L D A O - C PA R E N T N I G H T M I N D F U L N E S S F O R L D S & A D H D Christine Caissie, Learning Strategist
T O P I C O F T H E H O U R • medecine • counselling/psychology • education • business
F I R S T: W H AT I S M I N D F U L N E S S ? I N T I M I D AT I N G ? Christine Caissie, Learning Strategist
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“Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment” – J O N K A B AT- Z I N N Christine Caissie, Learning Strategist
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“Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.” – J O N K A B AT- Z I N N Christine Caissie, Learning Strategist
ADVERTISEMENT Subscription Center Sign In | Register 0 Subscribe to Print + Digital » Subscribe to Digital » Search ScientificAmerican.com Give a Gift » Buy the Latest Issue » Subscribe News & Features Topics Blogs Videos & Podcasts Education Citizen Science SA Magazine SA Mind Books SA en españo More from Scientific American Mind & Brain » Scientific American Mind Volume 24, Issue 2 » Perspectives 48 :: Email :: Print Negative Emotions Are Key to Well-Being Feeling sad, mad, critical or otherwise awful? Surprise: negative emotions See Inside are essential for mental health Apr 11, 2013 | By Tori Rodriguez A client sits before me, seeking help ADVERTISEMENT untangling his relationship problems. As a psychotherapist, I strive to be warm, nonjudgmental and encouraging. I am a bit unsettled, then, when in the midst of describing his painful experiences, he says, “I'm sorry for being so negative.” A crucial goal of therapy is to learn to acknowledge and express a full range of emotions, and here was a client apologizing for doing just that. In my psychotherapy practice, many of my clients struggle with
“It’s very helpful to realize that the emotions we have, the negativity and the positivity, are exactly what we need to be fully human, fully awake, fully alive.” – P E M A C H O D R O N Christine Caissie, Learning Strategist
TABLE 1 Factor Loadings of PHLMS Items From the Nonclinical Student Sample ( Factor (Awar 1. I am aware of what thoughts are passing through my mind. 2. I try to distract myself when I feel unpleasant emotions. –.136 3. When talking with other people, I am aware of their facial and body expressions. 4. There are aspects of myself I don’t want to think about. 5. When I shower, I am aware of how the water is running over my body. 6. I try to stay busy to keep thoughts or feelings from coming to mind. 7. When I am startled, I notice what is going on inside my body. 8. I wish I could control my emotions more easily. 9. When I walk outside, I am aware of smells or how the air feels against my face. 10. I tell myself that I shouldn’t have certain thoughts. –.003 11. When someone asks how I am feeling, I can identify my emotions easily. 12. There are things I try not to think about. –.061 13. I am aware of thoughts I’m having when my mood changes. 14. I tell myself that I shouldn’t feel sad. –.027 15. I notice changes inside my body, like my heart beating faster or my muscles getting tense. 16. If there is something I don’t want to think about, I’ll try many things to get it out of my mind. –.022 17. Whenever my emotions change, I am conscious of them immediately. 18. I try to put my problems out of mind. 19. When talking with other people, I am aware of the emotions I am experiencing. 20. When I have a bad memory, I try to distract myself to make it go away. NOTE: All items are rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale (1 = never , 2 = rarely , 3 = sometimes , 4 = often , and 5 = quency each item was experienced over the past week. To obtain the Awareness subscale score, all odd items are totaled; levels of awareness. To obtain the Acceptance subscale score, all even items are reverse scored and totaled; higher scores tance. A copy of the PHLMS can be obtained from the authors. Bold values highlight the subscale on which the items fall.
TA K E A WAY # 1 : Mindfulness is not simply about focusing on the positive. It is acknowledging where we are right here, right this moment.
TA K E A WAY # 2 : Cultivating mindfulness is also cultivating equanimity— a space to check-in with ourselves and see what is going on without engaging in our mind and bodies without engaging with it. For kids with ADHD and some LDs, this is crucial.
H O W D O E S T H I S T R A N S L AT E I N T H E E V E RY D AY L I F E O F S T U D E N T S W I T H A D H D & L D S ? https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=qpDBusFB9zI#t=366 Christine Caissie, Learning Strategist
M I N D F U L N E S S H A S A N E M O T I O N A L I M PA C T: • Reduces stress, anxiety and depression (Farb et al., 2010; Williams, 2010) due to the changes in neural activity • Reduces emotional reactivity (Ortner et al., 2007). • Reduces rumination (Chambers et al., 2008), which can lead to increases in pro-social behaviours Christine Caissie, Learning Strategist
M I N D F U L N E S S H A S A C O G N I T I V E I M PA C T: • Improving focus (Mitchell, Zylowska & Kollins, 2014; Moore & Malinowski, 2009). • Increasing executive function capabilities (including working memory) (Jha et al., 2010) • Ease memory retrieval and problem-solving Christine Caissie, Learning Strategist
H O W D O E S T H A T H A P P E N ? P H Y S I O L O G I C A L C H A N G E S
With time spent practicing comes space and freedom… “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom. – V I K T O R E . F R A N K L
M I N D F U L N E S S I S A S P E C T R U M …
H O W T O C U LT I VAT E M I N D F U L N E S S ? • There is a variety of mindfulness exercises that vary in length, intensity, and : • Mindful breathing exercises • Mindful walking exercises • Mindful movements • Mindful relaxation • Mind jars • Brain education (MindUp Curriculum) • Programs: • Mindfulness-based stress reduction • Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD (ok for Teens) Christine Caissie, Learning Strategist
R E S O U R C E S • MindUp Curriculum (Scholastic) • Mindful Movements by Thich Nhat Hanh • Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for kids by Eline Snel • Planting Seeds by Thich Nhat Hanh • The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD by Lidia Zylowska • Free Mindfulness exercises from UCLA: http://marc.ucla.edu/ body.cfm?id=22 Christine Caissie, Learning Strategist
C O N T I N U E D … • Apps for iPhone & Android: • Headspace- both • Mindshift-both • Sesame Street’s Breathe- both • Take a Chill (only iPhone) • Stop, Breathe and Think Christine Caissie, Learning Strategist
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