This is unique to the individual and usually changes over time. For some, washing dishes, taking a bath, riding a dirt bike, fishing, playing with a friend or pet, or taking a walk may meet the required components. For me, gardening, reading, canoeing, and an interesting conversation, can help me create this type of relaxation. Children often meet the requirements of mindfulness meditation through play.
(Sorry, watching TV does not count, you must be an active participant; however, for some, just having “down time“ is also extremely important)
See Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: A Practical Guide for Improving Communication and Getting What You Want in Your Relationships
for a better understand of some of the differences between men and women in how they deal with stress.
(These books could be sited in the "relationship" section as well as other sections; however, the listing is here because of some of the basic differences between how men and women relieve stress, which includes the way they approach meditation.
Effects of a mindfulness-based intervention during pregnancy on prenatal stress and mood: results of a pilot study
"Stress and negative mood during pregnancy increase risk for poor childbirth outcomes and postnatal mood problems and may interfere with mother–infant attachment and child development. However, relatively little research has focused on the efficacy of psychosocial interventions to reduce stress and negative mood during pregnancy. In this study, we developed and pilot tested an eight-week mindfulness-based intervention directed toward reducing stress and improving mood in pregnancy and early postpartum. We then conducted a small randomized trial (n = 31) comparing women who received the intervention during the last half of their pregnancy to a wait-list control group. Measures of perceived stress, positive and negative affect, depressed and anxious mood, and affect regulation were collected prior to, immediately following, and three months after the intervention (postpartum). Mothers who received the intervention showed significantly reduced anxiety (effect size, 0.89; p < 0.05) and negative affect (effect size, 0.83; p < 0.05) during the third trimester in comparison to those who did not receive the intervention. The brief and nonpharmaceutical nature of this intervention makes it a promising candidate for use during pregnancy. "
http://www.springerlink.com/content/u718t0802658447g/
Evaluation of a wellness-based mindfulness stress reduction intervention: A controlled trial.
Williams, Kimberly A.; Kolar, Maria M.; Reger, Bill E.; Pearson, John C.
American Journal of Health Promotion, Vol 15(6), Jul-Aug 2001, 422-432.
"Determined if participation in a Wellness-Based Mindfulness Stress Reduction intervention decreases the effect of daily hassles, psychological distress, and medical symptoms. The study used a randomized controlled trial of a stress reduction intervention with a 3-mo follow-up in a university setting in West Virginia. A total of 103 adults, with 59 in the intervention group and 44 in the control group participated. 85% percent of Ss completed the intervention. 59% percent and 61% of the intervention and control Ss completed the study, respectively. The intervention consisted of an 8-wk group stress reduction program in which Ss learned, practiced, and applied "mindfulness meditation" to daily life situations. The control group received educational materials and were encouraged to use community resources for stress management. The Daily Stress Inventory assessed the effect of daily hassles, the Revised Hopkins Symptom Checklist measured psychological distress, the Medical Symptom Checklist measured number of medical symptoms, and a Follow-up Questionnaire measured program adherence. Intervention Ss reported significant decreases from baseline in effect of hassles, psychological distress, and medical symptoms that were maintained at the 3-mo follow-up compared to control Ss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)"http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2001-07831-002
Mindfulness and Health Behaviors: Is Paying Attention Good for You?
"Conclusions: These results suggest that mindfulness is related to decreased stress, which in turn contributes to increased positive health perceptions and health behaviors. The findings support the utility of mindfulness in promoting physical and psychological health in college students."
http://heldref-publications.metapress.com/app/home/contribution.asp?referrer=parent&backto=issue,6,17;journal,1,81;linkingpublicationresults,1:119928,1
Mindfulness-based stress reduction for chronic pain conditions: Variation in treatment outcomes and role of home meditation practice
"Results: Outcomes differed in significance and magnitude across common chronic pain conditions. Diagnostic subgroups of patients with arthritis, back/neck pain, or two or more comorbid pain conditions demonstrated a significant change in pain intensity and functional limitations due to pain following MBSR. Participants with arthritis showed the largest treatment effects for HRQoL and psychological distress. Patients with chronic headache/migraine experienced the smallest improvement in pain and HRQoL. Patients with fibromyalgia had the smallest improvement in psychological distress. Greater home meditation practice was associated with improvement on several outcome measures, including overall psychological distress, somatization symptoms, and self-rated health, but not pain and other quality of life scales."
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022399909000944
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022399909000944
Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits: A meta-analysis
"Conclusion
Although derived from a relatively small number of studies, these results suggest that MBSR may help a broad range of individuals to cope with their clinical and nonclinical problems."
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022399903005737
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022399903005737
No comments:
Post a Comment