De-Stress the Holidays Through Mindfulness

Overeating, overspending, over-stressed. Welcome to the holiday season!

During this busy time of year, taking a few moments to “meditate” may be the last thing you think you have time for, and yet a simple awareness can alter the way you approach each day, giving you better control of your emotions and impulses while helping to control your blood pressure and anxiety levels.

“Research shows that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is very effective for individuals who want to learn to self-manage chronic pain, hypertension, heart disease, gastrointestinal disorders, side effects of cancer, and, psychological problems like anxiety and depression,” said Licensed Clinical Social Worker Elizabeth Hale-Rose, LCSW. Hale-Rose leads private and group mindfulness training sessions at Essex Wellness Center in Essex, CT.

Studies from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) show that mindfulness helps to lower blood pressure, boost a person’s immune system, and improve attention and focus. Mindfulness training is being used to redirect energy for people with ADHD. According to a study involving researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, practicing mindfulness meditation is associated with changes in the brain regions that affect memory and learning.

Rather than worrying over a possible rerun of last year’s family argument, or stressing out about being alone on New Years Eve, mindfulness training enables a person to gain control and ownership of the emotions and behaviors that affect mental and physical health. Weight loss, smoking cessation and improved relationships are some of the more common goals of people practicing mindfulness meditation or training.

“Being mindful of emotions and actions, focusing on the present rather than the past and future, is something that every person can learn to do on a daily basis to support optimum wellness,” said Hale-Rose.

Mindfulness Meditation group training sessions with Elizabeth Hale-Rose, LCSW, are scheduled for Tuesdays, 9-10:30am starting in January 2015 at Essex Wellness Center.

Elizabeth Hale-Rose will be on hand to discuss mindful meditation at the free New Year, New You Open House, Saturday, January 10, 2015 at Essex Wellness Center in Essex Village. For more information visit www.essexwellnessctr.com or all 860-767-7770.