Stop, Take a Breath and Just Let Things Go

In our busy lives, it’s hard to stop and take a breath and just let things go. Dr. Darlene Mininni is joining me today to tackle the problem of stress and anxiety. Darlene is the author of “The Emotional Toolkit” and Creator of the UCLA undergraduate well-being course - Life Skills. Today we are going to find out how we can start using mindfulness and meditation to reduce stress and how to fit it into your busy schedule wherever you may be.

What we are doing right now is not something that comes naturally to us and it’s no fault of our own, it’s the way our brain is designed. Our brain fills with thoughts of the future to protect us from what if’s. What if I lose my job? And sometimes we focus on the past, things we wish we did differently, or why did he say that to me? And we are rarely focused on this moment, just where we are, and what’s happening.

In order to do that, actually train ourselves to do that, mindfulness or mindfulness meditation is really a brain training program in a sense that will literally rewire the functioning of your brain so that you begin to be more focused on your present moment and exactly what’s happening. It doesn’t mean that you are never going to plan for the future. You are going to take things as you can in the moment. So, the question might be. What difference does doing things in the moment make?

Science is starting to look at what Mindfulness Meditation can do for us?
The obvious one is reducing stress.

But it can boost our creativity, enhance our productivity, improve our immune functioning so you are healthier, it decreases your anxiety, depression, you can sleep better, students do better on exams. 

There are so many benefits to learning this skill as Jon Kabit Zin says, “To just pay attention to what is happening in the present moment and with an attitude of acceptance that you accept whatever is happening as is."

Dr. Darlene Mininni says - “We don’t want to just manage our life, we want to thrive in our life.”

Jon Kabat-Zinn - “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What if I’m thinking, “Well, I tried it once or even a couple times and nothing happened.” What now?
• How many minutes a day of practicing this focus on the breath can make a difference.
• Is there such thing as meditation in action? For when I’m so busy, I don’t have time to sit down and really meditate. What do we think or say to ourselves when we are doing the dishes, folding laundry, etc.
• What if I have trouble sleeping at night? What can I do?
• How does mindfulness equal happiness?