Confessions of a mindfulness sceptic...

confessions of a mindfulness sceptic

By Annie Malcolm

Mindfulness. Previously reserved solely for eastern philosophy and hardcore yoga addicts, in 2016 mindfulness has well and truly entered the mainstream.

Walk past a self-help section at a bookstore, browse a blog on wellness and healthy living, chat with the mums at the playground and no doubt before long you will find yourself confronted with someone extolling the virtues of mindfulness.

Mindfulness is taught at our schools and workplaces, it’s encouraged as a way to de-stress, get sleep, reduce anxiety and probably lose 5kg in the process. A modern panacea for pretty much anything that ails you. But is mindfulness a miracle cure or snake oil?

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THE CASE FOR SCEPTICISM WHEN IT COMES TO MINDFULNESS

Now as a psychologist, this writer should be all about mindfulness. This is a golden age for mindfulness, a win for mental health! Shouldn’t I be itching to settle in to twice daily, hour-long mindfulness meditation sessions?

Maybe I should. But I’m not. Confession time – I’m just not a fan. So let me lay it all out on the table. Here are the reasons why I’m a mindfulness sceptic.

1.      MINDFULNESS IS boring.

Come on, be honest now. It’s sitting there doing nothing. Deliberately doing nothing. Sure, you’re being mindful of everything that’s happening in the moment, but if you’re just sitting there, that adds up to not much. Even trying a 20 minute guided mindfulness exercise, I have to admit to boredom creeping in.

2.   MINDFULNESS HAS NO CLEAR RESULT.

This is especially hard for those of us who are just a tiny bit perfectionistic and results-oriented. What if I were doing it to train my thoughts to never be negative? Well, that would be a result; that would be something worth putting in the hard yards for.

But one of the key elements of mindfulness is that you are not trying to change anything, but simply to observe. Practising true acceptance of everything you notice in the moment means that if you’re looking for a nice measurable change as a result, you’re not doing it for the right reasons.

3.   MY THOUGHTS DON’T TURN OFF DURING MINDFULNESS.

Some people have the misconception that mindfulness is about learning how not to think. And it’s true, people who practice mindfulness meditations regularly do report a slowing of the mind, or a reduction in the running-like-a-freight-train type thoughts. But there’s no turning your thoughts off completely.

Trying to clear an unclearable mind? Now that sounds like a recipe for frustration.

4.    I FEEL AWFUL AND IN PAIN A LOT OF THE TIME. WHY WOULD I DRAW ATTENTION TO IT WITH MINDFULNESS?

Here’s another tricky one. Mindfulness calls on you to “tune into” or be mindful of every part of your experience. Pay attention to your emotions, whether they are happiness, sadness or panic. Be present with your thoughts, whether they are saying “I am content in all situations” or “I am a worthless human being”. Bringing you closer to your experience in the moment can bring you back in touch with yourself. But it can also bring you closer to your pain.

5.    I’m too lazy to be consistent ENOUGH WITH MINDFULNESS to see the benefits

Most proponents of mindfulness meditation advocate that you need to start at around two sessions a day, for 20 minutes each. And you must stick with this for around 3 months to see the benefits.

Now, is 20 minutes really all that much time? No, I guess not, but every day? For weeks on end? While I’m thinking of all the more productive things I could be doing? I’m afraid I just don’t have the staying power. 

I’d say I have a pretty strong case for throwing the towel in. But in an effort to give mindfulness just one more chance, I thought I should look into the research to see just what it is about mindfulness that works. Here’s what I found:

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THE BENEFITS OF MINDFULNESS: WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US

Mindfulness has been found to:

• Improve concentration and mental clarity

• Increase self control

• Improve working memory

• Increase tolerance to painful emotions

• Increase kindness, acceptance and compassion towards others and self [1]

They all sound like good things, but how can we be sure it was actually practicing mindfulness that led to these changes?

Well, several studies have been conducted on people who are new to mindfulness. In these studies individuals identified what they would like to work on, such as symptoms of distress, depression or concentration. Then they are divided into two groups, with one group given mindfulness training while the other group isn’t, to test the impact that mindfulness had on the areas they would like to work on.

One such study found that mindfulness training led to fewer negative emotions, fewer depressive symptoms and less stewing over unhelpful thoughts. Those who received mindfulness training also demonstrated longer concentration span, and significantly better memory capacity.[2]

But just one study doesn’t prove much right? Well, maybe not but there have been plenty more. A recent meta-analysis (which means a study of lots of different studies) gathered together evidence from 39 different studies all testing the benefits of mindfulness that all found support for mindfulness as a way to reduce anxiety and depression. [3]

So that does sound kind of great and things seem to be swinging in favour of mindfulness. But what about all the work it takes to do mindfulness? Who has the time and dedication for that? Well, maybe it doesn’t have to be as much work as it seems. Remember the first study I told you about? Those participants only practiced mindfulness for 10 days to get those benefits.

And here’s something even more encouraging. In another study – where half of the participants received mindfulness training and the other half didn’t – all participants then watched three movie clips. One clip was a happy one, one was a distressing one, and one was a mix of both. Those who underwent mindfulness training showed more positive emotions after watching the happy clip, and fewer negative emotions after watching the mixed clip. [4]

So maybe there is some truth in mindfulness bringing your attention to your pain when you are feeling bad. But if it also means that you can feel happier during the happy times, and less sad during the sad, then maybe it’s worth it. And the best bit is yet to come. The “mindfulness training” that the people in this study did? Just one session lasting 10 minutes.

Now that’s something even a mindfulness sceptic can achieve! And that’s the thing about mindfulness. Different people have packaged it up in different ways. A lot of people who have jumped on the mindfulness bandwagon have embraced the “twice a day for at least 20 minutes” kind of regime. And if they can stick to that, that’s great.

But mindfulness isn’t just for those dedicated few. At its core, mindfulness is about paying attention. Being completely in the present as each moment unfolds, rather than having your head stuck in the past or worrying about the future. And you could do that for 30 minutes or for just 30 seconds. You could do it in a tranquil rainforest, at a party, in traffic or when surrounded by screaming toddlers.  Just because your life is busy and hectic, doesn’t mean mindfulness isn’t an option for you. And as the studies have shown, maybe even a little bit of mindfulness can still be a good thing.

So now that the results are in, am I going to turn into a mindfulness fanatic, who can’t get my without my hour long meditation? Probably not. But taking time to non-judgementally tune into my thoughts, feeling and physical sensations as a quick touchstone during the day? Remembering that it’s only the present moment you have to live in, and that each moment will pass? Even a sceptic can achieve that. Now that’s something to be mindful of.

Annie

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REFERENCES

[1] Davis, D.M., & Hayes, J.A. (2011). What are the benefits of mindfulness? A practice review of psychotherapy related research. Psychotherapy, 48, 198-208.

[2] Chambers, R., & Allen, N.B. (2008). The impact of intensive mindfulness training on attentional control, cognitive style and affect. Cognitive Therapy and Research 32, 303-322

[3] Hoffman, S.G., Sawyer A.T., & Oh, D. (2010). The effect of mindfulness based therapy on anxiety and depression: A metaanalytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 78, 169 – 183.

[4] Erisman, S.M., & Roemer L. (2010). A preliminary investigation of the effects of experimentally induced mindfulness on emotional responding to film clips. Emotion 10, 72–82.

Christmas parties - A guide for the socially anxious

CHRISTMAS PARTIES - A GUIDE FOR THE SOCIALLY ANXIOUS

by Joyce Chong

At this time of the year we’re right in the midst of numerous social gatherings – end-of-year drinks with friends, work Christmas parties, holiday catch-up with the soccer team, family gatherings, the list goes on.

While it’s a social time, for some the prospect of enduring gathering after gathering full of people is something that triggers anxiety and even panic. For those experiencing social anxiety, we’ve put together a guide to help get through the holiday season.

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What is Social Anxiety?

Social anxiety occurs when we feel anxious in social performance situations because of the perceived potential for scrutiny by others or for our anxiety symptoms to ‘leak out’ and be visible to others.

The degree of anxiety experienced can vary according to different factors including who we're around (e.g. people in positions of authority vs. peers) or the type of occasion (e.g. public speaking vs. one-to-one).

In such situations, we can experience a range of physical changes (e.g. increased heart rate, increased breathing rate, butterflies in the stomach, and feeling flushed) as well as cognitive changes (e.g. worrying, jumping to conclusions, mind-reading). There is typically a preference to avoid the situation or, if this is not possible, to endure the situation with intense anxiety.

 

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE SOCIAL ANXIETY?

Social situations can cause us all to feel nervous from time to time, for example when meeting our partner’s family and friends for the first time, or when delivering a presentation to a hundred people.

Signs of nerves getting a bit out of hand include some of the following [1]:

• The anxiety is excessive relative to what others would experience in a similar situation.

• There's deliberate avoidance of situations, for example, sending emails to the manager so as to avoid face-to-face meetings, or catching up individually with team members (at a significant time cost) rather than address everyone at once.

• There is a need to do certain things to decrease anxiety in order to get through a situation. This may include drinking alcohol to calm the nerves, carrying medication to calm anxious feelings before they get too intense, or ensuring that our best friend or partner is there before agreeing to attending an event.

• The anxiety, and the avoidance of such social situations, is having a negative impact on daily functioning. This includes missing out on promotions because the new work role involves public speaking, or turning down the opportunity to coach a sporting team because that would lead to being the focus of attention during a game.

How common is social anxiety disorder?

The 2007 Australian National Mental Health Survey found that, of the 16 million individuals surveyed, 4.7% of these individuals had a diagnosis of Social Anxiety Disorder in the previous 12 months [2]. That’s about 1 in 20 who experience sufficiently severe levels of social anxiety to warrant a diagnosis.

Of course, this only captures those with a diagnosis of Social Anxiety Disorder, and does not include those who may be living with similar difficulties but not yet identified what it is.

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So how can you survive Christmas when you feel so anxious?

We've put together some simple tips to help you over the next few weeks. Of course, be sure to seek help in the new year before this hits again next Christmas. Chances are there are also other social situations in which you may feel anxious (e.g. other parties, work meetings, meeting new people), so why not learn how to better manage these situations? In the meantime, check out these tips:

1. Face the fear… one baby step at a time

When we have to face any unfamiliar situation it helps to practice beforehand. Unfortunately it can be difficult to recreate our very own ‘practice work Christmas party’. Instead, try making small talk in ‘low stakes’ situations such as making small talk at the checkout when buying groceries, or asking a stranger for the time. If the consequences of the interaction are small - in that the likelihood of encountering this person again is low - it becomes easier to face the fear.

2. Prepare in advance

Often part of the fear is knowing what to say, particularly when there is a lull in conversation. If it helps, prepare some general conversation topics that could apply in most situations.

For instance, when talking to people who work, some general questions could include asking around how their year at work has been, what projects are on the horizon, and what they have planned for the holidays or how much time they're taking off work.

When talking to parents, you could ask them if they have anything special planned for Christmas, or ask them about their kids.

If you know they're into food and dining you can ask them if they have favourite cuisines, or what the best meal that they've ever had is.

3. Live in the moment, not in your head

We’ve probably all been in conversations where we’ve noticed that the other person isn’t quite listening. Rather, it feels like they're waiting for us to pause before jumping in to say what's been on their mind, irrespective of whether it fits with the flow of the conversation. 

These disjointed conversations often arise because we place pressure on ourselves to find something to talk about, or to find 'common ground' with the other person. And, when we live in our heads, we miss out what is in the moment during the conversation.

So, learn to listen actively instead. It is, quite simply, one of the best ways to work out a talking point. Not convinced? Let's say we're talking to an acquaintance about her upcoming holiday in South America where she is particularly looking forward to visiting Machu Picchu in Peru. 

Rather than focusing on our thoughts which may include, "What do I know about South America that I can talk about?" or "I have to come up with my own exciting holiday so I don't seem boring.", by focusing on listening to why she is especially looking forward to about Machu Picchu we can 'springboard' off her topic. Questions that easily flow on from looking forward to?", or "Are there other places in Peru that you're planning to visit?" 

4. Check your thoughts

We do say to ‘check your thoughts’ a lot at The Skill Collective, and that’s because we really believe that our thoughts can ‘ramp up’ our anxiety. By assuming that we'll definitely embarrass ourselves, that we can’t cope with this awful situation, and that everyone will be staring at us, we let these thoughts increase our anxiety and question our ability to cope.

How true are our thoughts?

• Do we, ourselves, pay full attention to the situation that we’re in, or are we sometimes caught up in our own thoughts about how tasty the Christmas turkey looks or how we're going to finish our report before we go on leave? If we do sometimes live in our heads, is it possible that others do too, rather than focusing their entire attention on us or judging us negatively?

• What is the worst thing that someone could think about us? How likely is it that they will be having this exact thought about us?

• If we make one small mistake – for example knocking over dropping a bit of salad on the table – how significant will that one small mistake be? Will it be the talking point at Christmases to come? Will anyone else remember dropping the salad?

5. Keep stress levels down in the lead up to the event

Heading straight from one event to another in a short space of time is a recipe for stress and anxiety. So, space out social gatherings where possible, take time prior to the gathering to compose nerves, and do some relaxation to calm stress levels. Just a simple case of breathing slowly in and out can help.

6. Be wary of a bit of 'Dutch courage'

Ah yes, it becomes all too easy doesn’t it, when the majority of social gatherings that we attend serve alcohol. A bit of social lubricant may seem like a good idea at the time, but taken to the extreme we can then forget what we have said, thus potentially creating a further layer of thoughts where we worry about having potentially embarrassed ourselves.

Also, if we rely on alcohol to cope, how can we ever learn that it is possible for us to manage anxiety on our own? That is, we become reliant on alcohol, and we don’t really face the issue.

Importantly:

The steps that we have outlined above are to help make things more bearable over the coming weeks and, as such, focus on small but manageable steps.

While they may be of help over the Christmas period, if you do identify with many of the symptoms of social anxiety described above, please do seek advice from your mental health professional about how to best tailor the above tips to your own situation to produce longer-term improvements.

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Contact us to make an individual appointment to get started on making changes if social anxiety gets in the way of your life.

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REFERENCES:

[1] American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

[2] Australian Bureau of Statistics (2008). National survey of mental health and wellbeing: Summary of results, 2007, cat 4326.0, retrieved 11th December 2015, https://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/A24556C814804A99CA257BF0001CAC45/$File/mha25.pdf

Rethink your Drink - Alcohol use, misuse, and tips for cutting down

RETHINK YOUR DRINK: ALCOHOL USE, MISUSE, AND TIPS FOR CUTTING DOWN

By Annie Malcolm

In our last post when we looked at some statistics from the last National Mental Health Survey we identified the top 3 mental health issues affecting our nation. These were anxiety, depression, and substance use disorder. Let’s focus on substance use disorder, specifically that alcohol remains a significant issue facing society. 

Why focus on alcohol?

Well, apart from this being Mental Health Week and with problematic alcohol use being a significant issue that we face, we also know that October is synonymous with Oktoberfest - and, yes, as part of that, alcohol consumption.

When you consider how much alcohol use has become part of how we socialise and how entrenched it is in our culture, it becomes easy to understand. We associate alcohol with socialising in most situations – down at the pub, at a local barbecue, a picnic with friends, an afternoon at the beach, at sporting events, out to dinner with friends, a long lunch, sometimes even a glass of bubbly with breakfast as a ‘special treat’.

We also have some entrenched alcohol-related attitudes and beliefs. We may see alcohol as a reward, with the belief that we “deserve” one (or more) after hard day or week at work. We talk about people who can ‘hold their drink’ with awe or even admiration. We encourage people to drink by typically offering alcohol as a first option when we entertain, and those who don’t want to drink may feel a lot of pressure to do so.

Well, here at The Skill Collective we also want to shine a light on a lesser-known alcohol-related event happening in October – Ocsober. Ocsober is a challenge put out to all Australians to give up alcohol for the month of October, and in doing so, raise money to educate Aussie kids on living a life free of drug and alcohol misuse. For those of you that have major events coming up in October where alcohol will feature prominently in socialising, there is the option of purchasing a Leave Pass. There is still time to sign up, so if you are interested, check it out here.

The effects of alcohol

You’re probably familiar with the short-term effects of alcohol. A small amount can lead to feeling relaxed, happy, confident and sociable. A larger amount can lead to confusion, slower reaction times, nausea or vomiting, engaging in risky behaviours, and injury.

What about the longer-term effects of alcohol? They include increased stress, stomach upsets, sexual problems and weight gain. Alcohol is also closely linked to sleep problems as it disrupts the normal sleep cycle, supresses restorative REM sleep, as well as increasing the likelihood of having to go the toilet in the night, and snoring. Prolonged drinking above recommended guidelines can lead to brain damage, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and an increased risk of many types of cancer.

Alcohol – the sobering statistics

Now let’s take a quick look at the stats. Around 1 in 5 Australians over age 14 drink at levels that put them at risk of alcohol related harm in their lifetime. 1 in 6 people have drunk more than 11 standard drinks in one sitting in the past 12 months. In 2005 alcohol actually caused more than twice as many deaths as road accidents[1]. In 2013 around 5 million Australians were the victims of an alcohol related incident[2], and the annual death toll from alcohol misuse is over 5000[3].

Feel less productive after a night of drinking? You’re not alone. Loss of productivity caused by alcohol costs Australia $6 billion a year, with the cost of “presenteeism” (being at work but not getting much done) estimated to be four times the cost of absenteeism[4].

As clinical psychologists, mental health is particularly close to our hearts. Misuse of alcohol is linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety. In fact the risk of having any mental illness is around four times higher for people who drink alcohol heavily than for people who don’t[5].

There is growing evidence that alcohol may be a causative factor in mental health problems. Even for those people whose mental illness is initially unrelated to their drinking, the two can interact, making each issue worse.

Guidelines for alcohol use

So what are the guidelines for reducing the risk of alcohol related harm? For healthy men and women, no more than two standard drinks on any day. Now let’s clarify some terms.

First, “healthy” means no conditions like high blood pressure, hepatitis, liver problems, pregnancy and so on.

Second, “standard” means there is no more than 10 grams of pure alcohol in the drink. In wine, that means about 100mls, but often you will be served much more than 100mls in a glass. And remember, a full strength can of beer is about 1.4 standard drinks, so just two of those would put you over your daily limit. Print this handy reference guide from the Department of Health and keep it somewhere prominent.

8 top tips for cutting down alcohol use

Considering cutting down on drinking? Here are eight tips to get you started:

1.      Count your drinks

Keep track of how much you are drinking. Read the label of the bottle or can if you can – it will tell you how many standard drinks it contains. Want to keep track of how much you are drinking over more than just a night? Then download this free app from the NHS. 

2.     Space out your drinks

Have a glasses of water or other non-alcoholic drinks between each alcoholic drink.

3.    Eat before you start drinking

And accompany your meals with water instead of alcohol so that you can really taste your food.

4.    Take less alcohol with you

That doesn’t mean turning up empty-handed to events. Include a couple of non-alcoholic alternatives. You might not be the only one who appreciates there being something other than alcohol available.

5.    Slow down your drinking

Take time to savour and enjoying every sip.

6.    Stick to a budget

Decide beforehand how much you want to spend on alcohol and take cash rather than cards to limit your spending. You’re more likely to stick to your drinking goals this way.

7.     Practice refusing the offer of a drink

This might seem silly, but when you’re caught in the moment with no excuse it can be harder to say no. Plan beforehand what you’re going to say.

8.    Organise different social events

Want to catch up with your friends? Then suggest an activity that tends to be incompatible with drinking - going for a walk, a swim at the beach, a movie or coffee, rather than a catch up at the pub. Not only will you be improving your own health, your friends will get the benefit too!

Start off with these tips, and good luck! If you find that making changes is harder than you expected and you'd like some personalized support, contact us at The Skill Collective.

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REFERENCES

[1] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2014). National Drug Strategy Household Survey detailed report 2013. Canberra: AIHW. - See more at: http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/topics/quick-statistics#alcohol

[2] AIHW (2014). National Drug Strategy Household Survey detailed report: 2013. Drug statistics series no. 28. Cat. no. PHE 183. Canberra: AIHW.

[3] Gao, C., Ogeil, R.P., & Lloyd, B. (2014). Alcohol’s burden of disease in Australia. Canberra: FARE and VicHealth in collaboration with Turning Point.

[4] The societal costs of alcohol misuse in Australia. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no. 454

[5] Matthew Manning, Christine Smith and Paul Mazerolle. ISSN 1836-2206 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, April 2013

[6] Burns, L., & Teesson, M. (2002). Alcohol use disorders comorbid with anxiety, depression and drug use disorders: Findings from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 68, 299-307. doi: 10.1016/S0376-8716(02)00220-X