Mindful Approaches to Managing Emotions (Powerpoint):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3-1-RkV8UaCOTA4bk5yTFNHNU0/view?usp=sharing
defines mindfulness – focus on the emotion aspect of it
why manage emotions
how to manage emotions
Sedona Method release
recommendations for books and trainings
Optional Personal Application: Letting Go With Mindfulness Worksheet
Exercise: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3-1-RkV8UaCM0gwc2FYTnNoME0/view?usp=sharing
Review the Mindful Approaches to Managing Emotions Powerpoint. Complete this Letting Go with Mindfulness Worksheetonce daily for 5 days. Write a discussion post explaining how the process went for you. What questions do you have about letting go of emotions using mindfulness? Can you imagine how that might be helpful for people with chronic health illnesses?
Audio Mindfulness Tracks:
http://www.freemindfulness.org/download
Choose one or two of these audio tracks and complete it.
Mindfulness Training as a Clinical Intervention: A Conceptual and Empirical Review (article):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3-1-RkV8UaCMWwzQ1Q4RzRPdWM/view?usp=sharing
research – efficacy of mindfulness for a wide range of disorders
Can the elderly apply mindfulness?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnkMGhfTApo
Commentary by mindfulness experts on how mindfulness can be adapted for older adults
Benefits of mindfulness for older adults (e.g., memory)
Deepak Chopra's Top 8 Meditation Tips | Super Soul Sunday | Oprah Winfrey Network
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u58LCcxAEaA
Brief introduction and tips for meditation by renown meditation teacher Deepak Chopra
Application: Effectiveness of Mindfulness for ADHD and Other Conditions
Mindfulness has been associated with decreases in anxiety, depression, and many other mental and physical health symptoms and has been incorporated into many therapeutic approaches such as mindfulness-based stress reduction, dialectical behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (Burke, 2009; Mitchell et al., 2013).
ADHD is comorbid with many mood disorders such as depression (35-50% comorbidity) and anxiety (40-60% comorbidity; Sobanski, 2006). Feelings of inferiority, inadequacy, guilt, shame, nervousness, and anger (including self-directed anger) are extremely common for individuals with ADHD. Given their neurocognitive disability, people with ADHD may have been victim to cruelty, persecution, social exclusion, microaggressions, and discrimination from a very young age. As is common with many minority populations, people with ADHD may internalize these negative messages (e.g. I’ll never be able to have my dream job because there is something wrong with me. I should stop setting goals because I never achieve them). Mindfulness offers a path toward reduced oppression from these kinds of internalized messages.
Research has revealed that mindfulness is associated with increases in self-acceptance and self-compassion (Shapiro, Astin, Bishop, & Cordova, 2005). When practicing mindfulness, it is inevitable that one’s mind will wander due to distracting internal or external stimuli. Rather than shaming oneself about this occurrence, mindfulness instructs people to gently and compassionately nudge their focus back into alignment with their anchor (e.g. the breath). Mindfulness specifically trains people to notice self-judgments, and invites people to replace judgmental thoughts with accepting thoughts as much as possible. In this manner, mindfulness practitioners experience a heightened level of freedom from negative self-talk. These themes of compassion, acceptance, and freedom relate directly to the notion of social justice. If individuals with ADHD can learn to accept themselves fully and let go of the negative messages they receive from themselves and others about their disability, then they may be more likely to be a part of the movement that empowers rather than discriminates against the ADHD population.
References
Burke, C. A. (2009). Mindfulness-based approaches with children and adolescents: A preliminary review of current research in an emergent field. Journal Of Child And Family Studies, 19(2), 133-144. doi:10.1007/s10826-009-9282-x
Mitchell, J. T., McIntyre, E. M., English, J. S., Dennis, M. F., Beckham, J. C., & Kollins, S. H. (2013). A pilot trial of mindfulness meditation training for ADHD in adulthood: Impact on core symptoms, executive functioning, and emotion dysregulation. Journal of Attention Disorders. doi:10.1177/1087054713513328
Shapiro, S. L., Astin, J. A., Bishop, S. R., & Cordova, M. (2005). Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for health care professionals: Results from a randomized trial. International Journal Of Stress Management, 12(2), 164-176. doi:10.1037/1072-5245.12.2.164
Sobanski, E. (2006). Psychiatric comorbidity in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). European Archives Of Psychiatry And Clinical Neuroscience, 256(Suppl1), 26-31. doi:10.1007/s00406-006-1004-4