tag:theconversation.com,2011:/id/topics/relaxation-24205/articlesRelaxation – The Conversation2024-03-20T12:21:29Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2259842024-03-20T12:21:29Z2024-03-20T12:21:29ZChilling out rather than blowing off steam is a better way to manage anger − new review of 154 studies reveals what works<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582857/original/file-20240319-24-dmg9md.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=117%2C109%2C4482%2C3242&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Activities that keep you fired up don't help you turn down your anger.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/man-punching-punch-bag-and-stuffing-exploding-from-royalty-free-image/200188191-001">Ray Massey/The Image Bank via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Some commonly recommended tactics for managing anger, including hitting a punching bag, jogging and cycling, aren’t effective at helping people cool off. That’s the key takeaway of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2024.102414">our new review of 154 studies</a> that looked at how activities that increase versus decrease physiological arousal affect anger and aggression.</p>
<p>Arousal is how <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=bAaINTIAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">researchers</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=LUrHrxcAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">like us</a> describe how alert and energized someone is. When you’re <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-44948-000">in a state of high physiological arousal</a>, you’ll have increased heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate and skin conductance due to sweat gland activity. Anger is a negative emotion associated with high physiological arousal. </p>
<p>In our study, we found that activities that influence arousal levels had a profound impact on anger and aggression.</p>
<p>By engaging in <a href="https://www.springerpub.com/relaxation-meditation-mindfulness-9780826127457.html">activities that decrease arousal</a>, such as deep breathing, muscle relaxation, yoga, meditation and mindfulness, you can control, or “turn down,” your angry feelings and aggressive impulses. </p>
<p>Crucially, our meta-analysis of participants from multiple studies found that activities that help decrease arousal worked across diverse settings, including in the laboratory and in real-world situations, both offline and online, and in both group and individual sessions.</p>
<p>In addition, activities that turn down arousal were effective for a wide variety of people – students and nonstudents, criminal offenders and nonoffenders, those with and without disabilities, and for participants of various genders, races, ages and countries.</p>
<p>In contrast, some activities people use to manage their anger amp up arousal and increase anger and aggression levels. Jogging, a popular stress-relief activity, actually increased anger in the studies we looked at. The repetitive nature of jogging may induce feelings of monotony and frustration, potentially exacerbating anger rather than alleviating it. Conversely, engaging in ball sports and physical education classes decreased anger, possibly because they are playful group activities that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394260607.ch8">evoke positive emotions</a>.</p>
<p>Likewise, venting anger increased anger and aggression. This research helps dispel the myth that it is good to blow off steam and “let it out” or “get it off your chest.” Skip screaming into your pillow or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167202289002">pounding on a punching bag</a>. Save your money rather than going to a rage room to break stuff with baseball bats. Such activities are not therapeutic.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582858/original/file-20240319-28-1mxzcd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="woman with her eyes closed breathing calmly" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582858/original/file-20240319-28-1mxzcd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582858/original/file-20240319-28-1mxzcd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582858/original/file-20240319-28-1mxzcd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582858/original/file-20240319-28-1mxzcd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582858/original/file-20240319-28-1mxzcd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582858/original/file-20240319-28-1mxzcd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582858/original/file-20240319-28-1mxzcd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Simple and free techniques such as deep breathing and mindfulness are effective, evidence-based strategies for reducing anger.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/woman-with-eyes-closed-at-dusk-royalty-free-image/1442209829">Tim Robberts/DigitalVision via Getty Images</a></span>
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<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.gallup.com/analytics/349280/gallup-global-emotions-report.aspx">Anger is a common emotion</a> with potentially destructive consequences. From physical confrontations to road rage incidents, anger is widely seen as a problem and an emotion that people should try to rein in.</p>
<p>Yet, most people <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1993-97355-018">do not have effective techniques for controlling</a> their anger. There is a great need for identifying effective strategies for reducing and managing anger. Our study shows that activities that decrease arousal are highly effective. Many of these activities are also inexpensive or free. </p>
<p>In a world grappling with the dangers of unchecked anger, our research empowers people with evidence-based tools for effective anger management, fostering healthier outcomes and societal well-being. </p>
<h2>How we do our work</h2>
<p>Our study in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2024.102414">Clinical Psychology Review</a> was a <a href="https://www.russellsage.org/publications/handbook-research-synthesis-and-meta-analysis">meta-analytic review</a>. It combined data from 154 studies examining activities that either decrease or increase arousal and their impact on anger and aggression.</p>
<p>The conclusions from a meta-analysis are statistically stronger because of the large sample – in our case, 10,186 participants. A meta-analysis can also reveal patterns that are less obvious in any single study. By zooming out from a leaf, you get to see the full tree.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225984/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Activities such as deep breathing, muscle relaxation, yoga and meditation help people manage their anger, according to a meta-analysis of studies involving more than 10,000 participants.Sophie L. Kjaervik, Postdoctoral Fellow at The Injury and Violence Prevention Program, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityBrad Bushman, Professor of Communication, The Ohio State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1966092023-01-04T06:09:58Z2023-01-04T06:09:58ZCosy gaming: how curling up with Animal Crossing is changing what it means to be a gamer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501056/original/file-20221214-9292-zbcqis.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C15%2C5058%2C2789&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Cosy gaming is creating a community for gamers outside of traditional stereotypes.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/excited-concentrated-gamer-girl-glasses-headset-1430159561">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Where once the finishing touch for our sofa-based oasis may have been a book or a romantic comedy, consumers are increasingly reaching for their Nintendo Switch or laptops to enjoy the comforting monotony of low stakes and high rewards.</p>
<p>“Cosy gaming”, as it has been dubbed by players, can best be understood by the games associated with it. Chief among these are <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=newssearch&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjk7cbwnvn7AhWIIMAKHdOQCWQQxfQBKAB6BAgZEAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fscreenrant.com%2Fbest-cozy-games-like-animal-crossing-winter%2F&usg=AOvVaw0s3q1huTzPVLD8nveDwuWZ">Animal Crossing: New Horizons</a>, Stardew Valley, The Sims and <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwip5P-Jn_n7AhUOEcAKHbf4DXUQFnoECAwQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fthunderlotusgames.com%2Fspiritfarer%2F&usg=AOvVaw1Wf0mfFfYbvZ4o75dchzax">Spiritfarer</a>.</p>
<p>But while the pandemic may have brought cosy gaming into the mainstream, the trend has a long history rooted in some of the industry’s biggest players’ first forays into digital titles. And its impact has been significant, not only shaping the kinds of games being developed but in overturning outdated gamer stereotypes. </p>
<p>Cosy games are defined by what they omit. Far from presenting players with tough challenges and high stakes, cosy games omit the potential for winning or losing entirely. The clearest objective is to make your own fun.</p>
<p>In Stardew Valley, players tend to a farm. The game doesn’t “end”, it is only over when you eventually stop playing. For the players that have put <a href="https://steamladder.com/ladder/playtime/413150/">tens of thousands of hours into the game</a>, it is unclear when this time will finally come.</p>
<h2>A history of comfort</h2>
<p>Cosy games exploded into popularity during COVID lockdowns. Celebrities including actor <a href="https://www.polygon.com/2020/4/23/21233074/animal-crossing-new-horizons-elijah-wood-model-citizen">Elijah Wood</a> and even US president <a href="https://www.polygon.com/2020/10/16/21519632/joe-biden-animal-crossing-island-dream-code-merch-signs-shirts-swag">Joe Biden</a> played Animal Crossing in 2020. But many of these cosy games have a legacy decades in the making.</p>
<p>Although Animal Crossing: New Horizons came out in 2020, the original Animal Crossing game was released in 2001.</p>
<p>Stardew Valley, a spiritual successor to <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjZkIvLoPn7AhVOSsAKHRKgAJsQFnoECDEQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eurogamer.net%2Fgamecube-harvest-moon-headed-to-nintendo-switch&usg=AOvVaw1-4_q4aDQC_zvU483vgyEo">Nintendo’s Harvest Moon</a> from 1998, was released in 2016 but it is the result of a project that the designer originally began to <a href="https://www.pcgamer.com/the-creators-of-stardew-valley-and-harvest-moon-talk-to-us-about-farm-games/">improve his programming skills</a>. Life simulation game <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjIrdrUoPn7AhX8RkEAHe0DDlEQFnoECAkQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vice.com%2Fen%2Farticle%2Fwxn44z%2Fsims-game-an-oral-history&usg=AOvVaw0nuUpQzpghGV4cF8i9RJNi">The Sims</a> was first released in 2000.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The original trailer for The Sims, from 2000.</span></figcaption>
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<p>If cosy games have been around since 1998, why has it taken so long for them to become part of popular culture?</p>
<p>One reason is that cosy gaming could be simply considered an evolution – or rebranding – of gaming styles that have existed for decades. </p>
<p>In 2004, game designers Robin Hunicke, Marc LeBlanc and Robert Zubek dubbed gaming for relaxation <a href="https://users.cs.northwestern.edu/%7Ehunicke/MDA.pdf">“submissive” gaming</a> (later reframed as <a href="https://intellectdiscover.com/docserver/fulltext/jgvw/10/1/jgvw.10.1.21_1.pdf?expires=1670374839&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=E4D281E037D277062F81053513B03BFD">“abnegation”</a> by another designer, James Portnow).</p>
<p>Submissive game play involves games so familiar they require little thought to engage with. Or, in Portnow’s re-framing, so difficult that they require a degree of focus that offers players <a href="https://youtu.be/DY-45DjRk_E">a break from thinking</a> about the real world. Both require a kind of “zen” mindset that relinquishes the pressures of our real world lives. </p>
<p>This kind of submissive gaming was not that common in 2004. Then, it was most readily associated with the kind of compulsive gamers found in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14459790802168958">Japanese arcades</a>.</p>
<p>As such, by 2010, with the sudden popularity of the Nintendo Wii and mobile gaming, researcher Jesper Juul used the term “<a href="https://www.jesperjuul.net/casualrevolution/casual_revolution_chapter1.pdf">casual gaming</a>” to describe the players of these newly popular kinds of games.</p>
<h2>The rise of the cosy gamer</h2>
<p>As an expert in the study of video games, I don’t think the pandemic is the sole reason for cosy gaming’s delayed popularity. Rather, the answer lies in the rise of representation of this new type of gamer and the platforms around which these gamers can grow a community.</p>
<p>Gaming influencer <a href="https://bio.site/woxhpr">Cozy Gamer Kat</a>, for example, live streams gameplay for hours on end on the website <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwieq46Po_n7AhW_QUEAHY3YC2AQFnoECBQQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twitch.tv%2Fcozygamerkat&usg=AOvVaw1qeQOQoGm06FaUBlpKlZSi">Twitch</a>, and frequently uploads hour long edits of her game play sessions to YouTube.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pvGVRUoT-Hw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Content creator Cozy Gamer Kat shares some of her favourite cosy games.</span></figcaption>
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<p>While she plays many cosy titles, Kat is also accomplished at games dedicated to difficulty, like Zelda: Breath of the Wild.</p>
<p>Although far from being a viral sensation at the level of her contemporaries <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1bBWXv1KWqNmEXJAhMfXSQ">Vixella</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3oiCedIWpGc9jAK9DKTr1A">Sachie</a> (whose videos of similar cosy games can receive millions of views), Cozy Gamer Kat’s dedication to expanding gaming’s safe spaces marks her as a standout figure in the evolution of the gamer identity.</p>
<p>What is new, to my mind, is not the games or the players themselves, but the tools around which this new community of cosy gamers has been built. </p>
<p>Through streaming, people have been able to feel part of a wider community despite not fitting the mould of a stereotypical gamer.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/196609/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Conor Mckeown does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Far from high adrenaline combat or difficult puzzle solving, cosy gamers seek respite in their choice of games – but where did the trend come from? A gaming expert explains.Conor Mckeown, Lecturer in Digital Media, University of StirlingLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1923752022-10-20T13:13:22Z2022-10-20T13:13:22ZDisasters like Hurricane Ian can affect academic performance for years to come<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490475/original/file-20221018-8262-gkofgk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C134%2C5617%2C3591&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder can vary from one student to the next.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/want-to-go-home-royalty-free-image/1160693779?phrase=classroom%20test%20&adppopup=true">LumiNola via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When leaders at a middle school in New Orleans asked me to help students who were struggling after the city had been struck by Hurricane Katrina, we didn’t see eye to eye.</p>
<p>They wanted me to focus on helping the children overcome <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470479216.corpsy0985">test anxiety</a>. Their concern was enabling the children to pass a high-stakes standardized test.</p>
<p>As a developmental psychologist who specializes in <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=64GwCx0AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">how children respond to adverse events</a> that cause stress and anxiety, I – and my colleagues – had something else in mind. We wanted to learn more about the severity of the children’s trauma. We wanted to know how they were coping with any lingering effects of having their lives uprooted by the hurricane. Our objective was to develop an intervention to reduce their overall anxiety, not just help kids do well on a test.</p>
<p>Based on the destruction I saw surrounding the school – which was located in one of the hardest-hit areas of the city – we felt strongly that our cause was the more noble of the two. I reflected on my time in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina after I saw how hard Florida had been hit by Hurricane Ian.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490478/original/file-20221018-6861-lk145c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="White spray paint on a brick wall states: 'Katrina 8-29-05' and 'Help Us!'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490478/original/file-20221018-6861-lk145c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490478/original/file-20221018-6861-lk145c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490478/original/file-20221018-6861-lk145c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490478/original/file-20221018-6861-lk145c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490478/original/file-20221018-6861-lk145c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490478/original/file-20221018-6861-lk145c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490478/original/file-20221018-6861-lk145c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in late August of 2005.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/katrina-on-the-wall-royalty-free-image/172703647?phrase=hurricane%20katrina&adppopup=true">Parker Deen via Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>For instance, I recalled when I looked out the classroom window in New Orleans seeing the watermarks 8 feet (2½ meters) high on the houses surrounding the school, most of them still boarded up and uninhabited. Only a house here and there had been renovated.</p>
<p>The children were traumatized in many ways: By the high-crime neighborhood they lived in but loved. By the fact that their neighborhood was now partially gone because of damage from the storm. By having to see the hurricane’s devastation every day – even a year after Katrina <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Hurricane-Katrina">made landfall in Louisiana on Aug. 29, 2005</a>.</p>
<p>So we asked about screening the kids for post-traumatic stress disorder. School leaders, however, kept stressing the need for the students do well on the standardized tests.</p>
<p>The conflict eventually led me to an important realization: We didn’t have to choose between overcoming text anxiety and PTSD. We could do both. I figured that helping children regulate their emotions while taking a test could also potentially help them regulate their emotions in everyday life.</p>
<p>So began our decade of research into what it takes to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-015-9324-z">rebuild children’s emotional wellness</a> in the years that follow a hurricane.</p>
<p>As Florida officials <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2022/10/17/hurricane-hit-florida-school-districts-are-getting-back-class/">struggle to get the state’s schools back on track</a> in the wake of Hurricane Ian, we believe our post-Katrina research in New Orleans offers important insights on how to make sure those efforts address the emotional toll the hurricane may have taken on the state’s K-12 students.</p>
<h2>A matter of years</h2>
<p>One of the most important lessons is that just as it will <a href="https://www.deseret.com/2022/10/6/23390915/hurricane-ian-toll-in-florida">likely take years</a> to rebuild the infrastructure and homes hit by Hurricane Ian, it could take a similar amount of time to help some children regain a sense of normalcy. My own research – and that of <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/article-abstract/2776439">many others</a> – shows that while children are often resilient in the face of disasters, the effects of trauma can be insidious and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-009-9352-y">linger for years to come</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490477/original/file-20221018-22-i3gluw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A frontal view of a boarded up school in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490477/original/file-20221018-22-i3gluw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490477/original/file-20221018-22-i3gluw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490477/original/file-20221018-22-i3gluw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490477/original/file-20221018-22-i3gluw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490477/original/file-20221018-22-i3gluw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490477/original/file-20221018-22-i3gluw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490477/original/file-20221018-22-i3gluw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Hurricane Katrina destroyed neighborhoods and schools.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/katrina-aftermath-6-royalty-free-image/145999073?phrase=katrina%20hurricane%20kids&adppopup=true">futurewalk via Getty Images</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>And not all children will be affected the same. Many may have intense and lasting symptoms of anxiety that are stable over time. Others may initially show a few symptoms that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12420">get worse or grow as time passes</a>. Some children may show symptoms that evolve over time into other <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-021-00398-2">symptoms</a>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1207/S15374424JCCP3201_15">Common symptoms</a> include hyperarousal, which is when a kid’s body kicks into high alert, and emotional numbing, which often evolves later and involves difficulty experiencing emotions, usually positive ones.</p>
<p>Our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579413000138">research shows that witnessing disasters</a> and home damage is associated with PTSD symptoms, which may show up as test anxiety and ultimately lead to lower academic achievement.</p>
<p>Because of the variability in how symptoms show up, screening children for distress is warranted. School-based screenings and interventions that help children regulate their emotions <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-014-0491-1">may be beneficial</a> for all youths in hard-hit areas. School-based screenings may also be warranted both in the immediate aftermath and over the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201300470">long term</a>. The screenings can help to further identify youths in need of referral to more <a href="https://www.wmpllc.org/ojs/index.php/jem/article/view/3033">intensive services</a>.</p>
<p>In 2010, my colleagues and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-010-9032-7">I suggested</a> children affected by disasters be screened for anxiety related distress. For my colleagues and me, it’s heartening to know that the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/11/well/family/anxiety-screening-recommendation-children.html">U.S. Preventive Services Task Force</a>, an independent volunteer panel of experts in disease prevention and evidence-based medicine, has recommended an even broader approach: anxiety screenings for all children and adolescents ages 8-18, not just those affected by disasters. It will be particularly critical to follow this policy recommendation in areas affected by Ian and other disasters. </p>
<h2>Targeting test anxiety</h2>
<p>In our post-Katrina research, we also found that targeting test anxiety through an intervention was associated with reduced PTSD symptoms. </p>
<p>When students experience PTSD, they are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579413000138">more likely to experience test anxiety</a>. And when they experience test anxiety, they are less likely to score well on tests, our research <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579413000138">shows</a>. Indeed, scientists and now many policymakers accept that childhood exposure to adverse or traumatic events may have negative effects on the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000780">developing brain</a>.</p>
<p>Therefore, if schools want to help students do better, my research suggests they should focus on helping kids learn to regulate their anxiety. One way to do this is to use <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-cognitive-behavior-therapy-2795747">cognitive behavioral therapy</a>, which is a treatment that helps people identify and change negative thought patterns that affect their behavior and emotions. This involves a number of techniques, such as helping kids directly face their fears and difficulties – in this case, tests – instead of avoiding problems. Prior research has found a link between students with PTSD and “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/19361520802084061">school refusal</a>” behavior – that is, refusing to go to school.</p>
<p>Another technique is called <a href="https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/muscle-relaxation-for-stress-insomnia">progressive muscle relaxation</a>. This technique involves tensing and then releasing all of the muscles in your body, progressively from your toes to your face. Another technique was deep breathing.</p>
<p>Test-anxious kids who were taught these techniques after Katrina saw their grades improve an average of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2008.11.005">one letter grade</a>, in this case from mostly C’s to mostly B’s. Our research also suggest these techniques <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11121-014-0491-1">may help prevent long-term difficulties</a>. The same techniques could be useful in Florida as well.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/192375/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Carl F. Weems has received or currently receives funding from the US National Science Foundation, US National Institutes of Health, US Environmental Protection Agency, US Department of Justice, the State of Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (formerly Department of Human Services), and Youth Shelter Services of Iowa. </span></em></p>Teaching students techniques to cope with anxiety and stress can help them bounce back after a hurricane upends their life.Carl F. Weems, Professor and Chair, Human Development and Family Studies, Iowa State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1879632022-08-15T12:38:28Z2022-08-15T12:38:28ZReligions have long known that getting away from it all is good for the mind, body and spirit<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/478790/original/file-20220811-19-p7ouwa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=19%2C15%2C2121%2C1393&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Rest and relaxation is essential – a lesson religions learned long ago.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/happy-international-family-in-nature-royalty-free-image/1326306683?adppopup=true">Maryna Terletska/Moment via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Summer vacations are coming to an end – though not everyone took one.</p>
<p>Under federal law, U.S. companies aren’t required to offer a single paid vacation day, compared to the at least 20 required in the European Union. About <a href="https://cepr.net/report/no-vacation-nation-revised/">1 in 4 U.S. workers don’t receive any</a>, and even among those who do, few make full use of them. More than half leave at least some vacation days untouched, and almost 1 in 5 say they feel guilty leaving the office, according to <a href="https://press.priceline.com/2019-priceline-work-life-balance-report-44-million-working-americans-have-7-vacation-days-remaining-unused/">a 2019 survey</a> by Priceline.</p>
<p>Americans in lower income brackets are <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/180335/taking-regular-vacations-may-help-boost-americans.aspx">less likely to get away on vacation</a> – a particular concern this summer, with food and gas prices high.</p>
<p>This no-break culture has real consequences for physical, mental and spiritual health. A <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/180335/taking-regular-vacations-may-help-boost-americans.aspx">2014 Gallup poll</a> found that taking regular vacations with family and friends is linked to a higher sense of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3870481/">well-being</a>, regardless of one’s income. Activities that lead to an <a href="https://hqlo.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12955-020-01423-y">improved sense of well-being</a> are positively associated with improved <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3870481/">health and productivity</a>.</p>
<p>The importance of getting away from it all isn’t just backed up by contemporary research, though. As a scholar who studies the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1141-6_12">sociology of religion</a>, I know that religious practices have long emphasized rest and contemplation, which not only improve a person’s mental and physical health, but can also boost a sense of spiritual well-being. And escaping the busyness of everyday life does not have to drain one’s wallet.</p>
<h2>Faith, contemplation and rest</h2>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412507/original/file-20210721-23-p9mm0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=70%2C54%2C5118%2C3352&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Box of Yehuda brand Shabbat candles, used during the Shabbat celebration." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412507/original/file-20210721-23-p9mm0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=70%2C54%2C5118%2C3352&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412507/original/file-20210721-23-p9mm0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412507/original/file-20210721-23-p9mm0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412507/original/file-20210721-23-p9mm0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412507/original/file-20210721-23-p9mm0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412507/original/file-20210721-23-p9mm0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412507/original/file-20210721-23-p9mm0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Themes of rest and contemplation are woven through many religious traditions.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/close-up-of-box-of-yehuda-brand-shabbat-candles-used-during-news-photo/1283052726?adppopup=true">Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>The Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam view a <a href="https://search.library.brandeis.edu/permalink/01BRAND_INST/l6bsc9/alma9923786674201921">day of rest each week</a> as a sacred right and responsibility of believers. The traditional <a href="https://pluralism.org/keeping-shabbat">Jewish Shabbat</a> offers a 24-hour period beginning at sundown on Friday when the busyness of everyday life halts. Participants gather to worship, share a meal, study and pray. </p>
<p>Similarly, practicing Muslims celebrate their holy day on Fridays. This is a time when Muslims step away from work to attend a midday <a href="https://pluralism.org/jum%E2%80%99ah-the-friday-prayer">jumah</a>, a prayer service at a local mosque, where imams offer sermons on a range of intellectual, spiritual and practical topics and lead congregations in prayer. </p>
<p>Although attendance <a href="https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/">numbers are declining</a>, many Christians observe the holy Sabbath on Sundays through <a href="https://pluralism.org/church-space-and-spirit">church attendance</a>, communal worship, music and the <a href="https://pluralism.org/sharing-the-bread-of-life">sharing of the Eucharist</a>, when Christians consecrate and consume bread and wine representing the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The Christian Sabbath represents a time to rest, pray, worship and spend time with family. </p>
<p>Branches of Islam, Christianity and Judaism additionally call for regular times of prayer and contemplation as part of daily and yearly cycles. In the Islamic tradition, stopping to pray <a href="https://www.sisd.net/cms/lib/TX01001452/Centricity/Domain/7297/SunniShia.pdf">throughout the day</a> represents one of <a href="https://www.perlego.com/book/599188/the-worlds-religions-revised-and-updated-pdf">Islam’s five pillars of faith</a>. </p>
<p>Through the practice of meditation, religious traditions quiet the senses to achieve a mindset of rest that they believe <a href="https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-6131.105934">brings about heightened consciousness</a>. Hindus, Buddhists and Jains teach the concept of <a href="https://pluralism.org/dhyana">dhyana</a>, which generally translates to “contemplation.” </p>
<p>Through yoga, meditation and other contemplative practices, practitioners can achieve a state of meditative consciousness and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00296">self-awareness</a> that can lead to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000675">better mental</a>, physical and spiritual health. </p>
<h2>Quieting the mind</h2>
<p>Religions emphasize the need for rest and quiet reflection so our overcluttered minds can focus on <a href="https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/frequency-of-prayer/">prayer</a> and <a href="https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/SDT/documents/2003_BrownRyan.pdf">other contemplative practices</a>. In the Bible, the Apostle Paul discusses how cultivating the “<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5&version=KJV">fruit of the spirit</a>” through prayer and contemplation moves us toward patience and away from egocentrism. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.faculty.umb.edu/michael_lafargue/104/204/budd/rdngs/palicanon-xrpts.htm">Buddhists believe</a> that quieting the mind through meditation can help people recognize that their feelings, perceptions, worldviews and even the self are impermanent features of life that can cause suffering. It can also help people contemplate their connectedness to the world around them. </p>
<p>Rest and contemplation help connect religious people with the deeper sources of meaning they seek to cultivate through scriptural study, meditation and prayer. As the American Trappist monk Thomas Merton explains in his 1948 autobiographical book “<a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Seven_Storey_Mountain.html?id=ncX7XkyIqP0C">The Seven Storey Mountain</a>,” contemplation is a time of rest, the suspension of activity and a “withdrawal into the mysterious interior solitude in which the soul is absorbed in the immense and fruitful silence of God.”</p>
<h2>Health benefits of rest and meditation</h2>
<p>Medical science has become religion’s unexpected partner in confirming the benefits generated by these religious practices. </p>
<p>Researchers have found an association between <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691612447308">downtime</a>, learning and creativity. Sleep, nature walks and exercise offer a number of life-enhancing benefits, including improved memory, productivity and physical health. Recent advances in neuroimaging technologies have allowed researchers to observe brain changes during times of intense <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/120938/how-god-changes-your-brain-by-andrew-newberg-md-and-mark-robert-waldman/">prayer</a>, yoga and mindfulness meditation. Scientific evidence suggests that engaging in these practices may lead to <a href="https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-in-depth">improved health and well-being</a>.</p>
<p>A broad range of clinical studies note that regular meditation can physically alter the brain and how it responds to the world. For instance, these practices have been found to transform the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32114450/">brain’s neural pathways</a> and create new <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/brain.2014.0318">neurological networks</a> that can lead to improved <a href="https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/tips/things-to-know-about-meditation-for-health">health and well-being</a>. </p>
<p>Research on the practices of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2013.0209">Japanese</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.12809/eaap1949">Chinese</a> Buddhist monks reveals benefits for physical and mental health. Furthermore, active meditations, such as yoga, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.focus.20170042">qi gong and tai chi</a>, are found to increase a sense of well-being through the regulation of mood and the reduction in anxiety and depression.</p>
<p>If you can’t break away from work this summer, you can still improve your physical, mental and spiritual health by taking time to rest, exercise, sleep, meditate or pray. Think of these practices as mini “staycations” that allow us to vacate our minds of stress and worry while improving our well-being.</p>
<p><em>This is an updated version of <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-times-of-stress-turning-to-contemplation-can-be-helpful-heres-why-religions-emphasize-rest-162970">an article originally published on July 23, 2021</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/187963/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kristen Lucken does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Rituals of rest and contemplation are woven into many religious traditions around the world.Kristen Lucken, Lecturer in Religious Studies, Brandeis UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1798822022-03-31T10:13:30Z2022-03-31T10:13:30ZThree reasons why you feel stressed when trying to relax – and what you can do about it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/454998/original/file-20220329-27-18hzror.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=18%2C0%2C6054%2C4042&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">It's possible to stop experiencing 'stresslaxation'.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/african-woman-sit-on-couch-near-1517508032">fizkes/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Have you ever tried to relax, only to find yourself overwhelmed with feeling stressed and having negative thoughts? Turns out a lot of us experience this – which is why some have coined it “<a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Stresslaxing">stresslaxing</a>”. </p>
<p>Even though stresslaxation is a new term, it describes relaxation-induced anxiety which has been studied for years. This is shown to happen to between <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1983-21586-001">30% and 50% of people</a> when they try to do relaxing things, causing symptoms of stress (such as rapid heart beat or sweating).</p>
<p>It’s paradoxical, given people who experience stresslaxation may need to do something relaxing to de-stress. This can turn into a destructive, vicious cycle where they can’t alleviate the stress they’re experiencing – which could result in having <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0005791688900547">more negative emotions and panic attacks</a>.</p>
<p>Not everyone will experience stresslaxation. Some research even suggests people who have anxiety may be <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311908.2020.1800262">more prone to it</a>. But here are just a few of the other reasons why it happens – and what you can do to get over it.</p>
<h2>1. You’re denying you’re stressed</h2>
<p>Pretending that a problem doesn’t exist – also known as denial – is one of the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5030286/">least effective coping strategies</a> for stress. In the case of stresslaxing, this might be denying you’re stressed to begin with.</p>
<p>Short periods of denial can actually help us adapt to change. For example, denial can help a person <a href="https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2020/CEPS/53/">cope with their emotions</a> after experiencing the death of someone close. But when denial is used frequently to deal with daily stressors, it can leave people feeling perpetually <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/sjop.12103?casa_token=49RbIRjoewwAAAAA:oA3kKS-rr_X9Y_EizfzhxPTAGzY7wapb2Sfs3XkDIQKzgc0dZ6drpqxslvxUbONTJn7LrBrF59nRZ9pS">stuck in a rut</a>.</p>
<p>When you’re in denial, your body continues sending stress signals in order to prompt you to take action and resolve your problems. This is why attempting (and failing) to relax instead of actually addressing the causes of your stress can make you feel more stressed out.</p>
<p>Here’s how to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29471669">fix this</a>: </p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Acknowledge that the stress symptoms can be helpful.</strong> Your body is trying to alert you that a problem needs fixing, so it’s activating all its physiological resources to help you do this. For example, an increased heart rate helps your body carry more oxygenated blood to your brain, so that your brain can come up with a solution quickly to the problems that are causing you stress.<br></li>
<li><strong>Write down your deepest thoughts and feelings associated with your stress.</strong> This will help you understand the source of your stress so you can tackle it. For example, there’s little point in doing meditation daily to de-stress if the cause of your stress is being overworked. In this case, actually speaking with a manager or colleague to adjust your workload would do more to help relieve your stress than relaxing activities might. </li>
<li><strong>Think outside the box.</strong> When we’re stressed, we might only think certain activities (such as meditation or exercise) can help us relax. But speaking to friends or family, or using an app or online resource, might be a better way to address your stress and help you feel better. </li>
</ul>
<h2>2. You’re worrying about what other people will say</h2>
<p>Most of us have something we’re passionate about – whether that’s our work or even a hobby. But the reason you’re motivated to do these things is important.</p>
<p>Some people pursue their passion because they want to – whether that’s to improve themselves or learn a new skill. But others may only pursue their passion because they want recognition from other people. People with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886918305592?casa_token=ZeC3IupNqwQAAAAA:_GFZ5GVzcFgZK4YGJZ5MZY0xMV-eA1wmEtiSU-KeuLtKLdJ1ywqssehtfYzYEw93oxQ5idpHIw">certain personality types</a> may be more prone to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886911002170?casa_token=VavR-MfV9lIAAAAA:St60k5Yqu7XKDBqCbDv_YgHnjyvI692-vl2vL392qFhdMzk-0_YsW4xaM1UdxnyvuCWER7KM6Q">obsessing over their passion</a>. Others may simply follow a certain pursuit to get praise from their colleagues or even to prove their worth to friends or family.</p>
<p>The problem with pursuing a passion for the wrong reason is that it can cause a person to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24016203/">push themselves to the limit</a> – which could mean working despite being sick, or not taking time off to de-stress. This can make it <a href="https://psywb.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/2211-1522-2-1">difficult and stressful</a> to relax – like <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-011-9276-4">you’re wasting time</a> that could be spent pursuing your passion when you try doing relaxing things. You might even be worried that people will think badly of you for taking time off. Ultimately, this can <a href="https://psywb.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/2211-1522-2-1">negatively affect wellbeing</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman writes in a notebook using a pen." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/455000/original/file-20220329-21-9vmca2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/455000/original/file-20220329-21-9vmca2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455000/original/file-20220329-21-9vmca2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455000/original/file-20220329-21-9vmca2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455000/original/file-20220329-21-9vmca2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455000/original/file-20220329-21-9vmca2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455000/original/file-20220329-21-9vmca2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Try writing your thoughts down.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-partial-portrait-female-author-home-1724014720">Yavdat/ Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For people who feel like this, taking a short “<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/3/1044/htm">mental break</a>” from what you’re passionate about may be helpful. The break doesn’t have to be long, nor does it have to involve doing something you necessarily see as relaxing. But taking even short breaks may help you to eventually feel that it’s okay to take time away from your passion every now and again to de-stress and relax.</p>
<h2>3. You can’t make up your mind</h2>
<p>When making a decision, some people can’t help but explore all possible options available to them – known as maximising thoughts. This can even happen when trying to pick something relaxing to do. Even after picking something, you may instead think about the other options, wondering if something else would’ve helped you feel more relaxed. So instead of relaxing your mind, you’re stressing yourself even more.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2002-18731-012">maximising leads to self-blame regret</a>, no matter what option we choose. It’s also sometimes associated with <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4884451/">lower wellbeing</a>.</p>
<p>For a person who has a habit of maximising, they may be thinking of all the other things they have to do that day instead of actually relaxing – which may lead to feelings of stress.</p>
<p>Here’s how to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4884451/">work through this</a>: </p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Limit the number of decisions you need to make</strong> on the day you want to do something relaxing. Or even plan when you’re going to do something relaxing (such as watching a movie or meditating) and how long you’re going to do it for. This may make it easier to relax when the time comes as you’ll know you aren’t putting other things off.</li>
<li><strong>Remember why you’re trying to relax.</strong> Your health is important, so remembering this may help you feel less stressed while trying to do a relaxing activity.</li>
</ul>
<p>On the bright side, even if relaxation causes anxiety, it can still have a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10503307.2016.1253891?casa_token=egmRAkoTHkQAAAAA%3AECBKt46CcHNd-VMBiKqMS3rXe-aYyo3I343TRTIa1JfOvwFaC44FfsXXfLPKQiGngG-Avh20MJ_UTg">positive effect</a> on mental health – and may even <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335230127_The_paradox_of_relaxation_training_Relaxation_induced_anxiety_and_mediation_effects_of_contrast_sensitivity_in_generalized_anxiety_disorder_and_major_depressive_disorder">help you grow</a> as a person. The most crucial thing is finding a relaxing activity you enjoy. Whether that’s cooking, gardening or even running, it’s important that it helps you switch off from your day’s stress.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/179882/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jolanta Burke does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>‘Stresslaxation’ may be a new term, but many people can relate to feeling stressed and anxious when trying to unwind.Jolanta Burke, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Positive Psychology and Health, RCSI University of Medicine and Health SciencesLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1748862022-01-20T04:29:13Z2022-01-20T04:29:13ZSchools can expect a year of disruption. Here are 7 ways they can help support the well-being of students and staff<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441647/original/file-20220120-14-1z0n4xf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/african-american-teacher-schoolgirl-wearing-protective-1798363273">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>There’s just over a week to go before term one starts across the country – except in Queensland which has pushed back the start of the school year. We are yet to see states and territory plans for how to open schools safely, and to minimise the inevitable Omicron-induced teacher shortages, but one thing is clear: even with plans in place, schools will continue to experience disruptions in 2022.</p>
<p>As such, they will bear the consequences for the mental health of <a href="https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/news/teachers-the-forgotten-frontline-of-the-pandemic/">their staff</a> and <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/covid-19-and-young-people">students</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-and-schools-australia-is-about-to-feel-the-full-brunt-of-its-teacher-shortage-174885">COVID and schools: Australia is about to feel the full brunt of its teacher shortage</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>We investigated <a href="https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:98b178a">what schools have done during the pandemic</a> to help support and maintain the well-being of their students and staff. We reviewed studies world-wide on the initiatives they used and listened to 25 experts – school leaders, teachers and school psychologists and counsellors – from public, independent, primary and secondary schools across Australia. Most participants (80%) were from Queensland schools and all had experienced school disruptions during the pandemic. </p>
<p>We pulled out seven steps schools can take to mitigate mental ill health during COVID-related disruptions and help staff, students and the school community deal with uncertainty.</p>
<h2>1. Have clearly outlined plans for certain events</h2>
<p>School staff need a clear protocol for what to do when certain events occur, so all staff are on the same page. </p>
<p>For example, what happens if the school closes for face-to-face teaching (fully or partially)? What roles will each staff member play? What happens when a child or teacher gets very sick or even dies? </p>
<p>These guidance documents must be easily accessible and every staff member must know where to look.</p>
<p>One teacher whose school had such plans in place told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>we had excellent protocols […] it was great to just get that folder off the shelf and go.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>2. Help staff maintain their own well-being and emotionally support students</h2>
<p>Schools must provide staff with the skills they need to have difficult conversations with students, identify those at risk, and incorporate some psychological and emotional strategies into their teaching practice.</p>
<p>Our interviewees described such professional development being part of their weekly after-school staff meetings (sometimes termed learning lounges). They recommended many of these meetings could focus on self-care and provide opportunities for teachers to share their experiences of stress and how to deal with it. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441649/original/file-20220120-15-zgfq8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441649/original/file-20220120-15-zgfq8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441649/original/file-20220120-15-zgfq8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441649/original/file-20220120-15-zgfq8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441649/original/file-20220120-15-zgfq8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441649/original/file-20220120-15-zgfq8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441649/original/file-20220120-15-zgfq8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441649/original/file-20220120-15-zgfq8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">At weekly staff meetings teachers could share their experiences and coping strategies.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/smiling-multiracial-colleagues-talking-eating-pizza-1075401611">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This time could also be used to give teachers strategies to manage their own well-being. One <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073689">study we looked at</a> examined the effectiveness of a reframing intervention to build resilience and reduce burnout in teachers in Israel. Teachers would identify their stressful thoughts and then find evidence for opposing these thoughts. Teachers reported increased resilience and improved well-being relative to the control group who reported greater burnout.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-learning-more-important-than-well-being-teachers-told-us-how-covid-highlighted-ethical-dilemmas-at-school-144854">Is learning more important than well-being? Teachers told us how COVID highlighted ethical dilemmas at school</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>School psychologists and counsellors and other professionals could also share strategies with teachers for how to incorporate mindfulness techniques into classes. </p>
<p>And they can help teachers have difficult conversations with kids. It is normal for students to feel worried or sad after loss of any kind. In the initial stages, they need to have a conversation with a familiar person who can empathise with their worry and grief. Teachers who know a student well can be helped on how to have these early conversations and refer the student for further support when needed.</p>
<h2>3. Be patient with students who may need time to adjust</h2>
<p>Children and young people benefit from a secure school environment and familiar routines, but returning to school after a disruption requires flexibility. </p>
<p>Schools and teachers must understand it won’t be possible to get back to normal right away, so be patient with all students and their unique responses. Students may have had different COVID-related experiences and where one student takes disruption in their stride, another might need more support and time to adjust.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-familiar-place-among-the-chaos-how-schools-can-help-students-cope-after-the-bushfires-129904">A familiar place among the chaos: how schools can help students cope after the bushfires</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>4. Incorporate mindfulness and calming techniques into classes</h2>
<p>Incorporating activities to teach self-calming, emotion regulation, and other coping skills into regular class time can help. Mindfulness has <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12980">been shown to be particularly effective</a> for reducing anxiety, depression and stress in 14-18 year olds.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0389-4">review of numerous studies</a> recommends 35 minute group mindfulness sessions, twice a week for eight weeks (including basic stress management education, yoga, and breathing and relaxation techniques) delivered by <a href="https://www.mindfulmeditationaustralia.org.au/what-we-do/mindful-schools">trained teachers</a> as part of typical classroom routine. There are also <a href="https://www.smilingmind.com.au/smiling-mind-app">free smartphone apps</a> tailored to young people that offer mindfulness and other exercises.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441650/original/file-20220120-22-11fsadr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441650/original/file-20220120-22-11fsadr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441650/original/file-20220120-22-11fsadr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441650/original/file-20220120-22-11fsadr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441650/original/file-20220120-22-11fsadr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441650/original/file-20220120-22-11fsadr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441650/original/file-20220120-22-11fsadr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441650/original/file-20220120-22-11fsadr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Practicing relaxation and mindfulness techniques such as art therapy or going for a walk can help kids feel less stressed.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/kids-hands-holding-colored-pencils-painting-663657268">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One teacher we interviewed told us “a pandemic feels like you’re out of control”, and recommended “normalising that […] using mindfulness, gratitude and going for walks.”</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110560">A study</a> of teenagers in China found listening to daily mindfulness increased students’ resilience and emotional intelligence. In <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-021-00367-5">another study</a>, primary school students in Canada received two forms of online art therapy which showed a reduction in their anxiety.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-place-to-get-away-from-it-all-5-ways-school-libraries-support-student-well-being-145180">A place to get away from it all: 5 ways school libraries support student well-being</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>5. Put together a team to address school community’s concerns</h2>
<p>Principals (or a senior leader) should be available for teachers and parents to express their concerns to. </p>
<p>The school can bring together a leadership team of school psychologists/counsellors, chaplains, health nurses and other support people to share the burden of addressing them.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441653/original/file-20220120-14-1uwp2yj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441653/original/file-20220120-14-1uwp2yj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441653/original/file-20220120-14-1uwp2yj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441653/original/file-20220120-14-1uwp2yj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441653/original/file-20220120-14-1uwp2yj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441653/original/file-20220120-14-1uwp2yj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441653/original/file-20220120-14-1uwp2yj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441653/original/file-20220120-14-1uwp2yj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Schools may have to close due to infections, but keeping the community informed in a timely way can help them cope with uncertainty.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/school-closed-sign-protective-mask-hanging-1678762114">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Regular communication is also important. Anxiety will be high and keeping the school community regularly informed of any changes or protocols will go some way to calming the sense of uncertainty.</p>
<p>One school leader told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It’s really important to communicate regularly and the same message over and over again to everybody.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>6. Have a support system in place for teachers</h2>
<p>We found an effective way to help support teachers is to have a buddy system so teachers can support each other.</p>
<p>Another way is to make sure the leadership team checks in with all the staff members regularly. As one school leader told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>we had a group list of […] every single staff member and we made a commitment that we would ring each one of those people once a week.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/teachers-are-expected-to-put-on-a-brave-face-and-ignore-their-emotions-we-need-to-talk-about-it-153642">Teachers are expected to put on a brave face and ignore their emotions. We need to talk about it</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>7. Identify and keep an eye on students at risk</h2>
<p>Watch for signs when a student is not coping in the weeks and months following a disruption. Young people don’t always ask for help, but their <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/">behaviours can be a sign</a> when something is wrong. </p>
<p>For example, a younger child might say they have a tummy ache, become aggressive, or disinterested in the things they usually enjoy. An adolescent might be moody, irritable, say negative things about themselves, and isolate from friends. If you see students whose behaviour is telling you they are having mental-health issues, refer them to specialised services.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/more-children-are-self-harming-since-the-start-of-the-pandemic-heres-what-parents-and-teachers-can-do-to-help-167436">More children are self-harming since the start of the pandemic. Here's what parents and teachers can do to help</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><em>The authors would like to thank Professor Annemaree Carroll from The University of Queensland for her involvement in all aspects of the project.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174886/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elizabeth J Edwards received funding from Queensland Department of Education under the Education Horizon Grant scheme.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marilyn Campbell received funding from Queensland Department of Education under the Education Horizon Grant scheme.</span></em></p>We investigated the initiatives schools around the world took to help support and maintain the well-being of their students and staff. We pulled out seven things that made a difference.Elizabeth J Edwards, Senior Lecturer in Education, The University of QueenslandMarilyn Campbell, Professor Faculty of Education, School of Cultural and Professional Learning, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1695952022-01-17T15:20:47Z2022-01-17T15:20:47ZWhy is alcohol thought to be relaxing? Victorian and Edwardian explorers might hold the clue<p>After a long, stressful day, I often find myself sitting down with a bottle of beer or a glass of wine. Such rituals are a sign that the working day is over and that the time for fun and relaxation is here. The problem is that drinking in this way doesn’t work over time. Regular (and excessive) drinking is associated with <a href="https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/problems-disorders/alcohol-and-depression">depression</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2775419/">poor sleep</a> and research shows it may also increase <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2018.10.034">anxiety levels in the long term</a>.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, the idea that alcohol is relaxing remains a powerful myth. With evidence suggesting that many people started to drink more during the <a href="https://theconversation.com/alcohol-deaths-up-almost-19-during-the-pandemic-the-greatest-increase-since-2001-170972">COVID-19 pandemic</a> as a way of trying to relax. Delving into the history of alcohol can offer some insights as to why this myth has prevailed. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Alcohol/B_g5BAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0">Throughout history</a>, alcohol has <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/bk-2019-1314.ch008">often been used medicinally</a> – and is considered to have many helpful properties, including as an <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/bk-2019-1314.ch008">antiseptic and an anaesthetic</a>. I’ve studied how explorers in the 19th and early 20th centuries used drink. Studying travellers can shed light on the scientific and medical understanding of alcohol because, in an era before clinical trials, medical writers drew on the <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/676569">narratives of explorers</a> as evidence about the health effects of different foods and drinks. So their writings can help us learn about past approaches to alcohol and health.</p>
<p>Indeed, many <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/705337">Victorian Arctic explorers drank</a> a “warming” glass of rum at the end of a long days’ sledging. They reported that it helped them to sleep and relax and relieve the tension. Similarly, British travellers in east Africa often drank small quantities of alcohol at the end of a day’s travel, viewing it as a useful “medicine” that helped them to deal with both the effects of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007087421000649">fever and the emotional strains of travel</a>. In <a href="https://archive.org/details/hintstotravelle00socigoog/page/n281/mode/2up?q=alcohol">one travel advice guide</a> published in 1883, George Dobson, a British Army surgeon major, advised that in warm climates “continued labour, such as that of the sportsman and traveller, cannot be maintained for any length of time unassisted by the occasional and judicious use of alcohol”.</p>
<h2>Health and balance</h2>
<p>Initially and in small doses, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3117141/">alcohol seems to act as a stimulant</a>, which makes your heart beat faster and gives you more energy. Soon, though, it acts as a depressant, inhibiting the action of the central nervous system, which <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0376-8716(98)00186-0">slows your thinking and reaction times</a>. These health effects were particularly important in early 19th-century medicine, as some medical theorists saw the body as a system that had to be kept in balance. And stimulants or depressants were seen as an important way of restoring balance if someone was unwell. </p>
<p>In time, these views became increasingly unpopular among scientists and medics and were replaced by theories of disease that sought to chart more specific causes of infection. For instance, <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4027971">“germ theory”</a>, which was first proposed in 1861, showed that many illnesses were caused by microbes rather than climate. Similarly, British medics were becoming increasingly interested in <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4027971">the role of mosquitoes in spreading malaria</a>. Such developments led to new medical approaches which sought to prevent and treat diseases common <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0376-8716(98)00186-0">in warm regions</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438966/original/file-20211223-50268-htaqtr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438966/original/file-20211223-50268-htaqtr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=766&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438966/original/file-20211223-50268-htaqtr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=766&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438966/original/file-20211223-50268-htaqtr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=766&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438966/original/file-20211223-50268-htaqtr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=963&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438966/original/file-20211223-50268-htaqtr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=963&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438966/original/file-20211223-50268-htaqtr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=963&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Alcohol could also be used as a mixer for other drugs as this advert for ‘Orange Quinine Wine’ shows.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Welcome Collection</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Criticism of drink</h2>
<p>But changing medical attitudes towards diseases were not the only factor in the decline of medicinal drinking on expeditions. The growing criticism of expeditionary drinking was also the result of changing social and medicinal attitudes towards alcohol. This was largely because of <a href="https://guides.loc.gov/alcoholic-beverage-industry/temperance-prohibition">the temperance movement</a>, a campaign rooted in evangelical Christianity that sought to discourage (and sometimes outright ban) the sale of alcohol. </p>
<p>Even those who viewed moderate drinking as acceptable began to worry that it might actually be more dangerous in climatic extremes. For instance, the National Arctic Expedition (1875-1876) was criticised for issuing a rum ration, with suggestions it had <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/705337">contributed to an outbreak of scurvy</a>, which allegedly manifested itself first among the expedition’s heavy drinkers.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438964/original/file-20211223-48933-1aks637.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438964/original/file-20211223-48933-1aks637.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=816&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438964/original/file-20211223-48933-1aks637.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=816&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438964/original/file-20211223-48933-1aks637.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=816&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438964/original/file-20211223-48933-1aks637.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1026&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438964/original/file-20211223-48933-1aks637.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1026&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438964/original/file-20211223-48933-1aks637.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1026&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Drinking Brandy in Antarctica: An Image from the British National Antarctic Relief Expedition, 1903.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Scott Polar Research Institute: ref P2007/24/6</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Such criticisms meant that explorers went to growing efforts to emphasise that their drinking was moderate and “medicinal”. They often did so by only drinking certain kinds of alcoholic beverages that, they argued, had greater medicinal qualities. This <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3117141/">normally meant brandy</a>, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17371543">champagne</a>, or certain kinds of wine. But there were fierce disagreements between medics about which drinks were most healthy. </p>
<p>Indeed, many of these drinks were viewed as medicinal for no reason other than the fact that they were expensive. Today, such drinks are seldom viewed as medicinal – but medical concerns with the effects of different alcoholic drinks, have not gone away. And, much like their Victorian counterparts, many contemporary medics have suggested that certain kinds of <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-a-glass-of-red-wine-is-good-for-your-gut-122072">drinks are healthier than others</a>.</p>
<h2>Stimulants: alcohol or caffeine</h2>
<p>As <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007087421000649">recent research</a> by my colleague Kim Walker and I shows, stimulants (including alcohol) remained a popular medicine for European travellers in Africa into the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In part this was because they were relatively cheap, easy to administer, and produced discernible effects on the mind and body of the drinker. They were also believed to remedy the enduring belief that warm climates were <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/30030123">physically damaging and psychologically depressing</a>. </p>
<p>In the same 1883 travel guide, Dobson complained of “the depressing effects of the climate” to support his alcohol prescription. Consequently, some travellers saw alcoholic drinks as useful stimulants to help combat these effects. Even those who opposed expeditionary drinking still saw <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007087421000649">stimulating drinks</a> as important, but prescribed <a href="https://archive.org/details/rivercongofromi00johngoog/page/n26/mode/2up">“a cup of fragrant coffee”</a> instead.</p>
<p>Medical understandings of drinking have changed considerably over the last 150 years. But studying how Victorian and Edwardian explorers approached alcohol also shows important continuities. Then, as now, drinking practices are shaped not just by medical knowledge but also by cultural attitudes towards different drinks and the environments we consume them in.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/169595/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Edward Armston-Sheret received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council via the techne DTP, the Royal Historical Society, and the Historical Geography Research Group of the RGS-IBG. </span></em></p>In an era before clinical trials, medical writers drew on the stories of explorers as evidence about the health effects of different foods and drinks.Edward Armston-Sheret, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Advanced Study, University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1496052020-11-06T14:34:46Z2020-11-06T14:34:46ZKeep calm and carry on – but how? A psychologist offers 10 tips to manage uncertainty and stress around the midterm elections<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/367960/original/file-20201106-23-1tctq5b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=617%2C605%2C7316%2C4881&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Doomscrolling is not going to help.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/young-woman-laying-in-bed-and-using-smart-phone-royalty-free-image/1173571335">ArtistGNDphotography/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Well-meaning advice for people stressing out about current events often includes encouragement to be patient, stay calm and keep the faith – but how on Earth are you supposed to do that when the onslaught of troubling news seems never to stop?</p>
<p>As a practicing clinical psychologist and professor who studies how to <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=zYSMPmcAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">manage anxiety and tolerate uncertainty</a>, I offer 10 suggestions to make it through this highly stressful period.</p>
<h2>1. Put the phone down!</h2>
<p>While it is tempting to stay glued to your devices, never-ending doomscrolling and screen-refreshing can become overwhelming and keep you in a state of tension and constant vigilance. Excessive consumption of news and social media <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2017.12.006">predicts poorer long-term mental health</a> during times of crisis.</p>
<p>Plan some breaks where you can engage in activities that take your mind off politics and the uncertainties we face, and allow things to feel a little more normal for a while.</p>
<h2>2. Uncertainty doesn’t equal catastrophe</h2>
<p>It’s hard not to know things – outcomes of elections, for instance. But not knowing doesn’t mean you should assume the worst-case scenario has occurred. When anxious – as many in the U.S. are right now – people tend to assign <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2007.01.009">threatening meanings to ambiguous situations</a>. But this tendency is neither reliably accurate nor helpful. Jumping to catastrophic conclusions is like setting off a series of false alarms that keep you on edge and exaggerate your sense of threat.</p>
<h2>3. Don’t retreat into bed</h2>
<p>The feeling of deep disappointment about election results you don’t like, or apprehension about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, can trigger a desire to withdraw and hole up. While that response is natural, it tends to be counterproductive. Staying engaged in activities that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2850.2009.01178.x">give you a sense of accomplishment, pleasure or meaning</a> can make managing this time far less painful.</p>
<h2>4. Remember, it won’t always feel this intense</h2>
<p>It’s normal and understandable to feel overwhelmed by current events. Focus on what will help you manage this day without punishing yourself for being upset or feeling depleted. Attending to what’s happening in the moment while also recognizing it’s not permanent can help you stay both present and hopeful. While in many ways it is true that we’re living in a unique and unprecedented era, it’s also the case that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2018.05.008">human beings tend to be remarkably resilient</a>, even in the face of tremendous stress and trauma.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/367962/original/file-20201106-23-1tpvdz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="woman smiling on phone while cooking in kitchen" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/367962/original/file-20201106-23-1tpvdz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/367962/original/file-20201106-23-1tpvdz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/367962/original/file-20201106-23-1tpvdz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/367962/original/file-20201106-23-1tpvdz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/367962/original/file-20201106-23-1tpvdz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/367962/original/file-20201106-23-1tpvdz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/367962/original/file-20201106-23-1tpvdz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Even video chatting can be a way to connect over a shared activity.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/smiling-woman-using-phone-while-cooking-in-kitchen-royalty-free-image/960879178">Cavan Images/Cavan via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>5. Don’t go through this time alone</h2>
<p>Feeling isolated, whether physically or emotionally, can make a hard time feel worse. When people experience acute stress, they cope much better <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01832.x">if they have social support</a>.</p>
<p>So reach out and stay connected – whether that means texting about the latest vote count with a friend or purposefully taking a break from ruminating on current events. It’s a great time to deeply discuss what you think about Taylor Swift’s new album.</p>
<h2>6. Stay regular</h2>
<p>No, I am not referring to your bowels – maintain regular and healthy eating, sleep and exercise patterns. While self-care may seem unimportant, attending to those basic bodily needs can go a long way toward keeping your internal resources sufficiently replenished so you can meet the high demands of this time. There is increasing evidence that <a href="https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.2810">poor sleep is closely connected</a> to many mental and emotional health difficulties.</p>
<p>So stop refreshing your feed in the wee hours and try to sleep.</p>
<h2>7. Help others</h2>
<p>It may feel odd to be asked to support others when you feel so depleted yourself, but <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/01.PSY.0000079378.39062.D4">helping others is linked to benefits in your own mental health</a>. </p>
<p>Moreover, it provides a sense of control. There’s so much during this time that you cannot control – there is no magic wand that speeds up vote counting in critical contested races or makes climate resolutions between countries come sooner. But taking action to improve things now for the people around you both helps others and reminds you that you can make a difference in meaningful ways.</p>
<p>So, bake cookies to drop off on the doorstep of the friend who caught the flu. Offer to take an item off a work colleague’s overwhelming to-do list. If you’re in a position to help, make a donation to a cause you care about. It’s a win-win.</p>
<h2>8. Add to your toolbox</h2>
<p>Each person is different in what helps them to relax or feel more centered. Focusing on and slowing down your breathing, for instance, can help keep you grounded in the present moment and reduce the spiral of upsetting thoughts about what might come next. Others find it helpful to more directly practice taking a different perspective and reevaluating their anxious thoughts.</p>
<p>For many people, online mindfulness or cognitive therapy exercises can make a big difference. Check out <a href="https://onemindpsyberguide.org/">online mental health programs that have been reviewed by experts</a> and pick the resource that’s right for you.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/367963/original/file-20201106-19-13uxzvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="woman lying on couch with dog" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/367963/original/file-20201106-19-13uxzvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/367963/original/file-20201106-19-13uxzvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/367963/original/file-20201106-19-13uxzvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/367963/original/file-20201106-19-13uxzvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/367963/original/file-20201106-19-13uxzvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/367963/original/file-20201106-19-13uxzvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/367963/original/file-20201106-19-13uxzvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Cut some slack for yourself and others – this is a time when good enough is good enough.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/girl-sleeping-on-couch-with-her-golden-retriever-royalty-free-image/1022892336">Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>9. Offer compassion to yourself</h2>
<p>The combination of pandemic stresses, economic worries, social injustices, climate breakdown and more means few of us will be at our best right now as we try to just make it through the day.</p>
<p>There’s a lot of room between performing at 100% of your usual capacity and climbing into bed and hiding under the covers for days on end. Personally, I’m trying to average 80%. People managing greater challenges at this time than I am may shoot for a lower percentage.</p>
<p>No one is making it through this time unscathed, so kindness to ourselves and others is desperately needed.</p>
<h2>10. Reach out if you need additional help</h2>
<p>If recommendations 1-9 aren’t cutting it, there are lots of resources to help people through this difficult period:</p>
<ul>
<li>National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988</li>
<li>Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741</li>
<li><a href="https://www.abct.org/Help/?m=mFindHelp&fa=dFindHelp">Find a therapist</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-Dimensions">Find culturally competent mental health care</a></li>
<li>Use my research team’s free intervention to reduce anxious thinking: <a href="https://mindtrails.virginia.edu/">MindTrails</a> (part of an online study)</li>
</ul>
<p>Be patient, stay calm and keep the faith is a tall order. I’ll be happy if I can get most of the way there.</p>
<p><em>This is an updated version of an article originally published on Nov. 6, 2020.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/149605/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bethany Teachman receives funding from the National Institute of Mental Health. She is the Director of the MindTrails site.</span></em></p>As uncertainty abounds and anxiety skyrockets, you’ve probably heard advice to be patient, stay calm and keep the faith. Here are 10 concrete tips to help you actually manage the stress.Bethany Teachman, Professor of Psychology, University of VirginiaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1392072020-05-26T20:10:53Z2020-05-26T20:10:53Z7 tips to help kids feeling anxious about going back to school<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337292/original/file-20200525-55456-1yskn44.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=131%2C232%2C5044%2C3212&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Veja/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As COVID-19 lockdown measures are lifted, some children may experience social anxiety about the prospect of returning to school.</p>
<p>People with <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0223165" title="Sub-types of safety behaviours and their effects on social anxiety disorder">social anxiety</a> may fear embarrassment or the expectation to perform in social situations, or worry exceedingly about <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=YZ-BDwAAQBAJ" title="Exposure Therapy for Anxiety">people judging them poorly</a>.</p>
<p>In certain situations, people with <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK542195/" title="Neuroanatomy, Sympathetic Nervous System">anxiety</a> may find their heart beats quicker as adrenalin is released into their blood stream, more oxygen flows to the blood and brain, and even digestion may slow down.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-want-to-send-the-kids-back-to-school-why-not-try-unschooling-at-home-136256">Don't want to send the kids back to school? Why not try unschooling at home?</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>These are helpful responses if you need to run away or fight danger. But social situations are generally not life threatening, and these physical symptoms can interfere with socialising. </p>
<p>People with social anxiety may fear looking silly, being judged, laughed at or being the focus of attention. For anyone, such experiences might be unwelcome but for those with social anxiety they pose an <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=YZ-BDwAAQBAJ" title="Exposure Therapy for Anxiety">unacceptable threat</a>. </p>
<h2>Social anxiety in Australian children</h2>
<p>One Australian <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/news/publication-child-and-adolescence-mental-health-and-educational-outcomes-report" title="Child and Adolescence Mental Health and Educational Outcomes">report</a> found that about 6.9% of children and adolescents surveyed have a diagnosed anxiety disorder, 4.3% experience separation anxiety and 2.3% a social phobia.</p>
<p>Social phobia (social anxiety) is more common in adolescents, whereas separation anxiety (intense anxiety over leaving caregivers, such as parents) is more prevalent in children.</p>
<p>These figures only account for those who have a diagnosis of anxiety. They do not include undiagnosed young people who experience high stress in social situations. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337492/original/file-20200526-106842-nlt5vi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337492/original/file-20200526-106842-nlt5vi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337492/original/file-20200526-106842-nlt5vi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=389&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337492/original/file-20200526-106842-nlt5vi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=389&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337492/original/file-20200526-106842-nlt5vi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=389&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337492/original/file-20200526-106842-nlt5vi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=489&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337492/original/file-20200526-106842-nlt5vi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=489&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337492/original/file-20200526-106842-nlt5vi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=489&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Not all children will be happy to be back in school.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tom Wang/Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Any recent prolonged absence from school may have increased social anxiety, as avoiding what you fear can make <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=YZ-BDwAAQBAJ" title="Exposure Therapy for Anxiety">your fear become greater</a>. </p>
<p>This is because you do not get to learn that the thing you fear is actually safe. Your beliefs about the threat go unchallenged. </p>
<p>Anxiety can also increase through what pyschologists call reduced <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=YZ-BDwAAQBAJ" title="Exposure Therapy for Anxiety">tolerance</a>. The more children withdraw from the situations that cause them fear, the less tolerance they have for those situations. </p>
<h2>Anxiety can affect education</h2>
<p>The educational cost for students with anxiety is considerable.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://youngmindsmatter.telethonkids.org.au/NAPLAN">research</a> shows students with poor mental health can be between seven to 11 months behind in year 3, and 1.5 – 2.8 years behind by year 9. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/5-reasons-its-safe-for-kids-to-go-back-to-school-137064">5 reasons it's safe for kids to go back to school</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>That’s because these students experience more absences from school, poorer connection to school, lower levels of belonging and less engagement with schoolwork. </p>
<h2>7 strategies to help overcome social anxiety</h2>
<p>So what can children do to overcome anxiety as they return to school? Here are some useful tips.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>deal with some of the physical symptoms. It is hard to think if your body is stressed. Use calming strategies like mindfulness or breathing exercises. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6137615/" title="How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life: A Systematic Review on Psycho-Physiological Correlates of Slow Breathing">Slowing your breathing</a> can reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, anger and confusion. Useful apps to help you control your breathing include <a href="https://www.smilingmind.com.au/smiling-mind-app">Smiling Mind</a> (iOS and Android) or <a href="https://apkpure.com/breathing-bubbles/com.momentous.breathing">Breathing Bubbles</a> (Android only)</p></li>
<li><p>anxiety increases while using <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0223165" title="Sub-types of safety behaviours and their effects on social anxiety disorder">avoidance techniques</a> such as avoiding eye contact, not raising your hand to answer a question or not attending school. So the most effective way to deal with social anxiety might be to face it. Allow your child to have small experiences of social success – give their opinion to one person, start a conversation with someone they know – so they can learn to feel safe in these social situations</p></li>
<li><p>fear and anxiety are normal and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-power-slow/201307/the-benefits-fear">benefit us</a> by helping us to respond efficiently to danger. Rather than read your body as under threat, think about the changes as helpful. Your body is preparing you for action</p></li>
<li><p>while avoiding your fears is not the answer, being fully exposed to them is not the answer either. Providing overwhelming social experiences may lead to overwhelming fear and failure, and may make anxiety sufferers less likely to try again - or at all. Start small and build their courage</p></li>
<li><p>supportive listening and counselling are less effective than facing your fears because these approaches can accommodate the fears. While you want to support your child by providing them with comfort and encouragement – ensure you also encourage them to face the fears that cause the anxiety</p></li>
<li><p>you cannot promise negative things won’t happen. It is possible you will be embarrassed or be judged. Rather than trying to avoid these events, try reframing them. Remember that we all experience negative social feedback, and this does not make you silly or of less value. It makes you normal. Or, rather than seeing it as embarrassing, maybe it can be funny</p></li>
<li><p>remember it is the “perception” that something is a threat – not the reality. Reasoning with your child to help them see your perspective may not change theirs. This reality only changes with positive real experiences. </p></li>
</ol>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gxxmV_PwFOc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Breathing Bubbles in action.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>What we think is truth is often revealed as untrue when we face our fears. There is joy in social situations. Keep turning up to them.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-not-to-fall-for-coronavirus-bs-avoid-the-7-deadly-sins-of-thought-133069">How not to fall for coronavirus BS: avoid the 7 deadly sins of thought</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/139207/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mandie Shean does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Going back to school can be tough for children who suffer from social anxiety.Mandie Shean, Lecturer, School of Education, Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1366182020-05-03T19:50:19Z2020-05-03T19:50:19ZGreat time to try: knitting your first woolly scarf<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331254/original/file-20200429-110761-6dtpc0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=3%2C38%2C2584%2C1685&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/closeup-hands-knitting-260nw-116071006.jpg">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Being in isolation might be a great time to try something new. In <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/great-time-to-try-84901">this series</a>, we get the basics on hobbies and activities to start while you’re spending more time at home.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>First, a warning: knitting can be highly addictive.</p>
<p>The enduring popularity of knitting lies in its practicality, portability and the proof that it is very good for your <a href="https://theconversation.com/knitting-your-way-to-a-healthier-happier-mind-46389">mental health</a> as means of meditation and relaxation. </p>
<p>Knitting is associated with comfort and the home, sources of stability for many people. People in self-isolation around the world are increasingly turning to knitting (and other crafts) to help them kill time and block out the <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/04/crafts-coronavirus-quarantine-stress-relief/609187/?fbclid=IwAR0P-EQgsoEU69WWldzAydpLmf47xrEY6iAwJiYigvghLo_xb_k1JlAxl1Q">COVID-19 crisis news</a> for a while. </p>
<p>Even US sailors and marines deployed in the Persian Gulf have started a knitting club to help them cope with the stresses of being stuck on the <a href="https://www.pilotonline.com/military/vp-nw-bataan-knit-club-20200428-2xs6qdv6i5fpvdfrasuuirlmjy-story.html?fbclid=IwAR3vOodRkkaqemo28IRCKbyy7WF782MDflxRTkzagPVfgWvFLxbCS5gP2gs">US Bataan</a> due to COVID-19.</p>
<h2>The first cast</h2>
<p>The origins of hand knitting are unclear, but surviving examples of its ancestor, a single-needle technique which became known as <a href="https://www.en.neulakintaat.fi/">nålbinding</a> in the 1970s, have been found in Israel dating back more than 8,500 years. </p>
<p>The ancient Egyptians used the single-needle knitting technique to make <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews-history-archaeology/1700-year-old-sock-spins-yarn-about-ancient-egyptian-fashion-180970501/">socks</a> around 600 CE.</p>
<p>Nålbinding spread to Europe and became popular with the <a href="https://www.cs.vassar.edu/%7Ecapriest/nalebind.html">Vikings</a> between 793–1066 CE in Scandinavia and the lands they invaded because it was an easily transportable, effective method to create sturdy, serviceable garments.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331268/original/file-20200429-51466-574n5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331268/original/file-20200429-51466-574n5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331268/original/file-20200429-51466-574n5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331268/original/file-20200429-51466-574n5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331268/original/file-20200429-51466-574n5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331268/original/file-20200429-51466-574n5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=895&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331268/original/file-20200429-51466-574n5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=895&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331268/original/file-20200429-51466-574n5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=895&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The knitting Madonna in The Buxtehude Altar, painted by Master Bertram (1345-1415).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:KnittingMadonna.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Early knitting needles were made from wood, bone and antler. By 1100 CE knitting had evolved and spread throughout North Africa and Europe to the looping and knotting technique on two needles that we still use today. The term “<a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=9bTNDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT162&lpg=PT162&dq=The+term+%22knitting%22+likely+comes+the+Dutch+word,+%22knutten%22,+which+is+from+the+Old-English+verb,+cnyttan,+both+words+meaning+%22to+knot%22.&source=bl&ots=JjB284o_1I&sig=ACfU3U0w1lnutMAHhnCSnkj31kC2cz_Lyg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj9vJys64zpAhXEzzgGHYWICJkQ6AEwAnoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=The%20term%20%22knitting%22%20likely%20comes%20the%20Dutch%20word%2C%20%22knutten%22%2C%20which%20is%20from%20the%20Old-English%20verb%2C%20cnyttan%2C%20both%20words%20meaning%20%22to%20knot%22.&f=false">knitting</a>"likely comes the Dutch word, "knutten”, which is from the Old-English verb, cnyttan, both words meaning “to knot”.</p>
<p>Many of the knitting techniques that we still use today were well established throughout Europe by the <a href="https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-history-of-hand-knitting">1300s</a>. And by the 15th century, the technique of knitting with four and five needles – to create a seamless, tubular-shaped garment – was also widespread. </p>
<p>Any type of yarn can be knitted using the two-stick method and people knitted silk, linen and cotton into luxurious garments, including <a href="https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/326018460506207463/">jackets</a>. </p>
<p>Examples of intricate hand knitting, including socks, vests and caps from the 12th to 17th centuries survive in museum collections, showing not only the craftsmanship involved in their creation, but the evolution of knitting as a highly-skilled, greatly-prized activity. </p>
<p>Commercial hand knitting was an early victim of the industrial revolution, with the invention of the first mechanical knitting machine in 1589. But the skill of hand knitting survived into the 18th century by becoming an acceptable pastime for wealthy women to show their good taste and skill. </p>
<p>Complicated, delicate, hand-knitted garments were still prized in the 19th century because they could not be made on <a href="https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-history-of-hand-knitting">machines</a>. </p>
<p>Hand knitting remained popular in the 20th century, in part due to mass efforts to knit garments, including jumpers and socks, for <a href="https://theconversation.com/one-million-pairs-of-socks-knitting-for-victory-in-the-first-world-war-30149">soldiers</a> fighting in both world wars. Just a few months ago, people around the world knitted thousands of pouches for animals injured in Australia’s devastating <a href="https://theconversation.com/crafting-in-times-of-crisis-helps-critters-and-creators-127616">bushfires</a>. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/B_jE3-5pWmJ","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<h2>Tips for beginners</h2>
<p>Like many ancient skills, knitting is simple to learn. Luckily for everyone in lockdown, there are countless <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=knitting+tutorials&page=&utm_source=opensearch">YouTube tutorials</a> to help you get started. </p>
<p>When you’re new to knitting, working up a pattern with a fine yarn and small needles can be discouraging because it takes longer. It can also be tricky to hold smaller needles and yarn if you’re not used to it. Learning to knit using larger needles and chunky yarn allows you to master the action, and get that satisfying feeling of finishing your project more quickly. </p>
<p>The three basic techniques you need to know are how to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWLtMqP6Uz0">cast on</a>, do <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egp4NRhlMDg">plain stitch</a> (also known as knit stitch), and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSqL9urz_Xc">cast off</a>. When you can do these three easy things, then you’ve got the skills you need to knit a scarf like a boss. </p>
<p>As you become more confident in your knitting, sites like <a href="https://www.dummies.com/crafts/knitting/">Knitting for Dummies</a> can give you the information you need to learn how to read a <a href="https://www.dummies.com/crafts/knitting/designs-patterns/reading-stitch-patterns-for-knitting/">knitting pattern</a>. You can try your hand at a <a href="https://www.dummies.com/crafts/knitting/knitting-projects/how-to-knit-basic-beanies/">basic beanie</a> or even a <a href="https://www.allfreeknitting.com/Knitted-Sweaters/Favorite-Fashion-Sweater-from-Patons-Yarn">basic jumper</a>. </p>
<p>Joining an online knitting community like <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/">Ravelry</a> can put you in touch with like-minded knitters, give you access to beautiful patterns, tips and tricks, and get you thinking about different <a href="https://nundle.com/">yarns</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331252/original/file-20200429-110761-y5hank.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331252/original/file-20200429-110761-y5hank.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331252/original/file-20200429-110761-y5hank.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331252/original/file-20200429-110761-y5hank.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331252/original/file-20200429-110761-y5hank.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331252/original/file-20200429-110761-y5hank.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331252/original/file-20200429-110761-y5hank.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331252/original/file-20200429-110761-y5hank.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Chilly days call for cosy knits.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/19zo2nQUpRk">Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Starting with a scarf</h2>
<p>This <a href="https://www.favecrafts.com/Knit-Scarf-Patterns/Fun-and-Simple-Chunky-Knit-Scarf">Simple chunky knit scarf</a> pattern is a perfect beginner project and can be made in any colours you like. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331266/original/file-20200429-51461-1vl2o2o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331266/original/file-20200429-51461-1vl2o2o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331266/original/file-20200429-51461-1vl2o2o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=598&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331266/original/file-20200429-51461-1vl2o2o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=598&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331266/original/file-20200429-51461-1vl2o2o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=598&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331266/original/file-20200429-51461-1vl2o2o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=751&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331266/original/file-20200429-51461-1vl2o2o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=751&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331266/original/file-20200429-51461-1vl2o2o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=751&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The scarf has pointy ends. Bright colours provide extra cheer.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.instagram.com/doityourfreakingself/">Chelsea Iacopelli/Instagram</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>You’ll need:</strong> </p>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://www.mybluprint.com/article/the-beginners-guide-to-knitting-needle-sizes">Knitting Needles</a> - 13mm or 9mm</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.craftyarncouncil.com/standards/yarn-weight-system">Yarn</a> - (6) Super Bulky</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://m.lionbrand.com/page/how-to-knit-making-a-gauge-swatch">Gauge</a> - 9 stitches = 4 inches</p></li>
<li><p>Finished Size - 180cm or as long as you like.</p></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key:</strong></p>
<p>K = knit</p>
<p>KF&B = <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sX-YkOXBtE">knit front and back to increase</a></p>
<p>K2tog = Knit two stitches together.</p>
<p><strong>Instructions:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><p>Cast on 2 stitches (2)</p></li>
<li><p>Row 1: KF&B 1, K1 (3)</p></li>
<li><p>Row 2: KF&B 2, K2 (4)</p></li>
<li><p>Rows 3-11: Continue to increase 1 at the beginning of each row until you have 12 stitches.</p></li>
<li><p>Continue to work the project in knit stitch until your scarf is the desired length. </p></li>
<li><p>Begin to create the end point …</p></li>
<li><p>K2tog 1, K to end (11)</p></li>
<li><p>K2tog 1, K to end (10)</p></li>
<li><p>Continue until you’ve got 1 stitch left on the needle. Cut the yarn and pull it through to make a knot.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Add some super cute pompoms to put on each end and voila! Cosy times and kudos.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/136618/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emily Brayshaw does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The enduring popularity of knitting lies in its practicality, portability and mental health benefits. As the mercury drops and we head outside for bracing walks, it’s time to knit a woollen scarf.Emily Brayshaw, Lecturer, Fashion and Design History, Theory, and Thinking, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1346512020-03-29T19:08:57Z2020-03-29T19:08:57ZThinking like a Buddhist about coronavirus can calm the mind and help us focus<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323172/original/file-20200326-168894-1d2vhpm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=31%2C71%2C5252%2C3427&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1476725974034-6788d424c132?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&auto=format&fit=crop&w=751&q=80">Sabine Schulte/Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The coronavirus pandemic is challenging our health, work, family, food and fun. It’s also disturbing our peace of mind and forcing us to question our own existence. </p>
<p>We are each asking our own existential questions: Why is this happening to me? Why can’t I go on with my usual life? Who created the problem and why? </p>
<p>While scientists are working hard to find medical solutions, concepts from Buddhism can provide us with some solace for our overburdened minds. The Buddha’s answer would be to focus solely on the existential facts, aiming first for understanding and then to adopt a pragmatic meditation practice.</p>
<h2>A troubling disciple</h2>
<p>Consider the case of <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=Ibr7AQAAQBAJ&pg=PT167&lpg=PT167&dq=M%C4%81lunkyaputta++buddha&source=bl&ots=zN_Hb0rFaV&sig=ACfU3U00yWKNnaynmkctQZnMraOu0KttmA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjW3aOwmrfoAhUpyzgGHZ4iDiwQ6AEwCHoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=M%C4%81lunkyaputta%20%20buddha&f=false">Mālunkyaputta</a>, a disciple who kept troubling the Buddha some 2,500 years ago in ancient India. Mālunkyaputta prompted him to answer a series of complex questions. </p>
<p>One particular day, he walked up to the Buddha and insisted he needed to be given the answers. </p>
<p>The Buddha responded with an anecdote of a man wounded with a poisonous arrow coming to see a physician for medication. The man insisted that he would not let the arrow be taken out until he knew who shot him and how. The Buddha said by the time all the answers had been given the man would be dead. </p>
<p>The Buddha defined this teaching as eschewing answers to philosophical questions and dealing only with the <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1398828">existential facts</a>: “there is birth […] ageing […] dying […] grief, sorrow, suffering, lamentation, and despair” and their “suppression […] here and now”. </p>
<p>What this means for us is that although it is natural to have such questions, worrying about the answers may only bring more suffering. We would be wiser to work to reduce our own suffering and that of others.</p>
<h2>Three marks of existence</h2>
<p>What remains in this core Buddhism is the pure existentialism of dispassionate detachment from the space-time world that results in <a href="https://www.budsas.org/ebud/whatbudbeliev/102.htm"><em>nirvana</em></a>. This state is defined simply as the absence of greed, hatred, and delusion.</p>
<p>Buddhism teaches us the coronavirus is causing us to experience some heightened forms of the <a href="https://encyclopediaofbuddhism.org/wiki/Three_marks_of_existence">three marks of our existence</a> (<em>tilakkhaṇa</em>). They are the impermanence (<em>aniccā</em>), the un-satisfactoriness or suffering (<em>duḥkha</em>) and the non-self (<em>anatta</em>).</p>
<p>The pandemic’s sudden encroachment on our society, causing death and misery, reminds us of that impermanence. It shows us the inevitable nature of our own death and the associated suffering, leading us to do some soul-searching.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eytfr21V5Ok?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Buddhism is practised by 535 million people around the world, between 8% and 10% of the world’s total population.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The little things</h2>
<p>Buddhism teaches meditation practices with deep introspection. These are designed to make us mindful of nature and help relieve us from sufferings, as described in several Buddhist <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/index-sutta.html"><em>suttas</em></a> – the records that hold the Buddha’s original utterings.</p>
<p>The process involves loosening our grasp – those things we cling to that are governed by our desires – on both tangible and intangible things in life by realising their true nature – relating them back to three <em>tilakkhaṇa</em>. Meditation invites us to be happy with the simplest and most basic things in life. </p>
<p>The meditation steps taught in the suttas can guide our mind, calm our body and help our senses find peace and delight. It is hoped that meditation bring about our inherent yet dormant happiness without relying on our body or our dispositions, which are impermanent.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323174/original/file-20200326-168876-o7l4bi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323174/original/file-20200326-168876-o7l4bi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323174/original/file-20200326-168876-o7l4bi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323174/original/file-20200326-168876-o7l4bi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323174/original/file-20200326-168876-o7l4bi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323174/original/file-20200326-168876-o7l4bi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323174/original/file-20200326-168876-o7l4bi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323174/original/file-20200326-168876-o7l4bi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Mindfulness and meditation can focus the mind on small joys.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1510034141778-a4d065653d92?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=eyJhcHBfaWQiOjEyMDd9&auto=format&fit=crop&w=750&q=80">Samuel Austin/Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<h2>The big picture</h2>
<p>While these deliberations, because of their psychological effect, can bring in peace, happiness and even <a href="https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_ways_mindfulness_meditation_is_good_for_your_health">health benefits</a> to the individual, there are other benefits. </p>
<p>Firstly, such mindful practice can help us get on with our <a href="http://faculty.washington.edu/wobbrock/pubs/gi-12.02.pdf">day-to-day life</a> in a more disciplined and safer manner, which as we can see is extremely valuable in a crisis situation such as today. </p>
<p>Meditation might help us not to panic (or panic buy), to be <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31318929">conscious of our own behaviour</a> so that we will be careful even with what we touch, or not touch (including <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-stop-touching-your-face-to-minimize-spread-of-coronavirus-and-other-germs-133683">our face</a>). It would help us to be conscious of <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/urban-survival/202003/5-relaxing-mindful-ways-handwash-during-covid-19">cleaning our hands</a> regularly and mindful of others around us so that we are careful about any chances of passing on germs.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The simple act of washing hands can become an act of meditation.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Many believe meditation <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-portal-review-can-meditation-change-the-world-123513">can help the rest of the world</a> as well, because of the thoughtfulness it creates. The pandemic can affect rich and poor (although there are also concerns it may <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/15/world/europe/coronavirus-inequality.html">increase inequity</a>). Our meditation practices can help us evaluate the impermanence, decay and inevitable death of our existence, against any privileges we may have. Meditation can direct us to consider the possibility of living a happy life by meeting basic needs alone. For some, this can make us reevaluate what we see as our misfortunes.</p>
<p>Buddhism may be seen as yet another of the <a href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/06/the_odd_body_religion/">world’s religions</a>, with its own rituals around praying to deities and sending away demons. But the Buddha can also be seen as simply an insightful thinker and teacher. He proposed a natural outlook, providing solutions that do not appeal to any supernatural force. </p>
<p>Coupled with the psychological solutions and health benefits meditation can bring, we may find it is possible to adopt Buddhist concepts into a framework for contemplation – one geared for salvation from our current crisis.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/134651/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nishanathe Dahanayake is affiliated with the Darebin Ethnic Communities Council (DECC) Steering Committee and People for Human Rights and Equality (PHRE).</span></em></p>Concepts from Buddhism can provide us with some solace during this pandemic. By thinking like a Buddhist we can focus on existential facts, aiming to understand them and to practise meditation.Nishanathe Dahanayake, PhD Candidate, Philosophy, University of New EnglandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1321972020-02-25T03:43:55Z2020-02-25T03:43:55ZSounds like hype: there’s scant evidence the ‘binaural beats’ illusion relaxes your brain<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/316997/original/file-20200225-24651-1wxens8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C34%2C5734%2C3768&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">shutterstock</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>You may have heard of binaural beats, an auditory illusion that has been touted as having stress-busing properties, and is the subject of countless <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVkXKowg3b0">hours of videos</a> on YouTube and elsewhere.</p>
<p>Proponents claim that listening to binaural beats can boost <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5Tt3LoygCQ">focus and concentration</a>, promote <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEM0pXE1twA">relaxation</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnRcvJKZeVM">reduce stress and anxiety</a>.</p>
<p>But in a <a href="https://www.eneuro.org/content/early/2020/02/07/ENEURO.0232-19.2020">study published this month</a>, researchers concluded that “whether binaural beats have an impact on cognitive performance or other mood measurements remains to be seen”.</p>
<p>It prompted media reports that the claimed mood-altering effects are <a href="https://www.zmescience.com/science/binaural-beats-placebo-0523/">probably no stronger than for other types of relaxing sounds</a>, and that the touted effects may be <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200217143447.htm">just a placebo</a>.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Here’s three hours’ worth – are you relaxed yet?</span></figcaption>
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<h2>What are binaural beats?</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/auditory-beats-in-the-brain/">Binaural beats</a> is a perceptual illusion that occurs when two slightly different frequencies (notes) are played into each ear separately, typically using headphones. The resonance between the two frequencies is interpreted as a third sound (termed a “binaural beat”, because it involves two sound inputs, and is heard as a frequency in between the two played frequencies).</p>
<p>It has been claimed that this third frequency prompts brain cells to begin firing at the same frequency – a process called “entrainment”.</p>
<p>The purported relaxing effect is allegedly due to the fact that these frequencies are similar to the frequency of brain waves that occur during deep sleep, as opposed to the higher-frequency brain waves associated with conscious activities. </p>
<p>In other words, listening to binaural beats allegedly promotes brain waves associated with our most relaxed states.</p>
<h2>What are these different types of brain waves?</h2>
<p>The brain is made of billions of nerve cells (neurons), which transmit information to one another across huge networks of interconnections. It is thought that large groups of neurons can fire together to share information within the brain. The frequency of this synchronous firing can be measured with <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/eeg/about/pac-20393875">EEG</a> (electroencephalograpy) electrodes on the head. </p>
<p>Specific frequencies are thought to be involved in specific <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/cognitive-sciences/fulltext/S1364-6613(03)00289-4?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS1364661303002894%3Fshowall%3Dtrue">cognitive tasks</a>. For example, during deep sleep the predominant brain activity happens with frequencies of between 1 and 4 Hertz, so-called delta waves. Delta waves are also associated with learning and motivation. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0149763406001163">Theta waves</a> (4-7Hz), meanwhile, are linked to memory and emotional regulation. </p>
<p>We might almost think of these various types of brain waves as different languages that the brain uses for different functions.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-what-happens-in-our-bodies-when-we-sleep-94301">Curious Kids: What happens in our bodies when we sleep?</a>
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<p>We also know that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167876015000331?via%3Dihub">brain entrainment</a> is a genuine effect that can occur in response to particular rhythmic frequencies perceived by our senses. A deep-pitched musical tone or a lightbulb flickering a few times a second can indeed cause your brain cells to start firing at the same frequency.</p>
<p>But does this entrainment necessarily have any effect on our mood? As the authors of the new study point out, there is still little convincing evidence for this. </p>
<h2>What did the new research actually find?</h2>
<p>The authors played binaural or monaural (normal) beats to 16 participants, and recorded their brain activity with EEG.</p>
<p>They found that both binaural and monaural beats can entrain the brain to their particular frequency. But when they asked participants to describe any changes to their mood, they found that neither types of sound had any significant effect.</p>
<p>However, the researchers did find that binaural beats can elicit “cross-frequency connectivity”, in which the brain coordinates its activity across different types of brain waves. </p>
<p>Some <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1364661310002068">cognitive tasks</a>, such as learning and memory formation, require networks within the brain to communicate with one another despite using different types of brain waves. To return to the analogy of different brain wave frequencies being like different languages, your brain sometimes needs to translate messages from one language into another, and vice versa.</p>
<p>If binaural beats can boost this process, it’s possible that it might have a beneficial effect on some types of cognition, perhaps including memory recall. The authors of the new study did not look at that particular question, although a recent <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00426-018-1066-8">analysis of 35 studies</a> demonstrated a modest effect on attention, memory, anxiety and pain perception. None of these were tested in the current study. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-why-memories-come-flooding-back-when-you-visit-places-from-your-past-124983">Here's why memories come flooding back when you visit places from your past</a>
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<p>There are other ways to influence our brain function, such as by applying electric currents to the brain via electrodes stuck to the head, a technique known as transcranial current stimulation (tCS). There is evidence this can significantly improve cognitive skills in people affected by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2016.00574/full">neurological disease</a> and in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352154615000819">healthy individuals</a>.</p>
<p>In the meantime, if you enjoy listening to binaural beats, then by all means keep doing it – it won’t do you any harm. But it may not be doing you quite as much good as you perhaps imagined.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/132197/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Onno van der Groen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The internet is awash with videos that claim to use ‘binaural beats’ to improve your focus or relieve stress. But while they can influence your brain, the touted mood-enhancing effects may not be.Onno van der Groen, Research Fellow in the school of medical and health sciences, Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1297412020-02-12T21:11:55Z2020-02-12T21:11:55ZMindfulness moves beyond self-help to build community connections<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/314691/original/file-20200211-146682-icftav.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=51%2C0%2C5760%2C3466&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Some mindfulness programs are trying to bring mindfulness to under-served communities and youth in crisis. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>From 1984 to 2018, the number of journal articles published annually on mindfulness jumped from <a href="https://goamra.org/journal-articles-on-mindfulness-continue-to-grow-in-2018/">two to 842</a>, according to the American Mindfulness Research Association. The research spans a range of topics and settings, including mindfulness <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/S0742-7301(2011)0000030005">in the workplace</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00603">schools</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-016-0636-3">jails</a>.</p>
<p>Since the 1970s, when Jon Kabat-Zinn helped popularize mindfulness and meditation practices in western academic science through the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, the subject has blossomed as an area of academic study.</p>
<p>Though research on mindfulness <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/00006842-200201000-00010">has been criticized</a> for poor methodologies — such as inappropriate usage of statistical methods and reliance on unreliable self-report measures — recent meta-analyses have shown significant correlation between mindfulness and decreases in symptoms of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2017.10.011">psychiatric disorders</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2017.01.008">substance misuse</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.0076">depression relapse</a>. There were also significant <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01123-9">improvements</a> in depression, anxiety and stress outcomes.</p>
<p>Mindfulness <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1192%2Fpb.bp.115.052993">was defined</a> by Kabat-Zinn in his 1994 book, <em>Wherever You Go, There You are: Mindfulness Meditation for Everyday Life</em> as: “learning to pay attention moment by moment, intentionally and with curiosity and compassion.” </p>
<p>In modern therapeutic mindfulness practices, patients deliberately focus on their internal experience. This can include body sensations, thoughts and emotions. Another facet of modern therapeutic mindfulness is to treat any thoughts or experiences that come up during this process with non-judgment.</p>
<p>Some organizations are now trying to bring mindfulness to communities at large, not just individuals. This comes as mindfulness advocates <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/apr/16/how-capitalism-captured-the-mindfulness-industry">are being criticized</a> for under-serving disadvantaged communities that could benefit from it. Poverty has been linked to decreased functional <a href="https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2015.15081014">brain connectivity,</a> <a href="https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2009.180943">anxiety</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.12.003">depression</a>.</p>
<h2>The limits of mindfulness</h2>
<p>One critic is <a href="https://cob.sfsu.edu/directory/ronald-purser">Ronald Purser</a>, a professor of management at San Francisco State University.</p>
<p>“I think a reason why mindfulness is so attractive is that it seems easier than a lot of the structural and systemic changes that could otherwise be made. There’s a sedative quality to it,” he said in an interview in November 2019.</p>
<p>Instead of the individualized nature of many modern mindfulness practices, Purser and <a href="https://www.gc.cuny.edu/Page-Elements/Academics-Research-Centers-Initiatives/Doctoral-Programs/Urban-Education/Faculty-Bios/David-Forbes">David Forbes</a>, an associate professor in school counselling at Brooklyn College, argue for a more community-based approach.</p>
<p>“Telling students to ignore their personal pain while leaving the social, economic and political sources of that pain ignored won’t help them in the long run,” said Forbes in an interview in November 2019.</p>
<p>They suggest that it’s better to adopt “critical social mindfulness,” which encourages groups to meet together and to use mindfulness techniques to discuss the socio-political causes of their discontent as a community.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315113/original/file-20200212-61912-9qxvsk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315113/original/file-20200212-61912-9qxvsk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315113/original/file-20200212-61912-9qxvsk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315113/original/file-20200212-61912-9qxvsk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315113/original/file-20200212-61912-9qxvsk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315113/original/file-20200212-61912-9qxvsk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315113/original/file-20200212-61912-9qxvsk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Students meditate during a Mindful Studies class at Wilson High School in Portland, Ore. in 2014. The year-long course is one of a growing number of programs that are incorporating mindfulness into school curriculums to bring socio-emotional benefits to students.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Gosia Wozniacka</span></span>
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<p>David Hart agrees with them. Hart is an instructor and volunteer at the Awake Youth Project in Brooklyn, which has used mindfulness-based practices to help youth attending schools which had been considered “failed” by the New York City Department of Education. The program started in 2009 with a traditional mindfulness approach centred on exposing young people to the concept, but has changed.</p>
<p>“We’re more focused on creating a space where young people can build the tools and see how they can benefit from mindfulness in their communities,” says Hart.</p>
<p>He agrees that the popularity and awareness of mindfulness has dramatically increased in the past few years. He notes that young people involved in the program have, “seen mindfulness and meditation in movies, TV, there’s even a ‘breathe with me’ Barbie now. It’s not a new concept.”</p>
<p>But mindfulness approaches need to be community-based, he says.</p>
<p>“It’s mentors and instructors having equal footing with young people, and showing how tools like emotional regulation can be used in their own lives…We have a real understanding of culturally relevant and trauma-informed backgrounds because we have teachers with the same experiences.” </p>
<p>Hart says that these meditation and applied mindfulness sessions are different because they involve community mentors who understand the social difficulties experienced by the young people. Awake’s mindfulness practices encourage people to acknowledge their social difficulties.</p>
<h2>Past community-based mindfulness projects</h2>
<p>Tita Angangco, the co-founder of the <a href="https://www.mindfulnessstudies.com/">Centre for Mindfulness Studies</a> in Toronto, agrees with this approach. The centre ran several short-term programs incorporating mindfulness into low-income community groups. <a href="https://www.mindfulnessstudies.com/community/past/#mstm">One such program</a> was their “Train-the-Trainer” project that taught 42 social workers from 18 agencies how to deliver mindfulness-based therapy to their clients.</p>
<p>“Mindfulness actually resonates with a lot of these groups because it is open, loving and kind…it’s accessible to people and they usually love it,” said Angangco.</p>
<p>But because of funding challenges, it’s difficult to have a long-term impact. The Train-the-Trainer program was funded by the <a href="https://otf.ca/centre-mindfulness-studies">Ontario Trillium Foundation</a> and the <a href="http://www.ohtn.on.ca/">Ontario HIV Treatment Network</a> from March to December 2013. The pilot programs have struggled to continue.</p>
<p>“Our clients want to bring these mindfulness-based groups into their own communities…That’s what would be best. We want to train and pay our clients to support their own communities using these techniques.”</p>
<p>Beyond those challenges, Angangco acknowledges that the scope of mindfulness can be limited in low-income and other disadvantaged communities.</p>
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<p>“Mental health doesn’t sit independently from social and personal conditions…The people we’re working with are dealing with basic issues such as safety, employment, health and housing.”</p>
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<p>Says Angangco: “Mindfulness might teach people in low-income positions to look at their situations differently. But if the situations aren’t changed there’s only so much that mindfulness can do.”</p>
<p>But without long-term solutions to these problems, individuals in marginalized communities will still be at risk for depression, anxiety and heightened stress.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/129741/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lakshmi Magon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As the practice of mindfulness grows, more thought needs to be given to how it can be used in under-served communitiesLakshmi Magon, Dalla Lana Global Journalism Fellow, Science Communicator, University of TorontoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1216552019-11-22T13:14:50Z2019-11-22T13:14:50ZAnxiety: a playlist to calm the mind from a music therapist<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/301986/original/file-20191115-66953-1fkitk0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-woman-headphones-relaxing-home-late-704548654?src=25ac2ba5-f735-451f-bf87-20c2096cebf6-1-6">Shutterstock/Stokkete</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It may seem like we are living in an age of anxiety, where feeling worried, upset and stressed has become the norm. But we should remember that anxiety is a <a href="https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/about-anxiety/#.Xc6FEi10fq1">natural human response</a> to situations. </p>
<p>It comes when we are not sure what is going to happen, or when we feel under threat. And even mild anxiety can have a negative effect on our ability to lead a productive life. It can interfere with being able to enjoy the simple things in life. </p>
<p>When we experience anxiety, our heart and breathing rates increase and many other systems in our bodies <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/effects-on-body#1">experience overload</a>. Anxiety affects our general physical health as well as our emotions. </p>
<p>In my work as a music therapist, I’ve noticed the impact music can have on anxiety. For example, in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIdtMOd8k8A">guided imagery sessions</a>, the therapist uses specially selected music and the client is invited to describe what they are feeling and what images the music conjures up. It’s amazing what insights can be gained from simply allowing yourself time to listen and talk about what you see in your mind’s eye. </p>
<p>These may be as simple as becoming more aware of how music can affect emotions, or be used to explore past experiences or future dilemmas. It can also be used to find a place of comfort and a secure base where <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jmt/article-abstract/36/1/39/914646?redirectedFrom=fulltext">physical and emotional balance</a> can be found. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/relaxing-song-best-weightless-marconi-union-youtube-surgery-anxiety-a9011971.html">recent experiment</a> explored whether certain kinds of music can reduce anxiety during a complex task and concluded that some music is better at doing this than others. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/surprising-ways-to-beat-anxiety-and-become-mentally-strong-according-to-science-77978">Surprising ways to beat anxiety and become mentally strong – according to science</a>
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<p>Also, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jmt/article-abstract/48/3/264/1002764?redirectedFrom=PDF">a study</a> based on measuring physiological and emotional responses suggests there are certain qualities in music that are better at helping people relax.</p>
<p>The speed of the music should be relatively slow, the melody should be simple, and the beat and harmony should not hold too many surprises. Other factors, such as the complexity of the music and – surprisingly – familiarity with the piece, were not so important. </p>
<p>In fact, knowing a piece too well was found in some cases to be counterproductive. The genres most likely to support relaxation are classical, soft pop and certain types of world music. These are found to largely contain the musical elements necessary to help a person relax.</p>
<h2>Press play</h2>
<p>With these musical elements in mind, here are eight suggested pieces of music that meet these criteria:</p>
<p><strong>1</strong> <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/ambient-1-music-for-airports-184712/">Ambient 1: Music For Airports</a> by Brian Eno. This soundscape provides a wash of musical effects that echo the rhythm of our physiological functions, leaving space for us to attune to the slow tempo of the music. The album is described in <a href="https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/brian-eno/ambient-1-music-for-airports">one review</a> as “the kind of music one might hear in heaven”.</p>
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<p><strong>2</strong> Pieds-en-L'Air, from <a href="https://arielmusic.co.uk/product/capriol-suite/">Capriol Suite</a>, by Peter Warlock, a composer and former music critic. Known for his unconventional lifestyle, he died in 1930, aged 36. His musical legacy includes this soft and slow classical piece with a melody reminiscent of songs we may have heard as children.</p>
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<p><strong>3</strong> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/56FjSa3QWnDE6CxjFTp9rH">Om Namah Shivaya</a> by Deva Premal. The vocals of Premal and supporting music made by her partner Mital hark back to evocative chants from times past. The slow pace and almost hypnotic music combined with her clear vocals feel very supportive.</p>
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<p><strong>4</strong> <a href="https://www.smoothradio.com/features/adele-someone-like-you-lyrics-meaning-facts/">Someone Like You</a> by Adele. While this hugely successful song explores the issue of loss, the slow tempo and cool accompaniment is found by many to offer a sense of calm and reflection. It has <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2012/02/someone-like-you-makes-us-cry-scientists-explain-why.html">been claimed</a> that the piece’s emotional strength is due to small, unexpected changes in the melody or “ornamental notes”, which create a melancholic tension. </p>
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<p><strong>5</strong> <a href="https://www.classicfm.com/composers/einaudi/music/i-giorni/">I Giorni</a>, by Ludovico Einaudi, an Italian pianist and composer who has written numerous film soundtracks. This piano piece, with its repetitive motifs and steady tempo, evokes a dreamlike state with moments of light and brightness.</p>
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<p><strong>6</strong> <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/in-paradisum-9780193418042?cc=gb&lang=en&">In Paradisum</a>, by Gabriel Fauré, a French composer who gained great popularity in his lifetime, but suffered from deafness in his later years. In this piece, from his Requiem, the choir and organ accompaniment provide a feeling of serenity.</p>
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<p><strong>7</strong> <a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=Stopover+at+Djibouti&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8">Stopover at Djibouti</a> by Anouar Ibrahem, a Tunisian oud player and composer. He is widely acclaimed as an innovator in his field, fusing Arab classical music, folk music and jazz. This world jazz piece has hypnotic motifs that can seem almost meditative.</p>
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<p><strong>8</strong> <a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&ei=hq7OXekQpYbV8A_vxaUw&q=stefan+nilsson+composer+wilmas+tema&oq=stefan+nilsson+composer+wilm&gs_l=psy-ab.3.0.33i22i29i30.2182.3289..4456...0.0..0.99.402.5......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i22i30.I3sNgC11uJY">Wilma’s Theme</a> by Stefan Nilsson, a Swedish composer and pianist who is well known in is home country. This piece, which seems somehow familiar, has a simple melody and harmonies that provide a safe landing place.</p>
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<p>This list offers some suggestions of music that could be used to help people relax. A favourite of mine, which I haven’t included, is the slow movement from JS Bach’s Double Violin Concerto. It never fails to give me a sense of feeling safe and grounded, something that can be so important when we may be feeling anxious. </p>
<p>It should be said, though, that many <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0218017">studies</a> emphasise the importance of finding your own selection of music that works for you. Whatever your musical taste is, you have the edge on any prescribed playlist in finding what is best for you.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/121655/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elizabeth Coombes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Soothing tunes for anxious times.Elizabeth Coombes, Senior Lecturer in Music Therapy, University of South WalesLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1248592019-10-30T12:56:18Z2019-10-30T12:56:18ZMeditation apps might calm you – but miss the point of Buddhist mindfulness<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298770/original/file-20191025-173524-b19frz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The market has been flooded with apps related to Buddhism and most of them claim to teach meditation.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.needpix.com/photo/992824/yoga-app-iphone-mobile-phone-application-heart-relaxation-cardio-life">akiragiulia (pixabay.com)</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In today’s stressful world, mindfulness – a type of <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780203494875">popular spirituality</a> that strives to focus on the present moment – promises to soothe away the anxiety and stress of modern life. The Internet is full of <a href="https://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199827817.001.0001/acprof-9780199827817">popular cure-all mindfulness apps</a> targeting everyone from <a href="https://buddhify.com">busy urban professionals</a> to <a href="https://naturallysavvy.com/eat/5-mindfulness-eating-apps/">dieters</a>, those suffering from <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/top-insomnia-iphone-android-apps">insomnia</a> and even <a href="https://parentingchaos.com/anxiety-apps-kids/">children</a>. </p>
<p>We are <a href="https://rel.uncg.edu/faculty/grieve/">scholars of Buddhism</a> who <a href="https://uncw.edu/par/faculty/faculty-mcguire.html">specialize</a> in <a href="https://uncw.academia.edu/BeverleyFoulksMcGuire">social media</a> <a href="https://gscnc.academia.edu/GregoryGrieve">research</a>. In August of 2019, we searched on <a href="https://www.apple.com/ios/app-store/">Apple’s App Store</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com">Google Play</a> and found over 500 apps associated with Buddhism. The majority of the apps centered on the practice of mindfulness. </p>
<p>Do these apps truly promote Buddhist ideals or are they a product of a lucrative consumer industry?</p>
<h2>Health benefits</h2>
<p>As it is practiced in the U.S. today, mindfulness meditation focuses on being intensely aware, without any sort of judgment, of what one is sensing and feeling in the given moment. Mindfulness practice has been <a href="https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-mindfulness-how-mindfulness-helps-you-live-in-the-moment/">shown to counter</a> the tendency in many of us to spend too much time planning and problem solving, which can be stressful. </p>
<p>Mindfulness practices, as pursued by the Buddhist apps, involve guided meditation, breathing exercises and other forms of relaxation. <a href="https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-mindfulness-tackle-stress-anxiety-and-depression-to-benefit-your-heart-2/">Clinical tests</a> show that mindfulness relieves stress, anxiety, pain, depression, insomnia and hypertension. However, there have been few <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000118">studies of mindfulness apps</a>.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-Meditative-Way-Readings-in-the-Theory-and-Practice-of-Buddhist-Meditation/Bucknell-Kang/p/book/9780700706785">current popular understanding</a> of mindfulness is derived from the Buddhist concept of <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.141.than.html">sati</a>, which describes being aware of one’s body, feelings and other mental states. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/oso/9780190495794.001.0001/oso-9780190495794">In early Buddhist texts</a> mindfulness meant not only paying attention but also remembering what the Buddha taught, so that one could discern between skillful and unskillful thoughts, feelings and actions. This would ultimately lead to liberation from the cycle of birth and death. </p>
<p>For example, the Buddhist text “<a href="https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/MN/MN10.html">Satipatthana Sutta</a>” describes not only being mindful of breath and body, but also comparing one’s body to a corpse in a cemetery to appreciate the arising and ceasing of the body. </p>
<p>“One is mindful that the body exists, just to the extent necessary for knowledge and awareness. And one remains detached, grasping at nothing in the world,” the sutra reads.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298773/original/file-20191025-173558-1nb8xew.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298773/original/file-20191025-173558-1nb8xew.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=331&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298773/original/file-20191025-173558-1nb8xew.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=331&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298773/original/file-20191025-173558-1nb8xew.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=331&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298773/original/file-20191025-173558-1nb8xew.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298773/original/file-20191025-173558-1nb8xew.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298773/original/file-20191025-173558-1nb8xew.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Buddhism <strong>encourages practitioners</strong> to move away from attachment to material things.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/chitrapat/9546082023/in/photolist-fxyaB6-25dyUGU-jAoeC3-jCVAAd-6VJTy2-4nQHsN-TxL9c3-9mG4EQ-6DZ4PK-8FGHv5-Pcvfh-8DGm7h-qvf8Sv-jAksxt-iGzy9w-EqTEuR-5EiTUQ-dtCktw-21kMhmz-dsbKkd-xVENjR-jApdxq-doWfa4-VTnvmo-dquYpf-62nvtw-dtmBtt-jAkHfe-7wwGq2-owD5pD-3oK9KW-S6xHpY-dh1oNi-71WLDC-meTvA-jdZbvH-4fk39U-jAnWEV-8hvSpa-a2JKzK-9RraXd-8eN8zq-noT2ea-dbA8jQ-S6L2mL-QSGMgm-aMWGhB-je2XD7-ADpZZu-4fEAQo">Deepak Rao</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Here mindfulness enables one to appreciate impermanence, not become attached to material things and strive to attain greater awareness so that one can ultimately become enlightened.</p>
<p>Early Buddhist mindfulness practitioners were those who criticized mainstream societal values and cultural norms such as bodily beauty, family ties and material wealth.</p>
<p>Mindfulness apps, on the other hand, encourage people to cope with and accommodate to society. They overlook the surrounding causes and conditions of suffering and stress, <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/7xgmay/mindfulness-is-the-capitalist-spirituality-ronald-purser-interview">which may be political, social or economic</a>. </p>
<h2>Lucrative industry</h2>
<p>Mindfulness apps are part of a <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/07/08/1879529/0/en/Mindfulness-Meditation-Application-Market-Continues-on-an-Uphill-Ride-as-Self-Care-Trend-Pushes-its-Way-into-Consumer-Priorities-Finds-Fact-MR.html">massive and lucrative industry</a> valued at roughly US$130 million. </p>
<p>Two apps, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/05/calm-raises-88-million-valuing-the-meditation-app-at-1-billion.html">Calm and Headspace</a>, claim nearly 70% of the overall market share. These apps cater to a wide audience, which includes religious consumers as well as the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/topics/religiously-unaffiliated/">growing number of Americans who consider themselves</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-changing-nature-of-americas-irreligious-explained-71066">spiritual but not religious</a>.</p>
<p>Americans spend over <a href="https://www.flurry.com/blog/post/157921590345/us-consumers-time-spent-on-mobile-crosses-5">five hours each day</a> glued to their mobile devices. Nearly <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/hooked-how-to-build-habit-forming-products/oclc/881418283">80% of Americans</a> check their smartphones within fifteen minutes of waking up. The apps provide a way to do meditation while on the go.</p>
<p>The fact that Buddhist apps exist is not surprising, as Buddhism has always been <a href="https://uhpress.hawaii.edu/product/from-indras-net-to-internet-communication-technology-and-the-evolution-of-buddhist-ideas/">skillful at using new media technologies to spread its message</a>. The oldest known printed book, for example, is a <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/Five-things-to-know-about-diamond-sutra-worlds-oldest-dated-printed-book-180959052/">Chinese copy of the Diamond Sutra</a>, a Sanskrit Buddhist text that dates to the ninth century. </p>
<p>Are these apps merely <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520291461/religion-and-popular-culture-in-america-third-edition">repackaging of ancient Buddhism in new digital wrappers</a>?</p>
<h2>Is this Buddhist?</h2>
<p>There is no doubt that Buddhist apps are a reflection of real social distress. But, <a href="https://www.crcpress.com/Buddhism-the-Internet-and-Digital-Media-The-Pixel-in-the-Lotus/Grieve-Veidlinger/p/book/9781138549166">in our assessment</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=V3rYtmCZEIEC&q=42-43#v=onepage&q=42-43&f=false">mindfulness</a>, when stripped of all its religious elements, may distort understandings of Buddhism. </p>
<p>A core aspect of Buddhism is the concept of no-self: the belief that there is no unchanging, permanent self, soul or other essence. In <a href="https://www.crcpress.com/Buddhism-the-Internet-and-Digital-Media-The-Pixel-in-the-Lotus/Grieve-Veidlinger/p/book/9781138549166">promoting an individualistic approach to religion</a>, then, Buddhist apps may well rub against the very grain of Buddhist practice. </p>
<p>Indeed, our findings show that Buddhist meditation apps are not a cure that relieves suffering in the world, but more like an opiate that hides the real symptoms of the precarious and stressful state in which many people find themselves today. </p>
<p>In that case, Buddhist apps, rather than curing the anxiety created by our smartphones, just make us more addicted to them and, in the end, even more stressed.</p>
<p>[ <em>Like what you’ve read? Want more?</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=likethis">Sign up for The Conversation’s daily newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/124859/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Buddhist meditation apps are an increasingly popular stress-reliever for people on the go. But do these apps really work? Or are they products of a lucrative industry contributing to a tech addiction?Gregory Grieve, Head and Professor, Religious Studies Department, University of North Carolina – GreensboroBeverley McGuire, Professor of East Asian Religions, University of North Carolina WilmingtonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1211592019-10-17T10:59:52Z2019-10-17T10:59:52ZThree reasons you have neck pain – and why ‘bad posture’ probably isn’t one of them<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/295424/original/file-20191003-52791-waqxa5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=43%2C43%2C7135%2C4505&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-tired-manager-sitting-restaurant-surrounded-674828302?src=7GZXFVMfX2vs7MOuZpAegw-1-59">shutterstock/WAYHOME studio</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you suffer from neck pain, you’re not alone. Spinal pain is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide and its occurrence has <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00586-017-5432-9">increased dramatically over the past 25 years</a>. While most episodes of neck pain are likely to get better within a few months, half to three-quarters of people who have neck pain will experience repeated episodes <a href="https://www.archives-pmr.org/article/S0003-9993(10)01036-1/pdf">of pain</a>.</p>
<p>It’s often said there are “<a href="https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/neck-pain/how-poor-posture-causes-neck-pain">good and bad postures</a>” and that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1356689X13001082">specific postures can contribute to spinal pain</a> but this belief is not supported by scientific evidence. Indeed, research shows that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19005925">poor sleep</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2606680/">reduced physical activity</a> and <a href="https://oem.bmj.com/content/60/9/649">increased stress</a> appear to be more important factors.</p>
<p>So despite attempts by health professionals to correct your posture and the use of “ergonomic” <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD008570.pub3/full">chairs, desks, keyboards and other gadgets</a> chances are so-called “lifestyle factors” – such as getting enough sleep, making sure you exercise and keeping stress to a minimum – seem to be more salient in relieving and preventing the pain in your neck.</p>
<h2>The posture myth</h2>
<p>Although beliefs about posture run deep, science is telling a very different story – and there is a strong challenge to the long-assumed role of posture as a cause of neck pain. </p>
<p>A recent high-quality <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article/96/10/1576/2870247">study</a>, of more than 1,000 teenagers, for example, showed no statistically significant relationship between spinal posture and neck pain – despite there being easily identifiable postural subgroups in the study, such as those who sat slumped or those who sat upright. So yes, people do sit in positions that vary from person to person, but it appears to have nothing to do with pain. In fact, it appears from this particular study that the adolescent’s “posture” has more to do with their mood.</p>
<p>Research has also shown that changing the way you sit while working – by altering your workstation – so-called “ergonomic interventions”, have <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD008570.pub3/full">little</a> to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1836955318300535?via%3Dihub#bib0130">no</a> impact on whether a person develops neck pain. Also, there is <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article/98/1/40/4562646">little high-quality evidence</a> that ergonomic interventions can lead to a speedier recovery for someone with neck pain. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296027/original/file-20191008-128655-e30u5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296027/original/file-20191008-128655-e30u5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/296027/original/file-20191008-128655-e30u5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/296027/original/file-20191008-128655-e30u5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/296027/original/file-20191008-128655-e30u5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/296027/original/file-20191008-128655-e30u5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/296027/original/file-20191008-128655-e30u5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A pain in the neck or just not enough sleep?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/3d-illustration-neck-painful-cervical-spine-1029546799?src=CrUX_DKcNcchnEtCFJJeFQ-1-17">ShutterstockMDGRPHCS</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>In various studies, researchers have followed groups of people who don’t have neck pain along with those who only experience occasional neck pain for periods. Some people in these groups developed troublesome neck pain and the researchers looked closely at them. Those with neck pain were found to be getting less quality and quantity of sleep and <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/4/7/e005103">were working in jobs with high strain</a>. <a href="https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/174/3/267/246680">They were also less physically active</a> and had <a href="https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(15)00867-6/abstract">depressed mood</a>. Their bodies are essentially <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2270377/">experiencing greater stress</a> and they notice <a href="https://oem.bmj.com/content/61/6/523.long">more “muscle tension”</a> in their neck. Importantly, this is all before the pain has even developed. </p>
<p>Researchers have found that, even among children as young as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17964722">nine years old</a>, symptoms such as tiredness and sleep difficulties – along with headaches, abdominal pain and lower mood – were risk factors for both the occurrence and persistence of weekly neck pain when the children were monitored for four years.</p>
<h2>Sleep, exercise and relaxation</h2>
<p>The flip side of this is that having a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1526590015008676">stronger neck</a>, enjoying <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1836955318300535">exercise</a> – even simply <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00586-014-3577-3">walking a greater number of steps each day</a> – have all been shown to protect against getting neck pain. This, along with making sure we don’t become sleep deprived, less physically active and stressed will hopefully manage and prevent neck pain more successfully.</p>
<p>So feel free to sit how you want to at your desk. If you find yourself sitting for long periods in one position make an effort to switch it up – as one of the key things to avoid getting pain in your neck is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29197234">to change positions frequently through the day</a>.</p>
<p>And if you do have neck pain, get a few early nights, consider doing something relaxing – and why not go for a walk at lunchtime. Importantly, you also need to stop worrying about how you sit or walk, because science seems to show that there may be <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article/96/10/1576/2870247">no such thing as a “bad” posture</a> after all.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/121159/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christian Worsfold does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It’s often said that “bad posture” can cause neck pain but science seems to indicate that other factors might be at play.Christian Worsfold, Visiting Lecturer in Physiotherapy, University of HertfordshireLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1212782019-08-13T23:12:06Z2019-08-13T23:12:06ZLeave your phone at home this holiday and you’ll feel better (after you feel worse)<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/287846/original/file-20190813-9400-1q4ln3i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-beautiful-female-traveler-lost-city-1065580982?src=sdKg6YvWqnffidOh-e8-IA-1-5">astarot/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>What did we do before smartphones? Our devices have become an essential tool for modern life, even when we’re on holiday. In fact, technology is <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02508281.2005.11081482">revolutionising tourism</a>. We navigate with Google Maps, we use TripAdvisor to find good restaurants, we share our travel experiences on Instagram, and we instantly message people back home. Imagine if all of these things were taken away from you.</p>
<p>That’s what we did to 24 people who volunteered for our <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0047287519868314">interview-based study</a> on what it’s like to give up your smartphone and travel digital-free. With a growing concern about the negative impact digital technology can have on people’s wellbeing, <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-14343-9_58">especially on holiday</a>, we wanted to find out if a digital detox would help. But we found that disconnecting on holiday comes with emotional challenges of its own.</p>
<p>We asked our volunteers to keep a diary of their emotions and feelings before they disconnected, during their trip, and after re-connecting when they returned home. We also conducted interviews after their digital-free journeys.</p>
<p>Individuals who choose to disconnect on holiday tend to be looking for some therapeutic rehabilitation. But we found the digital-free journey was not always easy. Travellers experienced different levels of emotions due to technology disconnection. Feelings of anxiety started to build with the anticipation of disconnecting, with worries about what would happen. One participant said: “To be honest, two days before the trip I was a little bit nervous about it.”</p>
<p>The negative emotions escalated in the first few days of the disconnected holiday with a mixture of frustration, worry, isolation, and anxiety. The feelings were especially overwhelming for some tech-savvy travellers who were used to technology in their daily lives. They struggled to settle into a new environment without their usual support of technology. One participant mentioned their anxiety around safety: “There is a chance that I might be in danger or have an accident, and my family cannot reach me.”</p>
<p>Travellers at this stage were forced to travel in an old-fashion manner, navigating using a printed map, talking to strangers, and reading printed bus timetables. Two of our participants even gave up at this stage as they found the emotional experience unbearable.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/287847/original/file-20190813-9419-npsgbh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/287847/original/file-20190813-9419-npsgbh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/287847/original/file-20190813-9419-npsgbh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/287847/original/file-20190813-9419-npsgbh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/287847/original/file-20190813-9419-npsgbh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/287847/original/file-20190813-9419-npsgbh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/287847/original/file-20190813-9419-npsgbh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Better to disconnect.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/man-holding-notebook-while-walking-alone-530016208?src=TdNH1kfS9Br2sQr0RN1-oQ-1-61">ravipat/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The strength of emotions was not the same for everyone. In the research, we discovered several influencing factors. It was easier to disconnect in rural destinations, if participants had travel companions, if they had fewer work commitments back home, if they had strong motivations for disconnecting, or if their reliance on technology in daily life was low.</p>
<p>Our participants overcame the initial emotions and then started to enjoy the digital-free experience. They found themselves more immersed in the destination, created more valuable moments with their travel companions, and had many more memorable and authentic encounters with locals.</p>
<p>They felt free, happy, excited, and relieved. One participant said: “I feel quite good that I made it this far without technology. I feel quite liberated.” Without the disruptions of digital technologies, they were fully engaged with their holiday experience, demonstrating that a digital-free holiday can contribute to wellbeing.</p>
<h2>Reconnecting to normal life</h2>
<p>All detoxes must come to an end, and our travellers had to face reconnecting to technology at the end of their holidays. Many started to feel anxious or guilty, but others, although they enjoyed the disconnected experience, felt excited to reconnect. </p>
<p>Interestingly, first time digital-free travellers felt disappointed as they anticipated the things they missed out on while disconnected, but then realised they had not missed much. Many reevaluated their relationships with technology. One of our participants stated: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“It was rather disappointing turning my phone back on. Seeing Facebook likes and messages I had, I felt how superficial they were. Not important stuff. I started to think why am I so addicted to counting my likes and reading comments that don’t really have a huge impact on my life? Technology, especially Facebook, has become my life”.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Understanding the emotions of tourists can also provide insights for tour operators and destination management organisations when developing either off-the-grid packages or tech-savvy tour products. Understanding what triggers consumers’ negative and positive emotions can help companies improve products and marketing strategies.</p>
<p>Digital-free travel provides an opportunity for many travellers to re-examine their relationships with technology. Many participants reflected on their addictions and “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563216304125">fear of missing out</a>”, and considered bringing this digital-free idea into their daily life, or do it more during their holidays.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/121278/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Technology-free holidays can feel unbearable at first but this soon gives way to a better experience.Brad McKenna, Lecturer in Information Systems, University of East AngliaLena Waizenegger, Lecturer in Information Systems, Auckland University of TechnologyWenjie Cai, Lecturer in Tourism and Hospitality, University of GreenwichLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1179722019-07-30T20:03:48Z2019-07-30T20:03:48ZPeople use sauna for well-being, but its medical benefits are not widely understood<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285279/original/file-20190723-110187-dte0sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Many people use sauna to relax, but some evidence has shown it can improve certain health outcomes.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">From shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Why do people use sauna? Despite centuries of anecdotal evidence which says the practice is relaxing and healthy, researchers have never actually asked this question. Until now.</p>
<p>With <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2018/1857413/">increasing evidence</a> pointing to the health benefits of sauna, Australian researchers decided to conduct an online global sauna survey to start to understand why people regularly subject themselves to extreme heat.</p>
<p>They found <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0965229919300998">the overwhelming motivation</a> for sauna bathing was relaxation and stress reduction, alongside other health benefits such as pain relief and improved sleep.</p>
<p>But the results highlighted that sauna does not appear to be widely recognised as a health intervention for a range of chronic conditions it has been shown to benefit. This suggests more education is needed for both medical professionals and the wider community. </p>
<p>At the same time, we need continued scientific research to better understand the health benefits of sauna bathing.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/infrared-sauna-is-no-better-for-your-health-than-traditional-sauna-busting-a-common-wellness-myth-102408">Infrared sauna is no better for your health than traditional sauna: busting a common wellness myth</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What the survey found</h2>
<p>The survey received 472 responses from 29 countries (with Finland, the United States, and Australia making up the top three). </p>
<p>The average age of participants was 45, and respondents used a sauna on average once or twice per week. Bathers used both traditional and infrared saunas, although infrared use was much higher in Australia and the US (both 30%, compared to only 2% in Finland).</p>
<p>All respondents selected “relaxation/stress reduction” as a highly important reason for sauna bathing. The results showed using sauna five to 15 times per month was associated with higher mental well-being scores compared to those using sauna less frequently. But more evidence is needed to establish a link between <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27172277">thermal therapy and mental health</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285280/original/file-20190723-110158-19qgahg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285280/original/file-20190723-110158-19qgahg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/285280/original/file-20190723-110158-19qgahg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/285280/original/file-20190723-110158-19qgahg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/285280/original/file-20190723-110158-19qgahg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/285280/original/file-20190723-110158-19qgahg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/285280/original/file-20190723-110158-19qgahg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Close to 500 people took part in the Global Sauna Survey.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">From shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Other leading motivations for using sauna included “to relieve aches and pains” (88%), “social – to meet and talk with friends” (85%), “to improve circulation” (85%), “detoxification” (83%), and “professional – to meet and talk with business colleagues” (50%).</p>
<p>The top three activities reported as occurring inside the sauna were relaxation (100%), talking with others (79%), and meditation (68%) – again highlighting the function of sauna as a space for mental regeneration.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-saunas-really-are-good-for-your-health-87055">Why saunas really are good for your health</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Some 84% of respondents reported improved sleep, lasting for one to two nights after sauna use. Given <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-our-brain-needs-sleep-and-what-happens-if-we-dont-get-enough-of-it-83145">the importance of sleep for general health</a>, sauna seems to hold promise as an enjoyable and non-pharmacological tool to promote better rest.</p>
<p>One-third of respondents were overweight or obese, which suggests regular sauna bathing is well tolerated by this population. </p>
<p>While the precise mechanisms are still not understood, the physical effects of sauna – including heart rate, blood pressure, and cellular responses – <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31126559">correspond to similar benefits</a> seen with moderate intensity physical exercise.</p>
<h2>Sauna use doesn’t reflect knowledge of recent evidence</h2>
<p>The survey revealed two important broader points. Firstly, people are using sauna in ways not fully backed up by medical evidence yet. One-third of respondents reported having a medically diagnosed health condition, with the most common being back pain, followed by musculoskeletal problems. Interestingly, two-thirds of these respondents reported sauna bathing improved their condition, at least temporarily.</p>
<p>But there is little evidence on sauna for these specific health issues, and sauna is rarely part of conventional treatment plans for such conditions. The same applies to reports about improved sleep.</p>
<p>Secondly, and by contrast, high blood pressure and heart conditions were not among the top medical conditions of respondents, despite the benefits sauna has demonstrated for cardiovascular health. Recent <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25705824">observational</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2047487317737629">experimental</a> studies have shown people who regularly use sauna experience fewer incidents of high blood pressure and have fewer heart attacks and strokes.</p>
<p>But the fact sauna users are not commonly bathing with these benefits in mind suggests many health professionals may not yet be aware of the scientific literature surrounding the potential preventive health benefits of sauna use.</p>
<p>Given the evidence for stress reduction shown in this survey, sauna also shows promise as an intervention for a range of chronic diseases where psychological stress is considered to be strongly associated with the mechanisms behind the disease (for example, <a href="http://www.psy.cmu.edu/%7Escohen/JAMA_2007_Psy_Stress_Disease.pdf">depression</a>, <a href="https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2003/178/6/stress-and-coronary-heart-disease-psychosocial-risk-factors">heart disease</a>, and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17709949">arthritis</a>). </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-what-happens-in-the-body-when-we-sweat-85831">Curious Kids: What happens in the body when we sweat?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>From sauna research to sauna treatment</h2>
<p>Sauna has potential benefits for a range of major health challenges facing today’s population. To maximise these benefits, a few key steps lie ahead.</p>
<p>The most important thing is more attention from researchers. The health outcomes demonstrated so far all need further evidence, and we need continued social science to understand more about how the technology might be spread at a community level. Increased access to community bathing facilities will require public support and entrepreneurial vision.</p>
<p>The other key step is for sauna researchers to engage with health professionals, so sauna may become recognised alongside other evidence-based treatments for chronic conditions in both clinical and community settings.</p>
<p><em>Do you use sauna in Australia? Researchers from Western Sydney University are currently conducting a <a href="http://www.westernsydneysaunastudies.com/tasmop-research-survey/">follow-up survey</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/117972/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joy Hussain has received PhD scholarship funding from the Jacka Foundation and RMIT University. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jack Tsonis is president of the Australian Sweat Bathing Association, a national not-for-profit that represents Australia in the International Sauna Association. </span></em></p>Results of a recent global sauna survey suggest people use sauna to relax. But they don’t necessarily know about the health benefits it’s been shown to have.Joy Hussain, GP Researcher, RMIT UniversityJack Tsonis, Lecturer, Graduate Research School, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1015832018-09-24T10:15:58Z2018-09-24T10:15:58ZThe blissful and bizarre world of ASMR<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/236487/original/file-20180914-177938-80mky1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=80%2C654%2C6765%2C4456&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Watching for the sweet, relaxing brain tingles.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/attractive-young-brazilian-lady-laying-on-752590165">skyNext/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Have you ever stumbled upon an hourlong online video of someone folding napkins? Or maybe crinkling paper, sorting a thimble collection or pretending to give the viewer an ear exam? They’re called ASMR videos and millions of people love them and consider watching them a fantastic way to relax. Other viewers count them among the strangest things on the internet.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SJ2mXXGHQ0Q?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Cutting soap is a popular subject for ASMR videos.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So are they relaxing or strange? I think they are both, which is why I have been fascinated with <a href="https://asmruniversity.com/">trying to understand ASMR</a> for the past five years. In researching my new book “<a href="http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Brain-Tingles/Craig-Richard/9781507207628">Brain Tingles</a>,” I explored the many mysteries about ASMR as well as best practices for incorporating ASMR into various aspects of life, like parenting, spas and health studios.</p>
<h2>What is ASMR?</h2>
<p>ASMR is short for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. Enthusiast <a href="https://asmruniversity.com/2016/05/17/jennifer-allen-interview-coined-asmr/">Jennifer Allen coined the term</a> in 2010. You may also hear this phenomenon called “head orgasms” or “brain tingles.” It’s distinct from the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-only-some-people-get-skin-orgasms-from-listening-to-music-59719">“aesthetic chills” or frisson</a> some people experience when listening to music, for instance.</p>
<p>People watch ASMR videos in hopes of eliciting the response, <a href="https://asmruniversity.com/voices-of-asmr/">usually experienced as</a> a deeply relaxing sensation with pleasurable tingles in the head. It can feel like the best massage in the world – but without anyone touching you. Imagine watching an online video while your brain turns into a puddle of bliss. </p>
<p>The actions and sounds in ASMR videos mostly recreate moments in real life that people have discovered spark the feeling. These stimuli are called ASMR triggers. They usually involve receiving personal attention from a caring person. Associated sounds are typically gentle and non-threatening.</p>
<p>Everyday real-life events that stimulate ASMR include receiving positive personal attention from teachers, clinicians, hairdressers, spa employees, family members, or simply having a friend braid your hair and speak softly to you. The combination of the focused attention, soft voice, light touch and being cared for can quickly switch some brains into a deep state of relaxation.</p>
<p>The popularity of ASMR videos demonstrates that simply watching a recording of a kind, gentle person pretending to give you positive personal attention can stimulate this feeling. Even a video of someone’s hands can trigger ASMR – your brain has evolved to read that as a caring person demonstrating a helpful skill or valuable item.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I8dLlGvroac?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">What does watching someone poke slime activate for you?</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What does the science say?</h2>
<p>Scroll through the comments on ASMR videos and you’ll find plenty of viewers saying that it helps their anxiety, insomnia, depression and other conditions. These comments are not hard science, but they have motivated researchers to look into ASMR in more detail.</p>
<p>A 2015 study reported that the majority of viewers of ASMR videos watch these videos to <a href="https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.851">relax, deal with stress and fall asleep</a>. Some viewers even felt the videos were helpful to their depression and chronic pain. A 2017 study found a majority of viewers <a href="https://doi.org/10.1163/22134808-00002571">watch the videos to relax</a> and some felt the videos helped their anxiety. A 2018 study reported that ASMR videos helped viewers feel more calm, less stressed and less sad, and the participants were so relaxed that their <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0196645">heart rates slowed down</a> in the researchers’ lab.</p>
<p>No one’s sure what percent of the population can experience ASMR, but there may be an associated personality type. Research suggests that <a href="https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.851">being open to new experiences</a> is a personality trait <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00247">more commonly found in those who experience ASMR</a> than in those who don’t. A 2016 study found <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17470919.2016.1188851">differences between the brain connections</a> of those who experience ASMR and those who don’t. But participants weren’t being scanned as they experienced ASMR, so brain activity during the response was still a mystery.</p>
<p>In a recently published study, my co-authors and I reported what happened in the <a href="http://bi.tbzmed.ac.ir/Abstract/bi-17613">brains of 10 volunteers while they experienced ASMR</a>. Participants watched their favorite ASMR videos while lying still inside a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner.</p>
<p>When people were experiencing that ASMR tingling, certain areas of the brain were more active: most notably the medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. Interestingly, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbb.2013.06.011">these brain regions are also active</a> when people, and other mammals, interact with each other in positive ways, like during parenting or grooming behaviors. ASMR videos may be tapping into our natural ability to be soothed by the sights and sounds our brains associate with caring individuals.</p>
<p>Can ASMR be experienced without the stimulus of another person? Some people do report being able to stimulate ASMR in themselves by clearing their minds, focusing on themselves, focusing on loved ones or thinking about ASMR triggers. The process and result may be similar to meditation, mindfulness, or even the calmness reported with praying and religious experiences. The brain regions <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17470919.2016.1257437">active during a religious experience in some individuals</a> are similar to those we saw activated during ASMR.</p>
<h2>Intentionally harnessing the triggers</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/233324/original/file-20180823-149493-18zchtf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/233324/original/file-20180823-149493-18zchtf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/233324/original/file-20180823-149493-18zchtf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=698&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/233324/original/file-20180823-149493-18zchtf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=698&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/233324/original/file-20180823-149493-18zchtf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=698&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/233324/original/file-20180823-149493-18zchtf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=877&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/233324/original/file-20180823-149493-18zchtf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=877&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/233324/original/file-20180823-149493-18zchtf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=877&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Can you help someone feel as safe as a baby basking in its mother’s attention?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/xBLv_ddXr8k">kevin liang/Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>ASMR triggers can be used on a person-to-person level to directly soothe the people in our lives. Intentionally using whispering, light touch and positive personal attention to bring on the brain tingles can be helpful for lulling a child to sleep, soothing a stressed family member, or relaxing a friend or romantic partner. ASMR relaxation techniques could also be incorporated into spas, health studios, wellness centers and counseling sessions. I wrote the book “<a href="http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Brain-Tingles/Craig-Richard/9781507207628">Brain Tingles</a>” as a how-to guide to help people create these person-to-person moments of deep bliss.</p>
<p>The more we understand ASMR then the better it can be used in a helpful way – and there is still a lot to be learned. It’s not yet known why just some individuals experience ASMR, what neurotransmitters and hormones are involved in ASMR, or how the effectiveness of ASMR compares to other current clinical treatments for anxiety, insomnia and depression. </p>
<p>Figuring out more about the biology and benefits of ASMR should make the world a calmer place.</p>
<p><em>About the author: Craig Richard is a professor of biopharmaceutical sciences at Shenandoah University, founder of the website ASMRUniversity.com and coordinator of the ASMR Research Project.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/101583/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Craig Richard does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Some of the most popular online videos are of people whispering, turning book pages or gently tapping computer keys. What is going on? A researcher explains the quest for ‘brain tingles.’Craig Richard, Professor of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Shenandoah UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/977772018-08-21T20:01:06Z2018-08-21T20:01:06ZIt’s not all in your mind: how meditation affects the brain to help you stress less<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/231042/original/file-20180808-191019-gs82sg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Different types of meditation can decrease our stress levels to varying degrees.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">From shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In Australia, about <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17718647">one in six adults</a> practise meditation, while <a href="http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7004-yoga-is-the-fastest-growing-sport-or-fitness-activity-in-australia-june-2016-201610131055">one in ten</a> practise yoga. People often turn to yoga or meditation as a way to to take time out and manage the stress of their day-to-day lives.</p>
<p>Stress is common, and ongoing stress can contribute to the onset of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23261775">a range of psychological issues</a>, such as depression and anxiety.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3679190/">Meditation</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3447533/">yoga</a> have been shown to reduce people’s self-reported levels of stress. This is likely due, at least in part, to the effects that meditation and yoga have on the brain’s stress response system.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/beyond-spirituality-the-role-of-meditation-in-mental-health-4326">Beyond spirituality: the role of meditation in mental health</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<h2>How the brain responds to stress</h2>
<p>The body’s automatic stress response is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system plays a key role in stress reactivity via its two main divisions: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.</p>
<p>A main function of the the sympathetic nervous system is to mobilise the body to fight or flee from stressful or threatening situations, via control of internal muscles, organs and glands. This is called the “fight or flight” response.</p>
<p>The parasympathetic nervous system counterbalances the sympathetic nervous system and returns the body to its natural baseline state after the systematic nervous system activates.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/231045/original/file-20180808-191041-e53c0i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/231045/original/file-20180808-191041-e53c0i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=393&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/231045/original/file-20180808-191041-e53c0i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=393&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/231045/original/file-20180808-191041-e53c0i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=393&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/231045/original/file-20180808-191041-e53c0i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=494&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/231045/original/file-20180808-191041-e53c0i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=494&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/231045/original/file-20180808-191041-e53c0i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=494&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Like meditation, there is evidence yoga can reduce our stress levels.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">From shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In many cases the parasympathetic nervous system and sympathetic nervous system have opposing but complementary functions. For example, the sympathetic nervous system increases heart rate, blood pressure and the downstream release of stress-related hormones such as cortisol, whereas the parasympathetic nervous system decreases all of these factors. </p>
<p>So by measuring these <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c6c0/dcc3ad330cf46f84fa5cabcacead7e3d4da3.pdf">we can identify</a> if people are experiencing a homeostatic state or a more stressful state, on a physiological level. </p>
<p>We <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28863392">reviewed</a> how yoga and different forms of meditation influence the brain’s stress response system by studying physiological markers of stress.</p>
<h2>What are the different forms of meditation?</h2>
<p>A common method of classifying meditation techniques distinguishes between <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21254062">open monitoring</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21254062">focused attention</a>, and automatic <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27816783">self-transcending</a> meditation. </p>
<p>Open monitoring or mindfulness-based meditations involve the practice of observing the content of our ongoing experience in a non-reactive way, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20041276">to become reflectively aware</a> of cognitive and emotional patterns. Instead of focusing attention on a particular object, the meditator aims to pay attention to and monitor all aspects of experience as they come up, without judgement or attachment. An example would be feeling the sensation of the seat beneath you while meditating.</p>
<p>In focused attention meditation, attention is focused and sustained <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16536641">on a particular object</a> and brought back to the object when the mind has wandered. In this way, the meditator is controlling their own attention. The object the person focuses on may be the breath, a mantra, visualisation, a part of the body, or an external object. Each time the meditator notices that their attention wanders, they actively bring it back to their object of attention.</p>
<p>Automatic self-transcending involves the use of a mantra, usually Sanskrit sounds, which the meditator can attend to without effort or concentration. The aim is that the mantra becomes secondary and ultimately disappears as self-awareness increases. In automatic self-transcending meditation, the mind should be <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20167507">free from focus</a> and mental effort. It is practised for 15–20 minutes twice a day while sitting with closed eyes.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/stressed-meditation-or-some-quiet-time-alone-may-help-if-only-you-can-find-the-time-50418">Stressed? Meditation or some quiet time alone may help... if only you can find the time!</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>What the evidence says</h2>
<p>We found that meditation and yoga reduce diastolic blood pressure (the lower range) by 3-8 millimetres of mercury (mmHg), compared with people who engaged in another activity, such as aerobic exercise or relaxation.</p>
<p>Both focused attention and automatic self-transcending meditation styles, as well as yoga, reduced systolic blood pressure (the upper range) by 4-5mmHg, compared with people who were not practising any kind of meditation or yoga. This is important because reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure of as little as two mmHg can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24585007">reduce the incidence</a> of heart disease and stroke.</p>
<p>Open monitoring and focused attention meditation and yoga reduced heart rate by three to four beats per minute. This is similar to the effects of aerobic exercise, which <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2094526/">reduced heart rate</a> by five beats per minute in one study.</p>
<p>Focused attention meditations and yoga both decreased measures of cortisol.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/232423/original/file-20180817-165967-1hyrpu4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/232423/original/file-20180817-165967-1hyrpu4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/232423/original/file-20180817-165967-1hyrpu4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/232423/original/file-20180817-165967-1hyrpu4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/232423/original/file-20180817-165967-1hyrpu4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/232423/original/file-20180817-165967-1hyrpu4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/232423/original/file-20180817-165967-1hyrpu4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Different types of meditation can be practised in different contexts.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">From shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Our findings indicate that all forms of meditation studied reduce physiological stress markers in one way or another, and therefore, all forms are likely beneficial in managing stress.</p>
<p>In terms of deciding what form is best for reducing stress, we would suggest practising a form that is enjoyable and therefore you will practise regularly and in an ongoing manner.</p>
<p>While understanding the different types of meditation is useful, meditation classifications <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20167507">should not be considered</a> to be mutually exclusive, either within a single meditation session or over a lifetime of practice. Most meditative techniques lie <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2001-16215-001">somewhere on a continuum</a> between open monitoring and focused attention types.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/97777/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michaela Pascoe does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Meditation and yoga affect the brain’s stress response system to help us feel more relaxed. They can even lower our blood pressure.Michaela Pascoe, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Exercise and Mental Health, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/875052017-11-22T01:53:08Z2017-11-22T01:53:08ZWhy good design alone won’t attract millennials to your company<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194997/original/file-20171116-7984-vog32l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C283%2C7011%2C3426&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">This architectural rendering of the 'Zen room' in Accenture's new Melbourne offices is an example of companies creating more modern and alluring workplaces to attract top talent.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Supplied by Accenture</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Many Australian companies are embracing funky new design features that maximise relaxation and homely chill zones in an effort to lure highly skilled professionals. While these features certainly hold appeal, most workers are looking for more than just neat design when they choose their ideal workplace. </p>
<p>Consulting firm Accenture recently made the <a href="http://www.afr.com/real-estate/zen-room-accenture-boss-bob-eastons-design-tricks-for-recruiting-millennials-20171108-gzh15z">news</a> after installing a “Zen room” in its Melbourne offices to attract millennials to its workforce. Designed so that employees can take time out to relax, meditate or think through problems, the space is fitted out with hanging pod chairs, couches and a fireplace. Technology is banned. </p>
<p>And Accenture is not alone. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/11/google-sleep-pods-yelp-beer-work-leisure-offices">Google</a> has sleep pods and fish tank relaxation rooms with massage chairs in its Sydney office. Hammocks, indoor gardens, mini-golf, pool tables and even in-house bowling alleys are increasingly <a href="https://www.scoopwhoop.com/best-office-chill-out-spaces/#.38rg7r05l">common</a> fixtures. </p>
<p><a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=snqtOUwqlXsC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=kaplan+kaplan+and+ryan&ots=cCTv5QxkOW&sig=7pRSZk_xe6zUIn1fg8GC0gYCyTk#v=onepage&q=kaplan%20kaplan%20and%20ryan&f=false">Research</a> shows that these types of spaces can accelerate recovery from cognitive fatigue as well as reducing stress. While not new, quiet spaces or relaxation rooms are intended to enhance well-being, increase engagement and improve performance. </p>
<p>Workplace engagement is a significant issue for employers, with levels of engagement continuing to fall. <a href="http://news.gallup.com/poll/181289/majority-employees-not-engaged-despite-gains-2014.aspx">Studies</a> have shown that only 28% of millennials are engaged at work. </p>
<p>At the same time, work-related stress continues to rise. Up to <a href="https://www.psychology.org.au/Assets/Files/2014-APS-NPW-Survey-WEB-reduced.pdf">49%</a> of Australian employees are estimated to be <a href="https://www.psychology.org.au/Assets/Files/2014-APS-NPW-Survey-WEB-reduced.pdf">stressed</a> and distracted at work, costing employers more than <a href="https://www.medibank.com.au/Client/Documents/Pdfs/The-Cost-of-Workplace-Stress.pdf">A$10 billion</a> per year.</p>
<h2>Work stress is serious business</h2>
<p>The consequences of work stress are of significant public interest because of their association with <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673604170190">ill health</a>, including cardiovascular disease and mental illness. Employers continue to experiment with workplace design, as it plays a powerful role in influencing stress. Alterations to design, materials and layout can have both <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S036013231630138X">positive and negative outcomes</a>.</p>
<p>Open-plan offices have been a prevalent feature of workplaces for decades. Now more and <a href="http://www.afr.com/real-estate/commercial/leasing/get-cozy-twothirds-of-companies-to-hotdesk-by-2020-20170329-gv8vxb">more companies plan</a> to implement hot-desking environments, where employees have no fixed desk. <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494413000340">Research</a> on open-plan environments has conclusively shown that employees struggle to perform effectively due to issues with noise, interruptions, distraction and loss of privacy. If you are interrupted, it can take up to <a href="https://www.ics.uci.edu/%7Egmark/chi08-mark.pdf">23 minutes</a> to regain focus on the task. </p>
<p>One employee I spoke with during a workplace study commented that they had counted being interrupted 80 times in one morning. The interruptions had included an impromptu birthday morning tea in the workstations a few feet away, two colleagues having a stand-up argument, and another employee conducting a loud conference call on speakerphone in the open work area.</p>
<p>While it might seem like a folly, the design of relaxation or “zen rooms” has arisen in response to these and other challenges of modern workplace design and work. The photos of the relaxation spaces shown here have both an aesthetically pleasing and a domestic feel, designed to make employees feel relaxed and at home. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/195344/original/file-20171120-18525-vvdbdg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/195344/original/file-20171120-18525-vvdbdg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/195344/original/file-20171120-18525-vvdbdg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/195344/original/file-20171120-18525-vvdbdg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/195344/original/file-20171120-18525-vvdbdg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/195344/original/file-20171120-18525-vvdbdg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/195344/original/file-20171120-18525-vvdbdg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Sydney office of Dropbox is designed to have the feel of an Australian living room.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dropbox supplied</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>When work feels like home</h2>
<p>Creating workplaces that don’t feel like offices is gaining popularity. Dropbox’s new Sydney’s office is intentionally designed to appear like an “<a href="http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/australias-most-awesome-office/news-story/5493049cc73acf779dc0ee21625a7975">Australian living room</a>”. But is there any science behind the ideas, and is it likely to make any difference to recruits?</p>
<p>New <a href="http://amj.aom.org/content/early/2017/04/21/amj.2016.0248.abstract">research</a> has shown that workplaces specifically designed to be aesthetically pleasing and beautiful led to increased levels of trust among new employees who perceived the employer to be more trustworthy as a result. Additionally, the higher levels of trust went on to predict coworker ratings of learning behaviour.</p>
<p>The use of natural materials such as wood and stone, rather than concrete and laminates, has been <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/S15326934CRJ1434_11">shown</a> to increase creativity. Additionally, the same study showed that the use of cool colours and attractive details was helpful to creativity.</p>
<p>The benefits of the inclusion of indoor plants and/or views of greenery are supported by evidence showing that exposure to nature resulted in decreased heart rate, blood pressure and <a href="https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jpa2/26/2/26_2_123/_article">cortisol</a>, a stress hormone. Another <a href="https://www.gwern.net/docs/nature/2014-nieuwenhuis.pdf">study</a> showed that workplace greenery improved perceptions of air quality, concentration, satisfaction and productivity.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/195345/original/file-20171120-18541-13n98pv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/195345/original/file-20171120-18541-13n98pv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/195345/original/file-20171120-18541-13n98pv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/195345/original/file-20171120-18541-13n98pv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/195345/original/file-20171120-18541-13n98pv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/195345/original/file-20171120-18541-13n98pv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/195345/original/file-20171120-18541-13n98pv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Another view of the ‘living-room-like’ Sydney office of Dropbox.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dropbox supplied</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Relaxation spaces, often closed off from the wider office and fitted with relaxing furniture and good acoustics, address the key complaint of modern workplaces – noise. </p>
<p>Both single-talker and multi-talker distractions in open-plan offices result in higher levels of distraction and lower cognitive performance, according to <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003682X1730035X">research</a>, as well as <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003682X16304339">increased levels of annoyance</a> and mental workload. </p>
<p>A key advantage of relaxation spaces are that employees are able to control noise and distraction. The ability of employees to exercise personal control over elements of the environment appears to <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0022103171900709">mediate</a> some of the negative effects. </p>
<p>Lighting levels, access to attractive views such as art, feature installations such as fireplaces, and proximity to windows have been <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0013916507311550">shown</a> to have direct positive physical effects.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/195364/original/file-20171120-18578-t48nqy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/195364/original/file-20171120-18578-t48nqy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/195364/original/file-20171120-18578-t48nqy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/195364/original/file-20171120-18578-t48nqy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/195364/original/file-20171120-18578-t48nqy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/195364/original/file-20171120-18578-t48nqy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/195364/original/file-20171120-18578-t48nqy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) offices in Melbourne.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Supplied</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Cool office design just one factor among many</h2>
<p>While these examples show that the workplace itself is important, there are broader drivers of interest to job-seekers and millennials in particular. </p>
<p>A recent study by <a href="https://hbr.org/2016/05/what-millennials-want-from-a-new-job">Gallup</a> highlighted that opportunities to learn and grow, quality of the individual manager and management overall, interest in the work, and opportunities for advancement were ranked in the top 5 by millennials, gen X and baby boomers. </p>
<p>Empirical <a href="http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/JOCM-05-2014-0101?journalCode=jocm">research</a> has supported these findings, showing that interesting and flexible work along with good relationships with supervisors and colleagues were rated most important for millennials. </p>
<p>Though millennials seek work-life balance, time flexibility is only one aspect of a flexible environment. Millennials also seek flexibility in terms of employment with different types of contracts, role flexibility and flexibility with location.</p>
<p>Organisations seeking to increase loyalty need to ensure they are balancing attractive workplaces and flexibility with effective management and growth opportunities.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/87505/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Libby (Elizabeth) Sander does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Top-end companies are investing in design features to make their offices more appealing to staff. But many workers are looking for more than just funky design from their workplaces.Libby (Elizabeth) Sander, Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour, Bond Business School, Bond UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/823582017-08-18T12:19:04Z2017-08-18T12:19:04ZHow tranquil spaces can help people feel calm and relaxed in cities<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182225/original/file-20170816-32661-1u6lzxd.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A little piece of calm.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pexels</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When you think about somewhere that is tranquil, what do you imagine? Whether it’s a wide open meadow, a deserted beach, or a river as it lazily flows along on a warm summer’s afternoon, <a href="https://http://bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:8080/bitstream/handle/10454/5561/EPB%20138-061_final%20for%20printing_DC2.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y">research shows</a> tranquillity is mainly found in natural outdoor environments. </p>
<p>These tend to be places where man-made noise is at a low level, but where natural sounds – such as bird song – can be relatively high. Such studies have also shown a link between these types of environments and levels of relaxation, stress reduction and even longevity and pain relief.</p>
<p>It’s clear then that tranquil spaces are good for your health – and yet the world’s population is <a href="http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/population/world-urbanization-prospects-2014.html">becoming increasingly urban</a>. There are more trucks, cars, and motorcycles on the roads than ever before resulting in higher levels of noise, pollution and litter. If you live in a busy city, finding tranquillity in your daily life can be a challenge.</p>
<h2>Maximum tranquillity</h2>
<p>To find out what actually makes somewhere tranquil, we developed the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rob_Pheasant/publication/281400420_Tranquillity_rating_prediction_tool_TRAPT/links/566e933908ae1a797e4069d9.pdf">Tranquillity Rating Prediction Tool</a>. The tool measures two factors, the level of man-made noise – usually traffic – as well as the percentage of natural and contextual features in view. This includes things like if a place has a water feature, and lots of greenery. or if a place gives you a view of a religious or historic building – all of which our research shows help to boost the tranquillity of a place.</p>
<p>Based on these factors, the tool can predict the tranquillity of a place on a scale of 0-10. This is based on laboratory studies where people were asked to rate video clips of a range of environments for tranquillity levels. These clips included diverse settings, from a busy market place to natural coastal locations far from any development. Using this method we can not only identify existing (and sometimes overlooked) tranquil spaces, but also offer advice on how urban areas can be made more tranquil. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182287/original/file-20170816-32661-1xx7bi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182287/original/file-20170816-32661-1xx7bi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182287/original/file-20170816-32661-1xx7bi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182287/original/file-20170816-32661-1xx7bi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182287/original/file-20170816-32661-1xx7bi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182287/original/file-20170816-32661-1xx7bi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182287/original/file-20170816-32661-1xx7bi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The High Line park in Manhattan, New York, is a good example of a tranquil space that is part of a wider urban environment.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24266371">InSapphoWeTrust</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Our research shows that green spaces on side roads, which are often hidden from view, tend to have high levels of tranquillity due to the screening effects of buildings from the noise of busy streets. Pedestrianised squares in towns and cities were also shown to be acceptably tranquil because of the distance from traffic – some of these squares also featured grass and trees.</p>
<p>Similarly, well-maintained side streets – especially with avenues of trees – or heritage buildings can also score highly due to good visual attributes combined with low traffic noise. Close proximity to water was also shown to be good for tranquillity because it is naturally nice to look at and is relaxing to listen to. </p>
<h2>Creating tranquil spaces</h2>
<p>To boost the tranquillity of an area, the first step is to reduce man-made noise. Obviously on a city scale this could be done by things like rerouting traffic, lorry bans and low-noise road surfacing, as well as noise barriers. But in terms of your own surroundings, anything you can do to reduce unnatural noise the better. Higher and longer fences and walls next to the road can help here. As can creating a small quiet area with perhaps a natural-sounding water feature close by.</p>
<p><a href="http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2009.0531">Increasing the percentage of natural features</a> through “greening” can also help to boost the tranquillity of an area. Introducing more trees, shrubs, or trellising to “hide” building facades, makes people feel less stressed and calmer in their surroundings – so go wild with the greenery.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182393/original/file-20170817-13456-1slh5p3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182393/original/file-20170817-13456-1slh5p3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182393/original/file-20170817-13456-1slh5p3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182393/original/file-20170817-13456-1slh5p3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182393/original/file-20170817-13456-1slh5p3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182393/original/file-20170817-13456-1slh5p3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182393/original/file-20170817-13456-1slh5p3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Back Bay in Boston, US, is a great example of the benefits of ‘greening’ residential areas.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Having “natural” sounds can also help to make a place feel more tranquil. This could be done by installing a water feature or pond. This which will not only help in terms of relaxation but it will also encourage water fowl and birds.</p>
<p>What all this shows is that creating a refuge from the din of city life doesn’t have to be a huge task. And it is often neglected green spaces that can be re-imagined as havens of tranquillity. </p>
<p>So next time you’re feeling stressed out, try and find a tranquil space, or even better make one of your own – that way your can get your little bit of calm anytime you want.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/82358/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Greg Watts does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Research shows tranquility can help to boost levels of relaxation, reduce stress and even provide pain relief.Greg Watts, Professor of environmental acoustics, University of BradfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/729442017-03-24T16:28:13Z2017-03-24T16:28:13ZAdrenaline zen: what ‘normal people’ can learn from extreme sports<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/161842/original/image-20170321-24884-tbwwkm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pexels.</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="http://www.basejumper.com/">BASE jumping</a>, <a href="http://www.wingsuitfly.com/">wingsuit flying</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/gallery/2016/dec/21/surfers-face-monster-waves-as-big-wave-tour-hits-nazare-in-pictures">big wave surfing</a>, extreme skiing and <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/11/the-cliffhanger/407824/">solo rope-free climbing</a>, when we think of someone who takes part in these extreme activities, we think of a risk-taker. The type of person you might describe as a “deviant hedonist” or a “sensation-seeker”, who is looking for an “adrenaline rush”. And they are most likely to be young and male.</p>
<p>The problem with this stereotype of extreme sport participants, is that not only <a href="http://aplus.com/a/female-athletes-break-stereotypes-extreme-sports?no_monetization=true">does it not always ring true</a>, but it also means that extreme sports then become viewed in a way that <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Phenomenology-and-the-Extreme-Sport-Experience/Brymer-Schweitzer/p/book/9781138957619">makes them inaccessible</a> to “normal people”. </p>
<p>This view can be extremely damaging, especially given <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Phenomenology-and-the-Extreme-Sport-Experience/Brymer-Schweitzer/p/book/9781138957619">evidence</a> – which emerged when I was researching a book on the subject – shows that extreme sports might actually be more accessible and have more of a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22689592">positive impact than traditional</a>, competitive sports.</p>
<p>Interviews I conducted with people between the ages of 30 and 70 who participate in extreme sports suggested they can help to create profound and positive life changes – both in the short term and longer term. So instead of just the fast-paced experiences often portrayed in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF0L3gvSVcg">short videos of extreme sports</a>, in reality, participants describe a feeling of peace and tranquillity during the experience that reflects something similar to mindfulness. </p>
<p>Over the long term, these experiences support sustained well-being benefits including the realisation that emotions, such as fear, that are traditionally considered negative, do not have to constrain one’s potential. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/161843/original/image-20170321-5377-1vmqif6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/161843/original/image-20170321-5377-1vmqif6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161843/original/image-20170321-5377-1vmqif6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161843/original/image-20170321-5377-1vmqif6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161843/original/image-20170321-5377-1vmqif6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161843/original/image-20170321-5377-1vmqif6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161843/original/image-20170321-5377-1vmqif6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Do extreme sport lovers have something in common with meditation masters?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pexels.</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These reflections can often change people’s everyday lives – they described no longer “being bored with life” and talked of having a “passion” for their sport. They also reported seeing other people and the planet in a much more positive way after taking up extreme sports.</p>
<h2>Human potential</h2>
<p>Participants from all sorts of extreme sports often describe <a href="https://ericbrymer.wordpress.com/2017/01/30/evoking-the-ineffable/">extraordinary sensory experiences</a> of the sort not usually available in everyday life. This is because during participation in an extreme sport, a person’s ability to see, hear, and feel are <a href="http://eprints.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/3360/3/Evoking%20the%20Ineffable%20-%20The%20Phenomenology%20of%20Extreme%20Sports.pdf">all enhanced</a>. </p>
<p>BASE jumpers, for example, talk about an enhanced capacity to see every nook and cranny, shade and colour of the rock even though they are travelling at 200 mph. Participants also describe an experience that feels like they are merging with the environment which invariably turns into a feeling of being profoundly part of nature. </p>
<p>This may be one reason why so many extreme sports athletes spend a great deal of energy and time working hard to <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14775080902965223?journalCode=rjto20">educate and protect the natural environment</a> – this glimpse into human potential acts as a learning opportunity for psychological health and well-being more generally. </p>
<h2>The death risk</h2>
<p>But of course when taking part in these types of activities a mismanaged mistake or accident can result in death. Perhaps this is why nonparticipants find it hard to understand why anyone would willingly undertake extreme sports – unless there is something “not normal” about “those types of people”. </p>
<p>But this death risk is a large part of why participation in extreme sports requires considerable commitment, along with a great deal of hard work. Extreme sports are not for those interested in the quick rush, thrills or hedonism. In fact, people interested in the short-term hedonistic outcomes might be better finding another outlet. Participants in extreme sport have to have an incredible understanding of the environment that they participate in and if the conditions are not right – such as the wind in the wrong direction for BASE jumping – then they will walk away. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/161844/original/image-20170321-5386-1d54mh3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/161844/original/image-20170321-5386-1d54mh3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=331&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161844/original/image-20170321-5386-1d54mh3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=331&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161844/original/image-20170321-5386-1d54mh3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=331&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161844/original/image-20170321-5386-1d54mh3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161844/original/image-20170321-5386-1d54mh3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161844/original/image-20170321-5386-1d54mh3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">How extreme sports can invoke meditative states.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pexels.</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Extreme sports participants also possess a well-tuned knowledge of their own <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Phenomenology-and-the-Extreme-Sport-Experience/Brymer-Schweitzer/p/book/9781138957619">physical and psychological capacities and limitations</a>. This is vitally important, because extreme sports are not the place to find out if you can or can’t undertake an activity. </p>
<p>BASE jumpers do not start as BASE jumpers, just the same as big wave surfers slowly develop the skills. And solo rope-free climbers start with ropes on less difficult terrain. In most cases, the journey to extreme sports is often one of deliberate skill and knowledge development.</p>
<h2>Sporting heroes</h2>
<p>It is clear from my own research, that extreme sports have the capacity to shine a light on what it means to be human – and what human beings are capable of. But to realise this, as a society we need a cultural shift that accepts extreme sports as beneficial. Along with a change in view that recognises extreme sports participants as examples of what is possible in human performance. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/161846/original/image-20170321-5405-113jyvu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/161846/original/image-20170321-5405-113jyvu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161846/original/image-20170321-5405-113jyvu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161846/original/image-20170321-5405-113jyvu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161846/original/image-20170321-5405-113jyvu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161846/original/image-20170321-5405-113jyvu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161846/original/image-20170321-5405-113jyvu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Good for your body and mind.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But before you go out and find your latest BASE jumping club, the good news is that many of these <a href="http://ro.uow.edu.au/hbspapers/1672/">benefits can be touched on through adventure sports</a> more generally. This includes activities such as climbing, kayaking and mountaineering. Adventure sports do not have the downside of being constrained by tightly controlled fields as in football or cricket. And they are not focused on competition, winning and losing. </p>
<p>These sports are open to all and, like extreme sports, could help to encourage participation in physical activity – along with a great sense of well-being, and a <a href="http://ro.uow.edu.au/edupapers/767/">deeper relationship with the natural environment</a>. And if all of this can be achieved at the same time as having fun on the water, a rock-face or up a mountain, what’s not to like?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/72944/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eric Brymer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Why extreme sports can change your life for the better.Eric Brymer, Reader, Psychology with Outdoor and Adventure studies, Leeds Beckett UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/653412016-09-19T04:59:04Z2016-09-19T04:59:04ZCan an app help us find mindfulness in today’s busy high-tech world?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/138023/original/image-20160916-14277-l6zp7g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">We all need to seek some mindfulness.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/dariagarnik</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>With the release of the latest Apple Watch this month came a new Breathe app <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT206999">which promises</a> to “help you better manage everyday stress”. Giving mindful breathing a place beside the alarm clock and weather app seems to prove mindfulness has truly gone mainstream. </p>
<p>But modern society is still strongly oriented in the opposite direction: toward speed, efficiency and multitasking. Take the <a href="http://www.apple.com/watchos/">tagline for the Apple watch</a>: “Do more in an instant.”</p>
<p>Other hooks for the new watch include “Share. Compare. Compete” and “Do even more right from your wrist”. So can a device that promises to optimise your productivity and competitiveness also help you non-judgmentally focus your attention on the present moment?</p>
<p>Or, to put it simply: can an app make you mindful? </p>
<p>As researchers in well-being technology, we are in constant pursuit of answers to questions like these. In our book <a href="http://www.positivecomputing.org/p/book.html">Positive Computing</a> we dedicate an entire chapter to mindfulness.</p>
<p>More recently, we had the opportunity to pose the question to two distinguished colleagues at the intersection of mindfulness and technology. One is the world-renowned well-being psychologist, <a href="http://www.sas.rochester.edu/psy/people/ryan_richard/index.html">Richard Ryan</a>, the other is the Venerable <a href="http://www.imonk.org/">Tenzin Priyadarshi</a>, director for the <a href="http://thecenter.mit.edu/">Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values</a> at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.</p>
<p>Their responses, based on decades of research and personal experience, yielded illuminating insights into the design of future technologies. </p>
<h2>Mindfulness apps can help beginners</h2>
<p>Both agree mindfulness apps can help connect beginners to the practice, as Priyadarshi explained. </p>
<p>“Firstly, from a Buddhist framework, mindfulness is a much wider field than what is being spoken of in the contemporary discourse,” he said.</p>
<p>“In the contemporary discourse on mindfulness, I do think apps are more useful, but useful mostly as an introductory phase, and in terms of creating the connection level.”</p>
<p>Ryan added: “One of things that I’ve been impressed by comes from the old adage that, even when you’ve been well-trained in mindfulness, the trick is remembering to be mindful.</p>
<p>"So some of the apps, such as the .B app used as part of the <a href="https://mindfulnessinschools.org/">Mindfulness in Schools</a> program, is a reminder to ”.B" (stop, breathe) – a recall that mindfulness is a state available.“</p>
<h2>Meditation by definition is not exciting</h2>
<p>A mindfulness app should motivate us to practice by making it fun, right?</p>
<p>According to Priyadarshi, mindfulness is by nature, not "exciting” and Ryan’s research supports this. In fact, it is initially about learning to embrace and move beyond the boredom we feel as a response to lack of stimulation. </p>
<p>Priyadarshi said: “Part of the challenge is that if you take any kind of beginning mindfulness practice, it has elements of serenity and stillness built into it.</p>
<p>"Technologies are constantly trying to generate some form of mental activity to get to this exciting state, but as <a href="http://www.biography.com/people/thomas-merton-9524435">Thomas Merton</a> (a Trappist monk) put it, part of the practice of meditation is to curb this appetite for excitement.</p>
<p>"Part of the thing that people come into mindfulness for is to restrain that excitement so that they can actually focus or be more attentive to the object at hand.”</p>
<p>Ryan said: “Our recent research has indeed shown that states of solitude, including meditation, produce deactivated sates of emotion. People are less aroused both in negative and positive emotions.</p>
<p>"A common outcome of meditation is in fact a calm vitality, rather than an excited one.”</p>
<h2>Location matters</h2>
<p>Try meditating at your work desk and you’ll battle thoughts of work deadlines. Try mindfulness in the living room and you’ll meet the temptation to play a video game or watch a movie instead.</p>
<p>The visual cues around us prime us for certain activities and trigger memories. So according to Priyadarshi, dedicating a space exclusively to meditation (even if it’s just a corner) is important for fostering mindfulness. </p>
<p>By extension, this suggests that our virtual work spaces (phones) could be ill-suited as mindfulness spaces. If your work tool is attached to you (in the form of a watch) the act of disassociation may be even trickier. </p>
<p>“At MIT we have various pods within the MIT institution – there are about five or six meditation communities across campus that use dedicated spaces […] and it helps them to focus on whatever the object of meditation is,” Priyadarshi said.</p>
<p>“Eventually the idea is that once the mind is trained, it is able to meditate and practice in any environment. But initially, all these things are useful in training the mind.”</p>
<h2>Fostering mindfulness means reshaping technology and society</h2>
<p>While mindfulness apps can be helpful, in the long run, truly improving our capacity for mindfulness relies on shifting the societal assumption that doing more is always better.</p>
<p>Until we reshape this orientation, our technologies will continue to foster behaviours that work against mindfulness and its benefits. </p>
<p>While the Breathe app may appear little more than wishful thinking as part of a device otherwise designed to optimise multitasking, its appearance is still a good sign.</p>
<p>It’s a sign that users are pushing back and questioning the tyranny of productivity. It’s a sign we may be turning a corner and taking the first step down a road to technologies that will genuinely (dare we say it?) make the world a better place.</p>
<p>We’ve got a long way to go though, and finding a quiet place to sit in stillness and bring our attention to the present moment is probably a very good place to start.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/65341/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rafael A Calvo receives funding from the Australian Research Council, Beyondblue, Asthma Australia, and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SCHRCA). He is Senior Member of the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dorian Peters is employed by the University Sydney. </span></em></p>Apple’s smartwatch promises to optimise our productivity and competitiveness. But can the new Breathe app for the watch help us to relax and make us mindful?Rafael A Calvo, Professor and ARC Future Fellow, University of SydneyDorian Peters, Creative Leader, Positive Computing Lab, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/534562016-01-25T16:28:57Z2016-01-25T16:28:57ZHow science can teach us to be more relaxed<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/108998/original/image-20160122-417-11pxh4k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Pass the lotion</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ro_buk/9422050346/in/photostream/">Rob./Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>After a busy and stressful year, I recently found myself physically and mentally exhausted with a very real need to relax. A last-minute holiday felt like a perfect solution and I returned feeling refreshed and recharged. What was it that helped me to relieve my physical tension and restore my inner calm? Was it exploring somewhere new, swimming in the sea, spending time with family – or just lying on the beach, touching the sand and completely switching off?</p>
<p>As a clinical psychologist, cognitive neuroscientist and mindfulness teacher, I am fascinated by how our thoughts and emotions relate to our physical responses. They are a key to understanding our ability to tolerate and respond to stress. Scientific research has highlighted a range of ways our individual perception and experience of stress vary. For example, the amounts of certain chemicals in our bodies that affect how we feel, such as cortisol and oxytocin, can be negatively affected by a lack of attachment, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006322303004657">social support</a> and even how confident we are that <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301051103001856">we can control our situation</a>.</p>
<h2>Responding to stress</h2>
<p>Modern working patterns, and in particular our use of technology such as smartphones, make it harder to establish clear boundaries between our <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1464-0597.2012.00530.x/abstract">work and personal lives</a>. We are constantly bombarded with sensory information and exposed to global events in an instant. When coupled with greater demands on our time and less time for ourselves, this gradually can lead to stress or burnout.</p>
<p>Our ability to respond to stress is essential for our survival. Our sympathetic nervous system is responsible for activating our <a href="https://theconversation.com/men-react-more-aggressively-to-stress-sure-but-youre-missing-the-point-5742">fight, flight or freeze</a> responses. Our bodies quickly restore balance when stress is short-lived, but more persistent stress is much harder to manage. Our long-term physiological responses are regulated by <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811909005837">specialised brain systems</a> that release hormones when our highly evolved frontal cortex perceives stress.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/109001/original/image-20160122-408-1yz5f4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/109001/original/image-20160122-408-1yz5f4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/109001/original/image-20160122-408-1yz5f4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/109001/original/image-20160122-408-1yz5f4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/109001/original/image-20160122-408-1yz5f4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/109001/original/image-20160122-408-1yz5f4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/109001/original/image-20160122-408-1yz5f4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Welcome distraction.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/afgmatters/4497043210/">Afghanistan Matters/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<p>The development of humans’ frontal cortex has provided us with a greater capacity to contemplate, make decisions and plan ahead. But it is also responsible for generating even more stress. Our unique ability to <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X07001975">mentally “time travel”</a>, to remember the past and imagine the future, can also mean that we spend too much time ruminating on things that have happened, leading to low mood, and <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02699930500220066">worrying about things that have yet to happen</a>, leading to anxiety. </p>
<p>Ultimately, this can take its toll on our physiology and disrupt cortisol regulation. This leads to fatigue, reduced immune function and <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014299908000277">changes in brain structures</a>, including connections associated with learning, memory and emotional processing.</p>
<p>Given the problems this can cause, our ability to relax and effectively manage stress is essential for our physical and mental well-being. Interestingly, our choices and the activities that can help us relax and manage stress can vary hugely from person to person. My own response tends to be grounded in my belief in science, my personal mindfulness practice and my love of dance, which I find gives me greater awareness of my body and mind and helps reconnect me with nature and loved ones. </p>
<h2>Immerse yourself</h2>
<p>Mindfulness meditation is a way of encouraging you to be aware of your internal and external experience – your thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations, including breathing – that can quieten the mind and relieve tension. Focusing on and accepting these experiences can improve the flexibility and control of your attention and <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-011-0054-5">reduce distress and discomfort</a>. Recent studies have shown that mindfulness interventions, delivered by trained instructors who are aware of all of the psychological effects, are powerful techniques that increase brain connectivity and activation, and thickness <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092549271000288X">in the frontal cortex</a>. This especially is the case in the brain areas that regulate emotion, pain, attention, stress and well-being. </p>
<p>But other people may find physical or creative activities just as relaxing. <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joop.12064/abstract">Creative and</a> <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763413000389">physical activities</a> including art, music, sport, dance and yoga can have beneficial effects on immune function, blood pressure, heart rate, cognitive function and well-being. This may again be due to the way these activities refocus your attention and can create a <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053810004000583">sense of flow</a> when you are fully immersed in them. Our levels of oxytocin also can increase with greater social connection, easily recognised when we are with our friends, family and even <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/348/6232/333.full">even pets</a>.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/108999/original/image-20160122-417-1tbb3xo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/108999/original/image-20160122-417-1tbb3xo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/108999/original/image-20160122-417-1tbb3xo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/108999/original/image-20160122-417-1tbb3xo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/108999/original/image-20160122-417-1tbb3xo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/108999/original/image-20160122-417-1tbb3xo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/108999/original/image-20160122-417-1tbb3xo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Chillaxing.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tambako/14988330707/in/photolist-oQt7wX-bCd28D-wzumJX-4vK3kz-h7QN2o-5DJyCQ-aeNC1d-x14Zm-aX4CKx-6PBawa-6qeYrR-dpCMzt-2Zecbc-ajnCGa-aX4BVa-cJTW1J-aX4upt-oeCjMZ-aX4AvM-aX4D9i-aX4yLK-aX4CTM-aX4uSM-aX4wcZ-aX4yQX-ijwS7A-duZwCf-oTN4W8-5nqepH-qE45VS-58kVfT-ekEtNM-dfHWZE-4MSwKp-buNvxE-W8C1M-qd3apJ-fNafrQ-a3H92m-5pcA1N-aKNq8x-9pxyK8-aRGgD-5rpFPK-e6ud6C-e6udjQ-e6ozdp-4Jp1LS-KVJFZ-87KNhF">Tambako The Jaguar/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>There are also physical techniques that have been specifically designed to promote relaxation, which can be useful for those who find it difficult to relax without guidance. Progressive muscle relaxation involves systematically contracting and then releasing different muscle groups and noticing sensation. <a href="http://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/112889">It has proved</a> very effective in reducing physical tension and relieving stress. Some therapists also use guided imagery to encourage people to imagine that their muscles have become heavy or warm in a similar way. </p>
<p><a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10804-005-7028-6?LI=true">Biofeedback techniques</a> provide people with a visual representation on a computer screen of how their heart rate, blood pressure or brain waves change. This can be incredibly useful in helping children and those with attention difficulties to focus and combat stress, as visual cues can provide motivation and encourage self-monitoring.</p>
<p>Given the complex links between our environment, minds, brains and bodies, it is not surprising that relaxation can be challenging, elusive and at times neglected. Yet simply allowing ourselves time to focus on our <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306987706001666">breathing</a>, a feature that is common to most relaxation techniques, can improve cardiovascular and brain functions and reduce stress. Each requires elements of attentional control, curiosity, connection and body awareness. Our personal preferences for unique combinations and timings of these elements are essential. This may explain why my holiday in the sun was so effective.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/53456/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Trudi Edginton is a practising mindfulness meditation instructor.</span></em></p>Modern life creates long-term stress our bodies aren’t designed to cope with – but all is not lost.Trudi Edginton, Clinical Psychologist, Mindfulness Teacher and Senior Lecturer in Cognitive Neuroscience, University of WestminsterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.