welfare issues were the primary driver. 2. MBSR can help to improve cognition In news that will bring happiness to anyone who suffers from mild forms of cognitive impairment, a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course can help to reverse its effects. The news came following a study conducted by Dr Rebecca Erwin Wells of the Wake Forest School of Medicine in North Carolina. It's hoped that the technique will now be used as a therapy that can help to slow down or even reverse Alzheimer's Disease, a condition that is often associated with milder forms of cognitive impairment. 3. New protections for giraffes They may be elegant creatures, but giraffe conservationists know that these giants have little by way of international protection. In news that will bring happiness to animal lovers, a summit of international signatories has decided to place giraffes in a safeguarded group. Although the summit failed to make any significant headway with the ivory trade, better protections for giraffes and, more specifically, their natural environments, was a success. Many are now feeling more confident about future giraffe numbers, according to New Scientist. Giraffes offered new protection shutterstock/Craig Fraser 4. Canadian firm announces new geothermal technology Eavor Technologies, a Canadian clean technology business, has announced that it's put together a geothermal system which will be able to be installed just about anywhere. Although geothermal techniques are used in places where there's a sound geological reason to do so, such as Iceland, replicating it elsewhere has always been a challenge. In feel-good news for environmentalists, the company says its Eavor Loop system will need minimal drilling to produce sustainable energy, which can last decades with no ongoing carbon footprint. It's being billed as geothermal technology for your back garden. 5. New multiple sclerosis treatment may be on the cards In studies that have been conducted on the brains of rats, scientists have come up with a way to make brain cells healthier. It's hoped that oligodendrocyte progenitor cells will now be able to be manipulated in a way that will fight the worst effects of multiple sclerosis (MS). It has long been known that the destruction of myelin, which helps to convey electrical signals in the brain, is associated with MS. Researchers at the University of Cambridge reckon their work will enable these cells to help protect the myelin in MS patients' brains. 6. Could seaweed lower the globe's methane levels? As a greenhouse gas, methane is a big problem, especially when it comes from big herds of beef and dairy cattle. However, in a new move, seaweed could be used as a food supplement to reduce the amount of methane that's produced, as reported in Sustainability Times. The idea is that the seaweed would mean cows simply produce less methane and lower their carbon footprint by as much as ten per cent. Work is ongoing at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia to make the idea work. Could cows soon be eating seaweed? shutterstock/divedog 7. Schoolgirls win a prize for combatting breast cancer Few feel-good news stories from August are as heart-warming as the announcement that the World Invention Creativity Olympics, held in Seoul, had awarded two Indonesian teenagers with its gold medal. The pair, who are high school students, researched the breast cancer curative properties of a local plant after following up on local folklore about it. Known as bakajah, the root of the plant was found to kill off cancer cells in rats following the girls' work. It's now hoped that the active compounds in the plant can be isolated to turn it into a drug therapy. 8. Magnets may remove plastics from the sea soon According to Science Alert, magnetic coils could be deployed into the rivers and seas of the world in order to break down micro-plastics. So-called nano coils are able to create a chemical reaction in the polymers that plastics are made from, which means that they then dissolve. Tests are still underway in the laboratory but the move could make a big difference to the millions of tonnes of waste plastic currently floating in the world's waterways. 9. Wind energy study states Europe could power the world In reports made in The Independent, an academic study published in August has calculated that Europe has sufficient space and the right meteorological conditions to supply enough electrical energy to meet the whole world's needs. By 2050, 497 exajoules of power could be derived from wind in the continent, which is more than enough to go around. The study says that a mixture of both onshore and offshore would be needed to meet this, especially as global demand rises. Turkey and Norway were singled out as countries which were particularly suited to wind energy. Europe could become a wind energy superpower shutterstock/Space-kraft 10. Could red wine help treat depression? Although most doctors agree that alcohol should be avoided when dealing with serious mental health issues such as depression, a report in Medical News Today has suggested modest intakes of red wine may be beneficial. Essentially, the diversity of bacteria in the drink is thought to be helpful for overall bodily health. Researchers from King's College London think that the complex make-up of red wine, especially the polyphenols it contains, means it could also help with depression in certain cases. The team conducted their work with 916 female twins across three different countries to establish their findings. Alongside red wine, other alcoholic beverages, such as beer and cider, were tested. The researchers were keen to stress that only moderate rates of red wine were included in the study. ● Written by Ed Gould Ed Gould is a UK-based journalist and practitioner of Reiki.

Retirement should be a time for seniors to relax and enjoy themselves, but all too often stress and isolation get in the way. Own very own senior, Marilyn Coates-Lower, says keeping your mind and body active is key to a healthy retirement. As we age, some of us may find that life becomes more stressful rather than easier. As retirement grows nearer, we look forward to the changes that this will bring, often planning to do the many things that we never had time for during our busy working lives. However, ensuring you have a happy and healthy retirement isn't always straightforward. Indeed, according to Patrick J. Skerrett, Former Executive Editor of Harvard Health: “If we're not careful, retirement can bring about many health problems rather than contentment, and that we should look upon it as a ‘process rather than an event.'” Planning a healthy retirement Some of us will have planned carefully for when we retire and will remain financially secure, while others will suddenly face a huge drop in income. Naturally, this can limit what we can achieve. According to research carried out by Dr George E. Vaillant, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, there are several ways in which retired seniors – even those 80+ – can remain happy and healthy, attaining a rewarding lifestyle that doesn't require a high income level. These ways include: Making new friends When retiring from work, you may leave many of your friends behind, but building a new social network of like-minded, similarly aged people will prove to be good for both your physical and mental health. Joining clubs There are so many to choose from, including sports such as golf, swimming and tennis, ballroom dancing, walking and bridge. They will not only get you out of the house but also provide the opportunity to make new friends. Keeping your mind and body active Why not take up a new hobby, something you've always wanted to do? Gardening is a great work out and has many mental health benefits, too. Or you could learn a new language or take a new course, or maybe discover the healing power of pets. A dog will not only be a great companion but will also get you out walking and meeting people. All of these suggestions are not only enjoyable but also provide excellent stress relief, which will keep body and soul together and make for a happier and healthier retirement. We should make the most of every moment because, as this quote from Ausonius attains: “Let us never know what old age is. Let us know the happiness time brings, not count the years.” Indeed, every day is precious, and a happy and healthy retirement can be found in something as simple as journaling or talking to a friend. Flower power: gardening can lead to a healthier retirement Stress and how it affects senior health A handy factsheet produced by the American Psychological Association (APA) Office on Ageing and Committee on Ageing suggests that, if we're not careful, stress can affect us badly as we age – lowering the chance of a healthy retirement. The APA say that one of the simplest ways to remain healthy is to eat nourishing food – helping seniors to maintain a reasonable weight – and to take regular exercise. The APA explain that stress is being caused by our bodies responding to danger, releasing hormones into the bloodstream, which speed up the heart and increase the pulse rate: the ‘stress response’. They go on to explain that research has shown that too much stress will impair the immune system, decreasing our ability to fight off disease and mental health problems. It offers several stress relief tips for retiring seniors, including: Staying positive Avoid negative talk such as, “I’m too old”, or, “I can't do it anymore”. This type of talk will not help, and, while you may feel that doing nothing is your solution: think about what you can do instead. Staying focused Never feel helpless because, no matter how difficult something might seem, there's always a solution. Each problem is a test or challenge that will keep your mind active as you consider your options. Meditation Relaxation techniques, meditation and especially MBSR (meditation based stress reduction) have been developed to deal with stress based on techniques that have been around for centuries. According to Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, just ten minutes a day can help to control stress, reduce anxiety and contribute to improving cardiovascular health, which, in consequence, will make you healthier during your retirement years. Dr Stöppler goes on to say that meditative techniques were first pioneered in America during the 1970s by Harvard physician Herbert Benson. It has since gained acceptance worldwide, by both doctors and therapists, to be a valuable complementary therapy for symptom relief of many different illnesses. “When it comes to a happy and healthy retirement, here are several ways in which retired seniors can remain happy and healthy, with a rewarding lifestyle that does not require a high level of income.” Dr Stöppler states: “No matter how the relaxation state is achieved, the physical and emotional consequences of stress can be reduced through regular practice.” Stress relief, in this form, can also lead to happiness and inner peace. For a first glance at stress relieving meditation practices, try 'Mindfulness daily', an easy-to-follow course developed by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. Meditation and yoga can lower blood pressure and stress in seniors A happy and healthy retirement Every one of us will see retirement differently; how we use all this extra time that we suddenly have on our hands depends very much on individual circumstances according to Harvard Health Publications. They explain that, if your job has been tiring, boring or unrewarding, then retirement will come as a great relief. Whereas, those of us that have thoroughly enjoyed our work and thrived on the structured lifestyle will see retirement in an entirely different way; this in itself will require you to work harder to ensure you have a happy and healthy retirement. A couple who are happily married, or in a long-standing relationship, are far more likely to enjoy their retirement than someone whose home life is unstable. Healthy retirees will be looking forward to an active and rewarding time, whereas, those who are in bad health will not have this option. Whichever category you fit into, still keep as active as possible and keep your mind and body busy. Senior stress relief: seeking help One of the biggest stress relief tips offered by the fact sheet produced by the APA is to seek help before everything gets on top of you. Of course, when we talk about a healthy retirement, we are also referring to optimal mental health as a senior. Here are three ideas for achieving this: CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) This will explore and help to discover the underlying reasons for stress and contributes to change negative thoughts into positive ones. Supportive therapy Often a non-judgmental ear can help to justify why feelings of anxiety exist and to offer stress relief tips to introduce a more positive way of thinking. Relaxation training Related to meditation, it also includes education about stress and tension and how to achieve muscle relaxation. Fitness and friends: two great ways to stay healthy during retirement Stress relief: what you can do Dr Dossett recommends talking to loved ones or close friends, as well as visiting your doctor. Talking about problems that are stressing you can sometimes lead to a solution, but, healthwise, as Dr Dossett explains, your doctor will be able to check your blood pressure and recommend a healthy lifestyle change, particularly with diet; anti-depressants are also an option for the severely distressed. “Every one of us will see retirement differently; how we use this extra time that we suddenly have depends very much on individual circumstances.” He also states that one of the best stress relief tips is to focus on triggering exactly the opposite of the stress response – the relaxation response – through, as previously mentioned, MBSR, meditation or tai chi, yoga and deep breathing exercises. All of these will lower oxygen consumption and the heart and breathing rate, so reducing blood pressure and stress hormones, helping to maintain a much more positive outlook on life. As American actress Valerie Bertinelli so aptly said: “Happiness is a choice. You can choose to be happy. There's going to be stress in life, but it's your choice whether you let it affect you or not.” Indeed, seniors can and will face issues around loneliness, health and potential cognitive impairment, but staying optimistic is essential. By trying out these stress relief tips for seniors, you can increase your chances of a happy and healthy retirement. Enjoy it – you deserve it! ● Main image: shutterstock/rawpixel.com Written by Marilyn Coates-Lower I am a free spirit who wakes up with a smile every morning. My life has been an adventure and, although now officially retired, I continue to work as a writer and proofreader. I live in a stunning part of Brittany, France together with my horse and cat, enjoying views of the woods that surround my house and across the valley to the village. By way of my experiences, I hope to inspire people, through my writing, to become more positive, happy and forward-thinking.

As winter turns to spring, new hope can start to emerge in all sorts of ways. And in March there were plenty of feel good news stories in the media. Ed Gould shares his Top Ten. 1. Eye test may help in the fight against Alzheimer's An article in The Daily Express raised awareness of a potential early diagnostic test for Alzheimer's disease. Prompt intervention can be crucial in controlling this ultimately incurable condition and would help many people to slow down or halt its progression. The newspaper's report stated that not being able to see colours clearly and distinguishing them from one another were two of the tell tale signs of the condition, something which could be made into a simple test that opticians could check for. 2. New study points out the benefits of mindfulness There have been multiple studies into the advantages of practising mindfulness. Another, published this March, came out following research at the University of Bristol. Conducted over four years, 57 medical students were asked to engage in mindfulness for two hours a week plus a daily personal routine of half an hour. Those who took part almost uniformly reported better coping strategies for stress and emotional problems. They also said that they made fewer snap judgements as a result of taking part in the programme, with greater levels of empathy being noticeable, too. RELATED: The Bright Side - positive news from February 3. Babies teach school children about empathy According to a report in The Daily Record, school kids are being exposed to babies by their teachers in an effort to help them understand empathy. One Scottish primary school teacher has been taking her infant, along with two other babies, into classes and allowing pupils to interact with them every couple of weeks. Charlene McClusky, the teacher involved in the empathy sessions, said it helps her pupils to understand different emotions and to appreciate each other's different family situations. While on maternity leave, she has regularly attended the lessons with her son, Calvin, pointing out that the experience is beneficial for her toddler, too. Kids' stuff: babies can help teach empathy to school children 4. Climate change fund set up to help Africa In addition to a $200 billion fund it has set up to combat climate change, The World Bank has set aside money specifically to help African countries deal with this pressing issue. According to several reports in the press, there's been a further $22.5 billion set aside specifically for the continent which will be spent on various projects. Bids for the money will be accepted between 2021 and 2025. The World Bank is currently working with the governments of Mali, Namibia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya and Rwanda to help fight global warming. 5. Global shoemaker boosts recycled plastic The world-renowned trainer manufacturer, Adidas, launched a new line of footwear a couple of years ago which featured a plastic derived entirely from recycled material. In March, the sports brands announced that it was significantly upscaling the scheme due to its success. Indeed, last year, Adidas sold around five million pairs of trainers made from the recycled material. It now says it plans to double production and hopes to shift at least 11 million trainers this year, thereby doing its bit to prevent plastic from going into landfill or the world's oceans. 6. Mushrooms help to prevent dementia Cognitive decline can be staved off if you eat sufficient mushrooms, a new study has found. Fox News reported that the condition of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is a forerunner of certain types of dementia, is less likely to occur in people who eat two portions of mushrooms per week. In fact, according to researchers at NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, people who consume fungi are half as likely to suffer from MCI as those who don't. Mushroom for improvement: funghi could fight dementia 7. Drugs for cancer made cheaper in India The prices of over 40 different anti-cancer have been slashed in India, bringing a great deal of hope to those living with the illness in the country. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority of India decided to take steps which will see an average price reduction of over a quarter. People with cervical cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer and leukaemia should all benefit from March onwards. RELATED: The Bright Side – positive news from January 8. Renewable energy performing better than ever in the UK According to a report in The Guardian, wind and solar energy – so-called green sources of electricity – outperformed coal in the United Kingdom over the last two summers. During those months, when demand for energy is lower than in winter, the UK's remaining brown coal-burning power stations were barely used. The news story came as a result of data published by an Australian organisation that monitors the energy market around the world. Additionally, the UK's green power network also made more megawatt hours of electricity than were produced by burning natural gas last summer, too. Wind of change: alternative power boost in the UK 9. Man living with HIV potentially 'cured' According to the BBC and many other news outlets, a man living with HIV may have been 'cured'. The London-based patient has an undetectable level of the virus following ground-breaking stem cell treatment. Having been diagnosed as HIV positive in 2003, the patient's treatment has proven itself to be successful, something that will offer further hope to millions of people living with HIV around the world. Thanks to antiretroviral medications, people living with HIV can now live a healthy and near-normal lifespan. 10. Brain stimulation can help fight off depression Although chronic depression can be treated in a number of ways including drug therapies, physical activity is often recommended as a way of combatting it. In addition, non-invasive brain stimulation has been shown to help in a new study from King's College London. According to reports in Medical News Today, low doses of electrical stimulation to the cortex can help people who fail to respond to other treatments. The technique used is called trans-cranial alternating current stimulation. Over 6,750 patients comprised the study which drew together data from over 100 clinical trials. ● Written by Ed Gould Ed Gould is a UK-based journalist and practitioner of Reiki.

Research on mindfulness apps is limited, but here's what we know so far. By Kira M. Newman on behalf of the Greater Good Science Center. Want to feel more Calm, get some Headspace, and practice Mindfulness Daily? There are apps for that — hundreds of them, besides the three I just mentioned. These apps make a promise: rather than investing countless hours and dollars in mindfulness classes or mindfulness-based therapy, we can choose to meditate from the comfort of our smartphones. Users are flocking to mindfulness apps in hopes of cultivating kind attention to their own thoughts and feelings, and of reaping the mental and physical benefits that go along with mindfulness. But do they work? What does science say about mindfulness apps? Research began in earnest only about four years ago, and studies are indeed pointing to potential benefits for our stress, emotions, and relationships. The findings may not be as conclusive as app marketers would have you believe — but they do suggest you should at least consider trying one. Digital stress reduction Much of the research so far involves the popular mindfulness app Headspace, which has attracted 20 million users across 190 countries since its launch in 2012. The app’s meditations are voiced by Headspace founder and former Buddhist monk Andy Puddicombe, starting with simple breathing and body scan practices. “Users are flocking to mindfulness apps in hopes of cultivating kind attention to their own thoughts and feelings.” In one 2018 study, researchers tested Headspace with 70 adults. All the participants started by answering surveys about their positive and negative feelings, their stress, and their irritability in the past week. Then, over the course of a month, half the group completed ten introductory sessions on Headspace, while the other half listened to excerpts from Puddicombe’s audiobook about mindfulness and meditation without any guided practice. Afterward, the meditation group was faring much better. According to a second round of surveys, they felt (on balance) more positive emotions and less burdened by external demands, responsibilities, and pressure than the audiobook listeners. These changes happened after just 100 minutes of practice. “This is great news for people that are curious about mindfulness but are worried about having to invest hours and hours of time before seeing any benefits,” says lead author Marcos Economides, who (along with his coauthors) was employed by Headspace at the time of the study. “Such early benefits could provide motivation for casual users to develop a more long-term mindfulness practice.” Do mindfulness apps work? © shutterstock/TeodorLazarev Stress is also biological, leaving an imprint on our bodies that can lead to health problems later in life. Could mindfulness apps affect stress at this level, too, not just in our minds? In another recent study, researchers tested this question while also trying to figure out which aspects of mindfulness education are most crucial. They recruited 153 adults to practice for 20 minutes a day, splitting them up into three groups. One group practiced the mindfulness skill of monitoring, which involves detecting and distinguishing between different sensations in your body. RELATED: The 5 best happiness apps to improve well-being A second group learned monitoring and acceptance, the ability to stay relaxed, welcome thoughts and feelings in your mind, and gently acknowledge them. A third group learned coping skills, like seeing the positive in negative situations and analyzing personal problems. These newfound skills were put to the test at the end of two weeks. In an infamous laboratory experiment, participants had to give a five-minute speech and do math out loud while trained observers gave critical feedback, pointed out errors, and generally exuded coldness and judgment. All the while, the participants wore a cuff to monitor their escalating blood pressure and gave periodic saliva samples that would be analyzed for cortisol, a hormone released in response to stress. “Stress is also biological, leaving an imprint on our bodies that can lead to health problems. Could mindfulness apps affect stress at this level, too, not just in our minds?” Contrary to the first study, participants in the three groups didn’t perceive their stress to be different — after giving a speech or doing tricky subtraction, they all felt similarly anxious and insecure. But their bodies told another story: Here, only the group that had learned monitoring and acceptance had lower systolic blood pressure during the task and lower cortisol afterward. “This study was the first to show that a brief two-week mindfulness training app can change a person’s biological response to stress,” says lead author Emily K. Lindsay, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pittsburgh. RELATED: 7 mindfulness tips to stay present When we learn acceptance, she and her colleagues explain, we may be better able to acknowledge but disengage from difficult experiences — like cringe-worthy judgment from others. This study suggests that the benefits of mindfulness aren’t just from improved attention, but from the gentle, nurturing attitude we cultivate toward ourselves. Mindfulness apps under the microscope Less stress isn’t the only outcome we can hope to achieve through our digital contemplative practice. In 2017 researchers conducted one of the only studies that compared a mindfulness app with a traditional, in-person mindfulness class. Here, nurses in residency listened to Headspace meditations or attended a class once a week for four weeks. Ultimately, the app users improved their mindfulness skills — in particular, their ability to act with awareness and not overreact to their thoughts and feelings. They also felt less fatigue and burnout in their caregiving role, compared to class attendees. Several studies have compared participants who used Headspace to those who used another beneficial app, like the brain-training app Lumosity, the organizational app Catch Notes, or a web app with logic problems. After training for 10-20 minutes a day for 10-30 days, Headspace users reduced their mind-wandering, boosted their positive emotions, reduced their symptoms of depression, and became kinder and less aggressive compared to other app users. In one study, though, Headspace didn’t seem to improve people’s satisfaction with life, flourishing in life, or negative feelings. “There is still a lot we don’t understand about how mindfulness works, and how much mindfulness practice is needed for certain benefits to emerge,” Economides says. Mind the app: mindfulness technology © shutterstock/Dean Drobot Another question for future research is how long any benefits last. One of the few studies with a follow-up did have promising results: Compared to participants on a waiting list, people who used the VGZ Mindfulness Coach app for eight weeks — which features a variety of breathing, body scan, visualization, and mantra meditations — became more mindful, showed fewer symptoms of psychiatric disorders, and boosted their quality of life up to four months later. RELATED: Does meditation really work? Here's what science says Meditation apps aren’t just a boon for consumers hoping to learn how to be more present at an affordable price. If effective, they also have implications for workplaces, schools, and even nations, who want to cultivate happier and healthier communities. This is where research on which apps are beneficial, and why, is particularly important. “It's vital that we understand the potential benefits of engaging with such apps, and how these compare to programs that are taught in-person, if we are to have the greatest impact on people’s well-being,” says Economides. ● Main image © shutterstock/Alexander Image Do you use mindfulness apps? Which ones? Let the happiness.com community know what you think of them... Written by Greater Good Science Center This article originally appeared on Greater Good, the online magazine of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. Happiness.com is honoured to republish it with the kind permission of the Greater Good Science Center. greatergood.berkeley.edu

The final month of the year is a time for happiness, hope and reflection on the 12 months that have just passed. In his final installment for the year, here are Ed Gould's Top 10 positive news stories from December... 1. US takes a big step for a renewable energy future The United States may be seen on the international stage as a country that's not fully lined up with climate change policies, but that hasn't stopped the country from announcing its largest federal wind farm plans. No less than 390,000 acres of government waters are to be set aside for wind turbines close to the coast of Rhode Island. Several energy companies will now bid for the right to use the area for sustainable energy production. The deal has been reported to be worth an astonishing $405 million. 2. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) can help back pain Scientific research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has made the claim that MBSR can help the body handle a range of pain symptoms including those that impact on the lower back. The study involved eight two-hour sessions per week. As a result of following an MBSR programme, around 60 per cent of participants found that they gained some relief from the pain they'd been feeling. MBSR can help back pain © shutterstock/F8 studio 3. University of New South Wales develops winning solar car While car makers the world over are offering hope of a fossil fuel free future with the development of electric car technology, student designs are continuing to break new ground. A team from the University of New South Wales set a world record for their solar-powered car for driving across the country with the lowest ever use of energy. The university reported in December that its team had covered the 4,100km trip without any problems, even arriving in Sydney two days ahead of schedule! 4. Scientists develop anti-cancer spray In news that made headlines around the globe, research undertaken at UCLA in California has led to the development of a treatment which is applied to cancer sufferers post surgery. When a tumour is removed by a surgical procedure, all too often there can be a recurrence of the condition. Now, a biodegradable gel has been made which, in tests, has shown to reduce the risk of post-operative complications. It's simply sprayed on and helps to boost the body's own immune system. 5. Yoga's benefits for older people to be studied According to associate professor of Exercise and Health Sciences, Garry Tew, at Northumbria University, yoga has many benefits for older people. They include better strength, flexibility, balance, and the overall happiness one feels due to improved quality of life. In order to prove it, Tew's team of researchers have secured funding worth £1.4 million, which will allow them to probe further into yoga's impact on those suffering from long-term conditions into older age. It's hoped the research will help to save the UK's National Health Service money in the long run. Yoga has lots of benefits for seniors © shutterstock/vectorfusionart 6. Plastic bag usage drops dramatically in Australia It's one of those things that is so easily done: turning up at the shop to buy groceries without bags to take them home in. To encourage shoppers to consume fewer bags, two large supermarket chains in Australia banned single-use plastic bags. In positive news for the environment, it was announced in December that the use of such bags had dropped by 80 per cent across the country over the last quarter. In fact, the country's National Retail Association said that in some areas of Australia, use of these bags had by up to 90 per cent in that time period. 7. Shrinkable technology may be with us soon Research undertaken at MIT in Boston has moved into the realm of science fiction after academics there announced they were working on systems which could reduce objects to a thousandth of their original size. Lasers are used to shrink items down to what's known as the nanoscale and it's hoped that there will be many industrial applications for the technique. Likely ones include several medical techniques which could be used in the brain without surgery, and even in areas like DNA therapy. 8. Mindfulness may help boost weight loss The widely respected Nursing Times reported in December that adopting mindfulness techniques could help a range of public health programmes that focus on weight loss. Ongoing research is being undertaken in the UK by the Warwickshire Institute for the Study of Diabetes Endocrinology and Metabolism, as well as at the University of Warwick. It aims to augment weight loss programmes in the UK with elements of mindfulness, so that people undergoing them are able to manage their conduct in improved ways. Mindfulness could help weight loss 9. Shipping company commits to a carbon-free future The world's biggest shipping company, Maersk, says it wants the whole industry to go carbon-free. According to CNN, the freight business is aiming to stop using unsustainable fuels by 2050. The CEO of Maersk, Soren Toft, has called on competitors in the sector to make similar changes. The shipping industry currently accounts for about the same level of carbon release from its fuel usage as the international aviation sector. 10. Free public transportation for all in Luxembourg In a world's first, the Benelux country of Luxembourg has announced that it will provide public transport without any cost throughout the entire state. As reported in The Guardian, the country's authorities hope the decision will help in the fight against global warming as well as being a positive way to improve air quality and to reduce congestion. Charges for using trains, trams and buses will all be done away with by the summer of 2019 under the scheme. ● Written by Ed Gould Ed Gould is a UK-based journalist and freelance writer. He's also a practitioner of Reiki.

Members of the press often refer to August as 'silly season' as there tends to be fewer items that are seen as being genuinely newsworthy. As such, 'silly' stories get more coverage. However, there was plenty of positive news in August too. Here's Ed Gould's top ten pick from the month... 1. Free Sanitary Products for All Students In a move that's not been seen anywhere in the world before, Scotland has become the first country to provide free sanitary products for anyone in full-time education. This means that schoolgirls and higher education students are able to access these products cost-free. According to The Scotsman, the move will cost the Scottish government up to £5.2 million but will be of huge assistance to girls and young women who come from low income families and who, consequently, cannot always afford sanitary items when they are studying. 2. Revolution in Painkilling Announced Dealing with pain is a major medical and scientific project. The problem is that so many painkillers on the market are derived from opioids and are, consequently, highly addictive. According to Live Science, a team of researchers in Japan and US have discovered an alternative which is effective and non-addictive. AT-121 has seen some successful trials and will soon be tested on humans, it's hoped. What's more, the drug is considered to be safe with respect to respiratory side effects, something that's associated with other sorts of painkilling medications. 3. Move Against Fishing Nets In the Pipeline It's often reported that plastic in the ocean is detrimental to the world's wildlife but it's not so commonly stated that much of the sea's plastic comes from fishing nets. According to One Green Planet, nearly half of the material that swirls around the ocean is derived from such netting. Thankfully, the United Nations has positive news for the oceans because its Food and Agriculture Organisation has agreed that such nets should be tagged in future so that those who release them can be held accountable for the pollution they cause. Net gains: fishing tools like these could soon be tracked 4. China Hits Pollution Reduction Targets The Independent reported in August that researchers from the University of East Anglia have presented a report that offers environmental hope with regards to China's increasing industrialisation. The country has long-committed to carbon reduction and other ecological measures but many have thought that it would continue to pollute heavily for years to come. According to the researchers' work, China has achieved its environmental goals 12 years ahead of schedule and emissions are said to have peaked as far back as 2013. That must be positive news for environment campaigners who have little leverage in the country. 5. The End of Plastic Bags? They might be convenient, but plastic bags lead to waste and landfill sites filling up unnecessarily. In the UK, the government announced in August that its levy on the sale of plastic bags could rise to 10p – instead of the current 5p – and even be extended to small and independent shops. In New Zealand, CNN reported that the government is even more proactive and that it will look to ban the use of single-use plastic bags entirely to protect the environment. The move has the backing of the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, and may come as early as 2019. 6. Fruit Found to Improve Memory In Scientific Study According to a study published in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, combining blueberries with grapes can have a beneficial effect on those who suffer from memory loss. As well as the happiness they cause by tasting good, the polyphenols in both fruits were found to improve 'episodic memory' among elderly people who had already been diagnosed with lower than usual memory function. A total of 215 volunteers took part in the research which compared those who consumed the two types of fruit with those who took a placebo. Berry good: combining blueberries with grapes could boost memory 7. Theme Park Trains Birds to Clear Away Rubbish Trained animals are nothing new, but a story from August demonstrated that even birds can be used to carry out tasks like picking up litter. A French theme park has been using rooks to pick up rubbish in order to keep the place clear of litter for some years. Recently, the squadron of litter pickers was expanded to six birds. They place the litter into a bin and are rewarded for their efforts with food, which means the happiness of the park's attendees and the rooks is maintained. 8. Mindfulness Continues to Grow in Popularity Thanks to Science Although a piece in Medical News Today acknowledged something of a backlash against mindfulness in some quarters, it argued that the practice continues to be taken up not because it's a fad, but because it's backed by scientific research. The story, which was published to counter some claims about mindfulness made in The New York Times, pointed out many studies which have highlighted the usefulness of mindfulness in work and private lives, especially those which looked in to people who had been using mindful techniques for eight weeks or more. The article argued that mindfulness was good for focus, stress reduction and emotional well-being, among other benefits. Hocus Focus? In fact, mindfulness is backed by scientific research 9. New Song Shown to Reduce Anxiety According to the British Academy of Sound Therapy, neuroscience has demonstrated that listeners to certain types of audio stimulation can feel less anxious as a result. To that end, researchers there wrote a new song called 'Weightless' which provided listeners with the sort of stimulation they need to help relax. As reported by Good News Network, the hope is to use it in clinical situations where anxiety relief is desirable. 10. Churches Leads With Uptake of Renewable Energy The Church of England has announced that many of its churches and cathedrals will run exclusively on renewable energy from now on. The Guardian reported in August that the move was coordinated with churches of other denominations, such as those of the Methodist and Catholic faiths. In all, over 5,500 churches in the UK will take part in the scheme which will see them use electricity that has been generated from sources other than fossil fuels. Praise be! ● Written by Ed Gould Ed Gould is a UK-based journalist and freelance writer. He is a practitioner of Reiki.

What benefits do mindfulness and compassion have? And how can we increase their levels naturally? Arlo Laibowitz sat down with Bodhin Philip Woodward to find out more. The second International Mindfulness & Compassion at Work Summit took place in Madrid on the 26th and 27th of April 2018. We were able to shoot interviews with five of the amazing speakers, including Bodhin Philip Woodward: .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Bodhin is founder and director of training for mindful academy Solterreno, a UK registered Accreditated Training Provider & Meditation School with the Yoga Alliance Professionals and co-founder of Mindful Academy. “All the different strands of mindfulness and Buddhism itself are ultimately saying the same thing: wake up!” He's been practising mindfulness on a daily basis since 1985, and has extensive experience of mindfulness practices and teaching. He runs Mindfulness Teacher Training programs, Train the Trainer programs and teaches Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Stress Reduction Approaches (MBCT/MBSR/MBAs) to help prevent relapse into depression and to manage stress and anxiety. He also meets the requirements of the Good Practice Guidelines for Trainers of Mindfulness-based Teachers published by the UK Network of Mindfulness-based Teacher Trainers. ● Written by Arlo Laibowitz Arlo is a filmmaker, artist, lecturer, and intermittent practitioner of metta meditation and morning yoga. When not dreaming about impossible projects and making them happen in the most impractical ways possible, he journals, listens to jazz, or cuddles with his better half.

April is a month that heralds the coming of new growth and development. Full of hope, the month still had its fair share of downbeat news stories. So, what were the positive news that made the front pages this month? Ed Gould shares his top ten... 1. Fancy a course in being happy? Take one at Yale University As reported in the Boston Globe in April, students at Yale can now enrol on a course in happiness. Many students have signed up for the programme which is officially entitled, 'Psychology and the Good Life'. The course was developed from studying how non-human primates interact. It now deals with human behaviour and psychology, too. The course only began running this year but has already seen over 1,000 students show an interest. 2. Discarded chewing gum given new purpose By Dutch fashionistas An Amsterdam-based clothing firm has developed a training shoe made out of old chewing gum. Nicknamed the gum shoe by the trainers' developers, this item of footwear is designed to be made out of the chewing gum found on the city's streets each day. According to the makers, the gum shoe takes about a kilo of old gum to make and there are millions of kilos of the material to be picked up in every major city of the world. According to Fortune magazine, the compound developed for the footwear could have other practical applications just waiting to be developed. Something to chew over: gum can now be turned into footwear 3. Huge achievement in aviation fuel announced An airline signed a deal ten years ago for 330 million gallons of renewable fuel that it has been using on its flights in order to offset its carbon footprint. Although the fuel still released carbon into the atmosphere, it had been sustainably grown. In April this year, JetBlue was able to say that this decade-old measure had meant that it had prevented over 2 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from being released from fossil fuels, the aviation industry's go-to source of power. The airline stated that its measures were currently preserving the equivalent of nearly 500,000 acres of the Brazilian rainforest. Does this signal how all airlines will eventually operate? 4. US Paris agreement withdrawal won't leave the convention out of pocket Although the decision of the US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord is not something to celebrate, the organisation in charge of the agreement, the UNFCCC, won't be financially penalised. This is thanks to the philanthropy of the former New York mayor, Michael Bloomberg. The millionaire has declared he will pay the USA's financial commitment out of his own pocket, a sum that is no less than $4.5 million. As reported by the BBC, Mr Bloomberg said that as he was able to afford the payment he would make good on America's previously agreed financial commitment. 5. New Zealand Bans Offshore Oil Exploration In order to protect its local environment and in a bid to tackle climate change, New Zealand will cease all offshore oil and gas exploration. According to the Financial Times, no further permits will be issued by the country's government. Currently, New Zealand has 22 such permits in operation, but these will not be renewed. A new horizon in New Zealand: oil and gas mining is now banned 6. Dog looks after lost toddler for 15 hours According to Sky News, a family dog remained with a three-year-old girl who had got lost in the Australian outback until she was rescued. Max, a pet dog who lives in Queensland, was named as an honorary police dog following the incident. The child went missing and a huge search was launched. Thanks to Max, the child was kept in good company during her ordeal. She was rescued because Max alerted searchers to her whereabouts. Truly, this is a news story of unrivalled happiness – for dog lovers, at least. 7. New hope to deal with un-recycled plastics According to Science Daily and many other media outlets, a team at the University of Portsmouth has positive news for the world's oceans. They have discovered an enzyme which is capable of breaking down previously un-recyclable plastics so that they can be repurposed into new products. Professor McGeehan, who was involved in the enzyme's development, said that it's up to the scientific community which invented plastics to come up with a solution for the waste it has generated. 8. Costa coffee announces target for single-use cup reduction In April, the UK's largest coffee retailer said that it planned to reduce single-use cups in its stores. The hope is that other coffee sellers will follow the new plan, which will see the retailer themselves pay for a recycling company to collect its cups and to transport them to paper mills. There, they can be reprocessed rather than heading straight to landfill sites in the country. According to The Independent, the incentive Costa is offering recycling firms is to pay over the current going rate for the material its cups are made from, thereby making the recycling process more attractive to those already engaged in it. (C)upcycle: The Costa chain will reduce single-use cup usage with recycling 9. Technology allows people to speak without a sound The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced in April that it had developed a breakthrough in human communications. Scientists at MIT have made a wearable device which can pick up on movements in the jaw and throat to interpret them as spoken words. Crucially, this can be done even when the wearer is making no audible sound. It could be used anywhere that silence needs to be maintained but where communications are still required. 10. Mindfulness can relieve stress, study shows The Daily Mail reported that even a single mindfulness session can lessen the impact of stress and anxiety. An American researcher published a paper in the American Physiological Society which showed that just one hour of meditation is all it needs to have a tangible effect. According to the professor involved, such sessions had a physiological outcome, helping to reduce mechanical stress on arteries. ● Written by Ed Gould Ed Gould is a UK-based journalist and freelance writer. He is a practitioner of Reiki.

MBSR or mindfulness-based stress reduction is a technique growing in popularity. Ed Gould takes a look at the science behind it and the growing list of physical and mental positive effects on the body... Do you want to alter the way your mind works to gain a greater understanding of the here and now? Are you thinking about which strategies you can use for dealing with pain, inattentiveness or stress? Worried that any approach you might take is not bound up in real scientific research? If so, then MBSR – mindfulness-based stress reduction – may be the practice you've been looking for. The techniques involved are simple; anyone can learn them with persistence. Thorough research from various leading medical experts in their fields has revealed some impressive facts about this practice. The key effects of MBSR Mindfulness-based stress reduction is something that can bring tremendous benefits to anyone who takes it up. While it's not a substitute for treating more serious medical conditions, it does have many benefits. As with most things in life, creating a balance is key. Once you become better-versed in the mindfulness techniques and training, they can have a widely-accepted therapeutic effect for any of the following conditions: stress high blood pressure depression chronic anxiety migraine headaches diabetes some heart conditions In particular, common uses for MBSR are for controlling the often debilitating effects of chronic pain, a frequently unwanted symptom of several of the above-listed ailments. But, how can such claims be made? According to Dr Daniel J. Siegel, a professor of clinical psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine, scientific studies and research programs have regularly shown that MBSR is effective in reducing stress in all these conditions and more. Keeping calm: MBSR helps to reduce stress In addition to the medical effects that mindfulness can have, many people use the techniques involved to improve their daily lives. Everyday tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, going for a walk, can all be performed using mindfulness techniques. According to Jon Kabat-Zinn, Professor of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts, taking a mindful approach is as focused on being as fully awake in life as it is when dealing with medical ailments. “It's about perceiving the exquisite vividness of each moment," he says. Therefore, stress-reducing mindfulness can have a powerful effect on individuals who consistently practice the techniques. Even those who don't suffer from excessive amounts of anxiety and mental anguish can benefit from mindfulness. The history of MBSR The science of mindfulness has been a crucial part in creating its modern history. It had its start in America in 1979. Numbers were small, but as word spread of its positive effects, numbers grew. The 35-year history of the course program has revealed to science that it can deliver a consistent and reliable improvement in individuals suffering from stress and other related symptoms. This betterment is present in both medical and psychological symptoms. MBSD was pioneered by Kabat-Zinn, who successfully brought together modern Western traditions of science and medicine together with ancient mindfulness techniques from the Far East. Indeed, mindfulness can trace its roots back hundreds, if not thousands, of years to transcendentalism and Buddhism. Centered in and around the Middle East, India and China, mindfulness takes hold in various religions and philosophies. "Meditation is the only intentional, systematic human activity which at bottom is about not trying to improve yourself or get anywhere else, but simply to realize where you already are." Jon Kabat-Zinn The word mindfulness is essentially a translation into English of the Indian Pali word sati or smrti in Sanskrit. Sometimes translated as 'awareness', sati is one of the fundaments of Buddhist thought. These concepts have a broad range of ways in which they can be practised, similar to anapanasati and satipaṭṭhāna, which are popular in Zen Buddhism. These ideas focus on mindfulness and awareness of sensory experiences. Notable scientific studies into MBSR effects According to Philippe R. Goldin and James J. Gross in their study 'Emotion Regulation in Social Anxiety Disorder', one of the key findings of MBSR research is that it has measurable effects on emotional regulation. Goldin and Gross point out that reducing stress, anxiety, and depression is possible by using these techniques. This result was due to the modifying emotion regulation abilities which mindfulness practices can create. Peace, please: mindfulness can regulate emotions so try MBSR The study also shows that people involved in this research program were able to achieve emotional regulation in a number of different ways. These included changing situations by selection, modifying situations, attentional deployment and response modulation. Another key factor in the scientifically noted emotional regulation detected in participants resulted in cognitive change. Further research studies have been carried out to determine the impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction on social anxiety disorder, a common psychiatric condition. According to one critical study, carried out by Koszycki et al. in 2007, results from the study showed a like-for-like improvement in patients with the disorder was achievable by participating in an eight-week MBSR course, compared with a 12-week cognitive–behavioural group therapy course. Although both programs produced improvements in the mood, functionality, and quality of life for the participants, the study also revealed significantly lower scores for anxiety, especially with cognitive behavioural therapies compared with MBSR, as rated by both clinicians and patients. “Mindfulness-based stress reduction is something that can bring tremendous benefits to anyone who takes it up.” In a 1998 study conducted on medical students, a control group who underwent an MBSR course showed reduced stress levels. Published in the American Journal of Behavioural Medicine, Shapiro et al.'s study showed that there was a reduction of reports from the group of overall psychological distress, including depression. Furthermore, the group stated that they felt increased levels of empathy. They also measured their spiritual existence with higher scores at the end of the course. Fields of use for stress-reducing mindfulness According to Judith Ockene Ph D at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in this video, there are many areas of use for mindfulness-based stress reduction. Early scientific studies showed that psoriasis patients saw improved results after their phototherapy treatments. Two control groups were created. One group listened to a guided mindfulness audio during their treatment, the other group heard no accompanying audio. This study, it should be noted, centred on the physical ailments of psoriasis and not the mental aspects. By simply reducing the stress levels of the patients who underwent their treatments, scientifically demonstrable improvements demonstrated the effects of the physical outcomes from using the mindfulness audio. Now's the time: why not take the free course in MBSR? Much of the recent scientific research into MBSR focusses on mental health, with a particular focus on conditions like depression. But mindfulness can be a powerful tool in the field of medicine across many disciplines and therapeutic avenues. For example, according to Lawrence Leung, Associate Professor at the Department of Family Medicine at Queen's University, Canada, MBSR techniques are also used to help patients cope with chronic non-cancer related pain and a range of other conditions. These matters eventually affect up to half of the world's population at some time or another. With such wide-ranging uses, it seems that the medical possibilities for mindfulness are limitless. All it takes is new ways of imagining its practical application. If you' re keen to try out mindfulness techniques yourself, you can take this 100% free 8-week MBSR course, created by a fully certified MBSR instructor and modelled on the program founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn. ● Main image: Colorbox.com Written by Ed Gould Ed Gould is a UK-based journalist and freelance writer. He's also a practitioner of Reiki.