{"id":1442,"date":"2011-07-10T10:59:58","date_gmt":"2011-07-10T14:59:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/mindfulnessmatters\/?p=1442"},"modified":"2011-07-10T10:59:58","modified_gmt":"2011-07-10T14:59:58","slug":"stress-reduction-sunday-now-thrive-friday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/07\/stress-reduction-sunday-now-thrive-friday.html","title":{"rendered":"Stress Reduction Sunday now Thrive Friday"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It’s been a a while since I’ve linked to my weekly posts on Connecticut Watchdog website. These columns, DESTRESS, focused on how to apply mindfulness to everyday stressful circumstances. I’m changing the emphasis from DESTRESS to THRIVE to include a positive psychology approach. Mindfulness fits well within the broader field of positive psychology, so look for these posts over the coming weeks.<\/p>\n

Read my first post here: THRIVE: How to Flourish in an Insane World<\/a><\/p>\n

To catch up on my previous DESTRESS posts explore below:<\/p>\n

DESTRESS: There is No Time Like the Present<\/a><\/h2>\n

Much of our stress arises out of our relationship to time. There are three time frames to consider: past, present, and future. And in any given moment we are always in the present. That present can consider itself, the past, or the future.<\/p>\n

The psychological present, which lasts about three seconds, directs attention. It can be focused on reality or fantasy. Future and past are fantasy, products of imagination. The past already occurred; the future has yet to occur. Even if the content of those fantasies are real, that is, events that did happen or will happen, we are still using imagination to access them. We can also access imagination in reference to the present when we are engaged in commentary about the present.<\/p>\n

Read more …<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

DESTRESS: Manage Stress By Managing Attention: Case in Point \u2014 The U.S. Open<\/a><\/h2>\n

Talk about stress, imagine having the entire world watching your every move; expecting you to fulfill some heroic destiny. Imagine that you are doing it. In fact, exceeding everyone\u2019s expectations; breaking records. Imagine that you have to do this not once, twice, or three times, but four times. Each time the pressure and expectations build. Each time the consequences mount.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to imagine this situation, it is unfolding at the 111th playing of the U.S. Open Golf Championship hosted by the USGA, the premiere golf tournament in the world and notoriously the most difficult.<\/p>\n

Read more …\u00a0<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

DESTRESS: Don\u2019t Over-think It<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

We might as well be talking heads, disconnected from the living reality of our bodies for all the time we spend involved in mind-spun stories. It seems that the more we think, at times, the more trouble we get into. So, why not put all that thinking aside? Why not spend a moment dwelling in the unfolding dynamic of this moment?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to be stressed without some significant circumstance in conjunction with thoughts telling stories about that circumstance. Not everyone in an earthquake develops post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).<\/p>\n

Read more …<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

DESTRESS: Embark on an Internal Geography Excursion<\/a><\/h2>\n

Sometimes when we have a change of scenery we can see things from a fresh perspective. Away from the usual sights, sounds, and smells of home we can move away from our habitual associations to seeing something new.<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t last for long, of course, because we have to return home eventually, and of course we take our minds with us. So unless we can also change the internal geography, we\u2019ll revert back to our habitual patterns.<\/p>\n

Read more …\u00a0<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

DESTRESS: Overcoming the Mind-Body Split<\/a><\/h2>\n

\u00a0I just read a fascinating story about Wim Hof, the Dutch \u201cIceman\u201d<\/a>\u00a0who is able to withstand prolonged cold temparatures that would kill the rest of us.<\/p>\n

Read more …\u00a0<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

DESTRESS: The Stress Relieving, Life Enhancing Benefits of Owning a Dog<\/a><\/h2>\n

Folk wisdom has suggested for a long time that dog\u2019s are humanity\u2019s \u201cbest friends.\u201d Research over the past thirty years has demonstrated the stress-relieving benefits of canine companions. Reduced blood pressure and stress hormones were among the findings.<\/p>\n

\u201cTherapy\u201d dogs are commonplace at nursing homes and in hospitals for their therapeutic benefits. If you have a dog already, you know these benefits. If you don\u2019t have a dog and experience stress that is difficult to handle, \u00a0you might want to consider the benefits of a canine friend.<\/p>\n

Read more …<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

DESTRESS: Don\u2019t Just Go With The Flow, Make Your Own Flow<\/a><\/h2>\n

There is a concept know as \u201cflow\u201d in psychology. This termed was coined by positive psychology pioneer\u00a0(pronounced me-hi chick-sent-me-high) and it refers to an optimal state where our skills coincide with the challenge of a situation. When in flow, time diasppears and we are fully engaged in the action of the moment. These tend to be very happy moments.<\/p>\n

Sounds a lot like mindfulness, doesn\u2019t it? Flow is more specialized and I would consider it to be a subset of mindfulness. Through mindfulness we can access flow more readily and not just hope for the right conditions to come around.<\/p>\n

Read more …\u00a0<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

DESTRESS: Explore the \u201cPharmacy Within\u201d<\/a><\/h2>\n

I was walking into my local supermarket yesterday and once again noticed the sign placed by the front door: \u201cPharmacy Within.\u201d Interesting. Such an odd wording.<\/p>\n

Of course, we have a \u201cPharmacy Within\u201d our brains and the rest of our bodies. We run on neurotransmitters, neurohormones, hormones, and other chemicals. We are a veritable apothecary. Our brains contain endogenous (coming from within) forms of opioids (morphine-like substances) called endorphins that are two hundred times more potent than actual morphine.<\/p>\n

Read more …\u00a0<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

DESTRESS: Spring is a Time to Notice Transition<\/a><\/h2>\n

Up here in Northern Vermont there are finally signs of spring (probably these have been with you for a while where you are). The snows in the lowlands have melted, the grass is greening, and buds are making their bold announcements of life. For certain, I\u2019m still running the wood stove, but mud season is upon us!<\/p>\n

Spring is a time of transition and is a stunning example of the types of transitions that occur in our life every day, in fact, every moment of the day. Stress arises when we relate to these transitions in particular ways.<\/p>\n

Read more …<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s been a a while since I’ve linked to my weekly posts on Connecticut Watchdog website. These columns, DESTRESS, focused on how to apply mindfulness to everyday stressful circumstances. I’m changing the emphasis from DESTRESS to THRIVE to include a positive psychology approach. Mindfulness fits well within the broader field of positive psychology, so look…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":268,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,15,9,14,19],"tags":[62,204,203,21,202],"class_list":["post-1442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-from-the-archive","category-media","category-mindfulnesss","category-recommended","category-stress-reduction","tag-ct-watchdog","tag-destress","tag-flourish","tag-mindfulness","tag-thrive"],"yoast_head":"\nStress Reduction Sunday now Thrive Friday - Mindfulness Matters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/07\/stress-reduction-sunday-now-thrive-friday.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Stress Reduction Sunday now Thrive Friday - Mindfulness Matters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It’s been a a while since I’ve linked to my weekly posts on Connecticut Watchdog website. These columns, DESTRESS, focused on how to apply mindfulness to everyday stressful circumstances. I’m changing the emphasis from DESTRESS to THRIVE to include a positive psychology approach. Mindfulness fits well within the broader field of positive psychology, so look…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/07\/stress-reduction-sunday-now-thrive-friday.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mindfulness Matters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-07-10T14:59:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/mindfulnessmatters\/files\/2011\/07\/BS16038-300x300.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dr. Arnie Kozak\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Stress Reduction Sunday now Thrive Friday - Mindfulness Matters","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/07\/stress-reduction-sunday-now-thrive-friday.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Stress Reduction Sunday now Thrive Friday - Mindfulness Matters","og_description":"It’s been a a while since I’ve linked to my weekly posts on Connecticut Watchdog website. These columns, DESTRESS, focused on how to apply mindfulness to everyday stressful circumstances. I’m changing the emphasis from DESTRESS to THRIVE to include a positive psychology approach. Mindfulness fits well within the broader field of positive psychology, so look…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/07\/stress-reduction-sunday-now-thrive-friday.html","og_site_name":"Mindfulness Matters","article_published_time":"2011-07-10T14:59:58+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/mindfulnessmatters\/files\/2011\/07\/BS16038-300x300.jpg"}],"author":"Dr. Arnie Kozak","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/07\/stress-reduction-sunday-now-thrive-friday.html","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/07\/stress-reduction-sunday-now-thrive-friday.html","name":"Stress Reduction Sunday now Thrive Friday - Mindfulness Matters","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/07\/stress-reduction-sunday-now-thrive-friday.html#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/07\/stress-reduction-sunday-now-thrive-friday.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/mindfulnessmatters\/files\/2011\/07\/BS16038-300x300.jpg","datePublished":"2011-07-10T14:59:58+00:00","dateModified":"2011-07-10T14:59:58+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/#\/schema\/person\/5f92cf2ae15fbe04e74ca47527ac68d8"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/07\/stress-reduction-sunday-now-thrive-friday.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/07\/stress-reduction-sunday-now-thrive-friday.html"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/07\/stress-reduction-sunday-now-thrive-friday.html#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/mindfulnessmatters\/files\/2011\/07\/BS16038-300x300.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/mindfulnessmatters\/files\/2011\/07\/BS16038-300x300.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/07\/stress-reduction-sunday-now-thrive-friday.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Stress Reduction Sunday now Thrive Friday"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/","name":"Mindfulness Matters","description":"Beliefnet Voices - Arnie Kozak","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/#\/schema\/person\/5f92cf2ae15fbe04e74ca47527ac68d8","name":"Dr. Arnie Kozak","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/6ab\/6abd6f3205265768510a13d66ac2aff7x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/6ab\/6abd6f3205265768510a13d66ac2aff7x96.jpg","caption":"Dr. Arnie Kozak"},"description":"Recognized as an innovator in the field of mindfulness-based psychology, Dr. Arnie Kozak is northern New England's leading expert in the field. Dr. Kozak's ability to translate ancient healing traditions into pragmatic applications suitable for modern lifestyles through the use of metaphors have made him a strong voice in healthcare and business. Beginning with a journey to India in the 80\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s where he took the Bodhisattva vows from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Arnie Dr. Kozak began his lifelong practice in mindfulness meditation. Intent on finding a way to bring the practical healing attributes of mindfulness he began incorporating these techniques in his private practice. In 2002 Dr. Kozak created Exquisite Mind in Burlington, Vermont as a vehicle that could expand his wisdom to larger audiences beyond individual psychotherapy to professionals and corporations, health care providers, public groups and, most recently with Exquisite Mind Golf, amateur and professional golfers. His award-winning new book, Wild Chickens and Petty Tyrants: 108 Metaphors for Mindfulness (Wisdom Publications, 2009) is a thoughtful, funny, and inspiring translation of mindfulness practice through the inventive use of metaphor applicable to our daily lives. In addition to his work with Exquisite Mind, Arnie Kozak, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist\u00e2\u20ac\u201dDoctorate has been a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Vermont and is a Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry and Medicine, University of Vermont College of Medicine. He has studied and practiced clinical psychology, meditation, and yoga for more than 25 years. He has studied with several meditation masters, including S. N. Goenka, Larry Rosenberg, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. After receiving his bachelors degree with honors from Tufts University, he was awarded a Presidential Fellowship to get his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University at Buffalo. He completed his training as a Psychological Fellow at the Harvard Medical School. Prior to founding the Exquisite Mind in 2002, Arnie worked ten years in the private sector for the PKC Corporation consulting on mental health content for this revolutionary software company.","sameAs":["http:\/\/exquisitemind.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/author\/akozak"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1442","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/268"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1442"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1442\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1450,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1442\/revisions\/1450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}