What is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction?
The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Programme was founded back in the late 70’s by Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn, psychologist of the University of Massachusetts Medical Hospital. It is now an accepted part of mental health practice offering relief for anxiety, depression, stress and pain among others. Popularly referred to as MBSR, the programme teaches mindfulness to promote wellbeing by supporting the development of key emotion regulation skills. Francesca Zammit Cutajar writes
What is mindfulness?
Dr Kabat-Zinn refers to mindfulness as “paying attention, in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment nonjudgmentally” (Kabat-Zinn, 1994).
Or as “moments of peace and stillness, even in the midst of activity” (Kabat-Zinn, 1990).
Let’s begin with the opposite of mindfulness – mindlessness - or being on automatic pilot. Being on automatic pilot means doing the many things we do without thinking, even though some of them might not be helpful for us in the long run. Have you ever found yourself driving the wrong way at the weekend, just because you are so used to driving another way all week? Do you find yourself reacting with anxious overthinking or losing energy in a depressive slump around certain situations? Do you ever notice you get physical symptoms like palpitations, stomach ache or a tight chest in certain situations? Do you find yourself reaching for food, alcohol, cigarettes or lashing out with angry words when you are sad, angry or confused? Do you even know if that is what you are feeling?
These are all examples of being on automatic pilot and are patterns of behaviour that have often been around for a good long while. They have been likely reinforced by events and situations in our childhood and are perpetuated by our instinctual desire to avoid physical pain or uncomfortable feelings.
What is the point of mindfulness?
The point of being mindful is to increase our ability to respond to a situation in a way that helps instead of reacting using automatic pilot and potentially sabotaging ourselves. The training encourages you to experience your emotions rather than avoid or deny them and not to give them excessive amounts of attention (unless of course it is imperative that you do). It encourages you instead to slow down, breathe and deliberately focus on what is being experienced right then and there. It encourages you to accept whatever feeling you happen to be experiencing, however uncomfortable. You do not try to shut out aspects of your experience or try and change your thoughts into more positive ones. Inevitably, feelings then pass, or decrease in intensity, giving us that window of opportunity to decide how best to respond. The emotions or body sensations we have been experiencing, instead of being viewed as pathological or ‘bad’ are thus viewed as signals towards increased selfunderstanding and helpful responses.
How do we do it?
Mindfulness training is not so much a technique or a method as it is a way of being accessible to all of us. Most of us have forgotten about simply being because we are too wrapped up in doing. Doing to get somewhere or to get something or to get that ‘good’ feeling. Inevitably and as mindfulness would view it, quite normally, life just happens in its often messy, uncomfortable and sometimes painful way. Mindfulness helps us to become more resilient in the face of life’s ups and down; accept rather than hide from the feelings that come up and to do so without self-judgment or getting really involved in the drama of it. We learn as a result to observe ourselves in action.
Mindfulness is taught in a highly practical way through experiential exercises as well as talk and discussion. The exercises encourage awareness of what is actually happening, whether as we are breathing, thinking, feeling, listening or going about daily activities such as eating or walking. We are taught to direct our attention to what we are experiencing in the present moment, as it unfolds. Rather than worrying about past events or imagined future ones, we are encouraged to observe what is going on for us, right now, with nonjudgmental acceptance and a kind curiosity.
What is the evidence that mindfulness helps?
The evidence in research that mindfulness training, with its moments of meditation or contemplation, can assist us in navigating difficult experiences is strong. Katherine Wear, Emeritus Professor of the University of Exeter, summarised that, in adults, mindfulness has been shown to address physical health problems such as reducing the effects of pain, high blood pressure, fibromyalgia and psoriasis. It has also addressed mental issues such as stress and anxiety, recurrent depression and substance abuse. From within the field of neuroscience, mindfulness meditation has been shown to increase grey matter in areas related to attention and emotional integration.
Professor Weare also reveals that in two recent reviews, twenty studies done with young people and reviewed in reputable scientific journals show that mindfulness programmes impact positively on young people. Specifically the results paid attention to the areas of emotional wellbeing (ability to handle strong emotions such as anger, ability to trust; learning capacity (including attention, focus and executive function); mental health (including anxiety, depression and ADHD) and also of physical health (including lowered blood pressure and improved sleep).
MBSR and young people
MBSR has been the foundational inspiration for others in the same vein such as MBCT (mindfulness-based cognitive therapy) and MBEAT (mindfulness-based eating awareness) and also DBT (dialectical behaviour therapy) the latter specifically supporting those whose issues involve self-harming. Its secular nature and supporting empirical evidence has drawn schools to recognise the benefits of engaging their students in mindfulness programmes and of including it into the curriculum, not only for the potentially positive impact this would have on intellectual performance but for their emotional growth and wellbeing. The U.S.A has long been incorporating mindfulness into its school programmes. The Learning to Breathe programme for Adolescents is one of them. The U.K. has followed suit with the .b programme, a part of the Mindful Schools Project. The Mental Health Foundation in the UK estimates that as many as 30% of GPs now refer patients to mindfulness training. ABOUT FRANCESCA ZAMMIT CUTAJAR – Francesca Zammit Cutajar was raised in Switzerland and educated in the U.K. She has a Ba in French and Development Studies from the UK but began her professional life as Nutrition Counsellor 20 years ago, supporting people with a variety of eating issues. She has completed a validated MBSR programme and has both personal experience of mindfulness and working with young people. She most recently gained an International Masters in Counselling from Malta and Maryland Universities and will be working from St James, Sliema and the Maia Center in Mosta. Francesca is running 6 week MBSR programmes for teenagers. These follow the empirically supported and Kabat-Zinn-endorsed Learning to Breathe Programme. Sessions will begin after school during the week of 18 November and be divided into 13-14, 15-16, 17-18 age groups. Sessions will take place once a week for one hour. Further information can be found on the Facebook page: MBSR-Malta