by Fernando Rosete, MS, CSCS, USAW
Stress injury could be the result of a single traumatic event, as well as the result of an on-going, chronically elevated hormone levels that cause our nervous system to be in a state of constant alert (Thomas & Taylor, 2015). The current circumstances cause stress in all of us and our families and it is our responsibility to manage that, individually and collectively, as the team we are.
There is a myriad of stress management techniques available for immediate use. Meditation is a free, simple, practical, and effective practice that could be implemented individually or as a group. Meditation is a form of mental training, specific to improve attentional and emotional self-regulation, and self-awareness (Tang, Holzel, Posner., 2015). There are many different types of meditation practices. Mindful meditation is recognized as non-judgmental attention to present moment experiences. The regular practice of mindful meditation has proven effective creating behavior modification, changes in brain activity and brain structure (Tang, Holzel, Posner., 2015). All those changes are key when forming protective personality traits, basic to promote growth and resiliency.
In the military, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been widely used with positive results. Mindfulness training supports our ability to regulate the nervous system and calm our body’s fear receptors and has been recognized as an effective stress and anxiety reductor, pre- and post-deployment (Thomas & Taylor, 2015). Ryan (2012) describes mindfulness training to “bulletproof” your brain, creating more effective warriors with mental endurance, key for optimal combat readiness. Jha et al. (2010) found that improvement on stress regulation allowed study participants to bond while increasing working memory and cognitive control.
During a study on mindfulness pre-deployment training on marine reservists, Stanley, Schaldach, Kiyonaga, and Jha (2011) assessed changes in self-reported mindfulness practice and perceived stress, before and after a mindfulness course. The study proved individuals who reported a greater amount of mindfulness practice scored higher in perceived mood, and lower in stress perception, developing skills aligned with mental resiliency. At group level, leaders and team members noted improvements in unit cohesion and communication. Leaders also reported a greater ability to recognize emotions in themselves and others, as well as increased self-knowledge. Team members reported an increased ability to recognize personal strengths and weaknesses, identify “warning signs” for stress, maintaining a healthy emotional baseline.
Conclusion
MBSR is a non-complicated technique, readily accessible for everyone, including kids and older adults. Mindfulness meditation should be considered regular practice for stress management improvement, self-awareness, mood control and overall health and wellness enhancement.
Just like any type of skill, meditation requires regular practice to create adaptations and improvements and it could be challenging at the beginning. Notwithstanding, it is a great technique to develop self-compassion and mental discipline, important markers of resiliency.
Please consider the following guided exercises for your practice and share with your family and friends. I suggest you try them all and choose your favorite for regular practice. We all can benefit from stress management development these days!
MSBR Lake Meditation: https://youtu.be/3DoIOHb0unE
MSBR Mountain Meditation: https://youtu.be/9SwnJ6kqpa0
Mindfulness Meditation: https://youtu.be/6p_yaNFSYao
Mindfulness Meditation for Kids: https://youtu.be/VZ_wdeog5Ek
References:
Jha, A. P., Stanley, E. A., Kiyonaga, A., Wong, L., & Gelfand, L. (2010). Examining the protective effects of mindfulness training on working memory capacity and affective experience. Emotion, 10(1), 54-64.
Ryan, T. (2012). A mindful nation: How a simple practice can help us reduce stress, improve performance, and recapture the American spirit. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House.
Tang, Yi-Yuan & Holzel, Britta & Posner, Michael. (2015). The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 16. 10.1038/nrn3916.
Thomas, K.H., Taylor, S.P. (2015). Bulletproofing the Psyche: Mindfulness Interventions in the Training Environment to Improve Resilience in the Military and Veteran Communities. Advances in Social Work Vol. 16 No. 2.
Applied Exercise Science 