Cultivate mindfulness to fight stress

By Mayo Clinic staff

Original Article:  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-and-mindfulness/MY02053
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  • Stress blog

  • March 28, 2012

    Cultivate mindfulness to fight stress

    By Edward T. Creagan, M.D.

6 comments posted

The concept of mindfulness is becoming increasingly popular as a tool to help us deal with the bewildering stresses of modern day life. Although there are many definitions of this term, it's useful to think of mindfulness as total absorption in the task at hand.

Need more help?

If the stress in your life is more than you can cope with, get help right away.

  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
    1-800-273-TALK (8255)
  • Go to the nearest hospital or emergency room
  • Call your physician, health provider or clergy
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness
    www.nami.org
    1-800-950-NAMI (6264)

In reading about an Olympic athlete, I came across a similar concept — "bookends." The athlete pictures a competition or big event between bookends. Everything else is outside of the bookends and is ignored so that the athlete can focus on what's important.

It can be challenging to eliminate those thorny, nagging issues that drive us to distraction. But one way of putting this into practice is to simply unplug from the grid for a period of time. Power down the phone, the tablet, the desktop and the laptop.

The sun will come up in the morning and the world will not disintegrate. At least this gives us a break from the barrage of demands and expectations. We need time to recharge our battery. We need time alone, or we simply will not go the distance.

6 comments posted

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MY02053 March 28, 2012

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