Health Beat

Irecently interviewed Ellen Ladieu from Excelsior College. The topic was mindfulness. It’s not some ‘woo woo’ new age practice. It’s about being present in the moment. Research shows it can improve your overall health. It does that by reducing stress and who couldn’t use that right now?! It helps us deal with illness and facilitate recovery. Feeling blue? Mindfulness can help elevate your mood. It’s been shown to help improve problem solving. So what is mindfulness and how do you ‘do’ it? It can be as simple as sitting and breathing and focusing on your breath. If your mind wanders, refocus. Not your cup of tea? Well, when you brush your teeth really focus on that action – putting the toothpaste on the brush, the sensation of the bristles in your mouth, the temperature of the water. In those moments you are fully present. The pressures of the outside world can’t creep in. It’s a mini vacation for your mind. Ideally we’d practice mindfulness every day, even a few minutes. Walking the dog? Focus on the space around you, the sensation of your feet striking the pavement. In short, whatever you’re doing be aware of doing that action. Waiting at a stop light? Take a few moments to focus on your breath. Practice finding the moments you can use and you’ll find yourself incorporating mindfulness into your daily life. And as you do that, consider changing how you think about a situation. Yes, we have limits these days as we work to control the spread of coronavirus. But those limits can also provide more opportunities. With fewer demands on our time, we can focus on ourselves and on our loved ones. We can explore areas of interest we were too busy for before. So be in the moment. You’ll be ready to embrace new opportunities.

Benita Zahn, Dps-bioethics

518 -207- 4820 / Bzahn@wnyt.com Facebook.com/ benitazahn Instagram.com/ benitatv13

Watch Benita inter view Capital Region health experts at wnyt.com/ health