Is a constant stream of news headlines and notifications barraging your phone and infiltrating your email, reminding you of political, economic, and humanitarian unrest? It’s difficult not to emotionally respond and react, or let the most recent CNN or NYT update put you in a horrible mood.
Do you shudder when a notification from a news network pops up on your phone mid-day, while you’re trying to finish a report for work? Do news headlines that flood your Facebook feed make you angry, anxious, or irritable?
So how can you manage stress and anxiety? Each week I will offer one approach to help you stay grounded.
Tip # 2) Practice mindfulness however you can.
Mindfulness has become somewhat of a buzzword in popular psychology as of late. What it really means is paying attention to yourself (your thoughts, your actions, your emotions) in the moment, without judgment. Practicing mindfulness can be as extreme as hours of meditation, or as simple as taking a moment for a few deep breaths while you pay specific attention to your chest moving up and down, your lungs filling, and your heart rate slowing.
Mindfulness can virtually be applied to any activity. You can make a point to mindfully eat lunch, paying attention to your chewing, swallowing, and how your body feels as you digest food. You can mindfully listen to music, focusing only on the rhythms and lyrics for an entire song.
Finding a type of mindfulness that you can easily incorporate in your daily life can have a lasting impact on your level of anxiety.
Stay grounded!
Konstantin Lukin, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in Ridgewood and Hoboken, NJ. He has extensive clinical and research experience spanning individuals of all ages, in both inpatient and outpatient settings. He specializes in men’s issues, couple’s counseling, and relationship problems. His therapeutic approach focuses on providing support and practical feedback to help patients effectively address personal challenges. He integrates complementary modalities and techniques to offer a personalized approach tailored to each patient. He has been trained in cognitive-behavioral, dialectical behavior, schema-focused, and emotionally focused therapy, and has also been involved with research projects throughout his career, including two National Institute of Mental Health-funded studies. He is a member of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, New Jersey Psychological Association, Northeast Counties Association of Psychologists, New York State Psychological Association, The International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy, The New York Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy, the International OCD Foundation, the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACSB) and a regular contributor to Psychology Today.