April 21, 2020

Dear Friends,

How are you? I sincerely hope you are coping well with the challenges of shelter in place and an uncertain future. But, know that if you are struggling, this is normal and expected. Please be gentle with yourself and with others, we are living in stressful times.

I recently read an interview with Jack Kornfield, and this quote stood out to me:

“Epidemics are a part of the cycle of life on this planet. The choice is how we respond. With greed and hatred and fear and ignorance? Or with generosity, clarity, steadiness, and love?”

Jack Kornfield is an author, Buddhist practitioner, and one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. A mindfulness practice can be particularly helpful in these stressful and uncertain times.

Defined as “a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique,” I prefer to explain mindfulness as “finding comfort in the present moment.” We know from the medical and psychological literature that mindfulness not only can reduce feelings of anxiety, depression and isolation, it also can reduce blood pressure and stress hormones such as cortisol that can contribute to strokes and diminished cardiac health.

Here are a few resources to understand mindfulness better and begin a simple practice to help bring some calm to your life:

Things Keep Getting Scarier. He Can Help You Cope: Jack Kornfield interview in The New York Times Magazine (subscription required)
How Mindfulness Can Help During COVID-19: Tips for calming anxiety during a difficult time from Child Mind Institute
Mindfulness exercises from Mayo Clinic: Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you're sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress.

I hope you find this helpful for you and your loved ones as you work to reduce stress and become more comfortable in the present. And, as always, if you or a loved one are struggling more significantly with mental health or behavioral health concerns, please see the list of resources at the bottom of this email. There are people and organizations ready, willing, and trained to help.

Finally, a reminder that if you have young people in your lives, we welcome you to join our complimentary virtual event on Friday, April 24, 2020, at noon with nationally-recognized child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Jess Shatkin. Dr. Shatkin will share advice and evidence-based strategies for helping our youth both now and beyond our current crisis. Please register here.

Please take good care of yourselves and your families. As always, I thank you for your ongoing support of Caminar and our divisions. And, please reach out if you need anything. We can be reached at 1-650-372-4080 or info@caminar.org.

Take good care,

Mark Cloutier, MPP, MPH
Chief Executive Officer

Mental Health and Coronavirus Resources

Special thanks to Caminar Case Manager Jason Kaefer for this article.

Did you know those who meditate typically feel happier and more secure? Who wouldn't want a measure of serenity in times like these? Our world has become uncertain and there aren't any easy solutions—none we can purchase or download, anyway. Although, meditation can be used as a coping skill to achieve peace amid uncertainty, and if you're like me, you've felt the ground shifting under you lately. So why not give it a try?

What is it?

Meditation is the practice of focusing your attention on a thought, object, or activity, and silencing the noise coming from your mind. It is commonly used in the form of breathing exercises.

Though prevalent today, meditation has been around for thousands of years and has taken many forms to cope with an array of ailments.

Why Meditation is Important

Meditation

● Reduces stress

● Improves attention and focus

● Controls anxiety

Stress Reduction

When we experience stress, our bodies respond by flooding a hormone called epinephrine into our system. This is the “fight or flight” response. The practice of meditation is meant to calm the body through relaxation and a stern focus on breathing.

Meditation can also lower blood pressure. Medical News Today reported that "a new study suggests the technique stimulates genes that produce telomerase—an enzyme linked with reduced blood pressure and mortality."

One way to practice stress reduction is to find a quiet place, sit comfortably, and focus on a word or phrase that can be anything you like. I like to use "rest" as my word. Try to ignore worrisome thoughts as they sneak into your mind.

The challenge will be to continually bring your attention back to the word or phrase you chose. Each time you do this, you are strengthening your mind and allowing yourself to relax.

You may also use meditation music while you practice. Many people have found that music assists them in remaining focused.

Focus Improvement

We tend to lose our focus under the stress of uncertainty. Meditation allows you to cut out all the unnecessary thoughts that cause emotional responses such as worry and panic.

Find a quiet place, sit straight with your feet planted on the ground with your palms in your lap. Count your breaths from one to four. When you get to four, repeat. Every time your mind wanders, bring your attention back to counting breaths.

Notice your body as you breathe. Notice your feet on the ground and your posture in the chair. Meditation is a mind and body experience, so take special note of your breaths in and out and what that feels like.

Anxiety Reduction

Once again, people seem to have trouble distinguishing from thoughts that can be thrown away versus those of value. An article by Harvard Health Publishing cites Dr. Elizabeth Hodge of the Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders. Hodge states that "People with anxiety have a problem dealing with distracting thoughts that have too much power.” She further explains that “They can’t distinguish between a problem-solving thought and a nagging worry that has no benefit.”

A technique called body scanning can be used to bring your attention back to the moment. This form of mindfulness involves observing—or scanning—your body's sensations. Notice the feeling of your feet, are they cold? Does one feel colder than the other? Do your neck and back feel comfortable?

Other Resources

It's natural to feel unsure of the techniques above, they take practice and discipline. Consider a YouTube search on “guided meditation” to kick-start your daily practice. This will also assist you in sorting through different types of meditation out there.

Remember that meditation is a method of dealing with stress, anxiety, and other emotional responses. The practice doesn't treat physical illness, rather the way you respond to an illness.

In times like these, it's important to rely on our ability to find inner peace.