Mindfulness, acceptance and change
I was recently asked to comment on a study related to the effect of practicing mindfulness on alcohol consumption. The results were interesting and can give inspiration and heart to anyone looking to change habits. The ability to change is key to maintaining wellbeing throughout our lives, particularly when our lifestyle habits are not working for us.
With lifestyle related illness and disease reaching epidemic proportions, this is good news for any of us looking to improve our health and wellbeing by changing what we do, consume and or think.
The research, published in the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, found that a brief 11-minute training session in mindfulness was enough to coax heavy drinkers into consuming less alcohol the following week compared with similar people who were taught relaxation techniques. After the 11 minute session, the 2 groups were asked to continue practising techniques they learned during the following week. They were not asked to make any other changes to their lives.
Overall, those that participated in the mindfulness session drank 9.3 alcohol units (about three pints of beer) less than they had the previous week, while those practising relaxation saw no significant difference in their consumption.
This tallies with my experience working with people and in my own life. Mindfulness is all about connecting with and dealing with what is. It is about having a heightened moment-to-moment awareness of what is going on in the mind, without judgement or attachment.
When we practice relaxation techniques alone, we are in a way disconnecting or trying to control, limit or override what is going on. Relaxation practices instruct us to ‘be calm’ or ‘un-tense’ etc. This is very useful as part of a daily practice (and one that I love to do) and will provide temporary relief if a situation is stressful but it does not necessarily prepare us as well to sit with or address our daily problems in the way that mindfulness does.
In the study, while those that did the relaxation practices had an immediate reduction in their cravings straight after the session, there was no change to their alcohol consumption quantities in the following 7 days.
Mindfulness and other meditation practices that help you accept and sit with and accept what is, are powerful resources to help you sit with the discomfort that comes when changing any habit.
While drinking one or two drinks daily is a habit that can bring health, and is a daily habit of many of the happiest and healthiest cententarians around the world, drinking alcohol is something people often do to get away from their problems.
Mindfulness and meditation prepare you to live life more fully and engage with what is going on. Being mindful trains you to sit with cravings and feelings. It helps build mental stamina and strength. It gives space to develop clarity so you can make the best decisions, be in charge of yourself and less drawn to distractions or unhelpful resources and strategies to avoid life.
Happiness is only felt when we are focused and connected. A distracted minded will never be happy. Being present and mindful is always beneficial. In the bad times, we solve our problems more quickly and in the good times we savour, feel, experience and enjoy what we are doing even more. Being mindful as a practice trains us to be mindful in life.
If you are looking to make any changes in your lifestyle, doing mindfulness is a very positive resource you can draw on.
Wishing you a wonderful week !
Calodagh McCumiskey teaches meditation and yoga. She offers business wellbeing programmes for businesses and weekly meditation classes in Wexford and Waterford 087 1335230 | info@spiritualearth.ie | www.spiritualearth.ie