Mindfulness: A Useful Coping Strategy
Published on
Spina Bifida Family ConnectionPublished on
Spina Bifida Family ConnectionBy Danielle D’Amico, BSN, RN, Nurse Coordinator, Spina Bifida Program
Youth with chronic conditions like spina bifida and their families can experience high levels of stress. Spending too much time being consumed by stress can make you more likely to experience anxiety and symptoms of depression.
How you respond to or cope with this stress can impact both health and psychosocial outcomes.
Mindfulness is one strategy to help you and your family cope with the stress of spina bifida.
Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we're doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what's going on around us. The goal of mindfulness is to wake up to the inner workings of our mental, emotional and physical processes.
Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress. Practicing mindfulness exercises can help you direct your attention away from negative thinking and engage with the world around you.
There are many simple ways to practice mindfulness. Some examples include: