Make a Resolution to Not Make a Resolution

It’s the time of year when many people (well, perhaps not George Costanza) ponder making some improvements in their lives.

But let’s not consider this blog a catalyst for creating a list of New Year’s resolutions, as 25% of us quit those in the first week and nearly half of us are done by February 1.

So, how about trying to be a little more mindful in 2023?

Studies suggest practicing mindfulness leads to a plethora of benefits that include the reduction of anxiety and depression, greater enthusiasm for life, and improved self-esteem.

Best of all, mindfulness is accessible to all!

So this year, instead of joining the Seinfeld 4 (show creator Larry David insisted Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer were to show absolutely no growth, ever) let’s try a little mindfulness, often described as the ancient art of being present in the moment.

First, Mindfulness Meditation:

Find a place where you can sit quietly and not be disturbed. For a few moments, anyway. Let’s start with 8-10 minutes, but don’t get overly concerned with timing.

Focus attention on your breathing, as it enters and exits the body. Won’t be long before your mind wanders, which means you’re being pulled out of the present. That’s all right. Try to notice your thoughts and feelings as if you’re an outside observer. Return focus to your breathing. Notice where your thoughts are going, accept what’s happening, but always try to return your concentration to your breathing.

Try to do the 8-10 minutes once a day. Before long you will be able to put more focus on your breathing and less on any upcoming plans you may have.

Next, Mindful Eating:

A practice food often used is the raisin. Yes, a single raisin. Move slowly through the following steps.

· Pick up the food. Notice it’s texture, color, size.

· Hold the raisin to your nose and notice the smell.

· Place raisin on your tongue but don’t eat it. Notice texture again. Roll it around your mouth and notice taste as well as paying attention to the feeling.

· Finally, begin to chew the raisin. Pay close attention to the flavor, the texture inside, how it reacts with your body—saliva, temperature of your tongue, any other sensations.

This process just slows everything down and helps you become more aware. Once you do this with a raisin (should take a minute or two), imagine how much more enjoyable your favorite foods become? And you don’t have to wolf things down. Practice often.

We’ll revisit mindfulness throughout 2023. There’s so much to learn, but it’s best to start small and doable. Declaring that the new year will be a veritable “Summer of George” is a bit vague, much too broad, and entirely unrealistic.

Remember, mindfulness is all about paying attention to your thoughts, your actions, and your body. Taking these little steps on a regular basis—grounding yourself in the present—can lead to big benefits and a healthier life.

Benefits of Diaphragmatic Breathing

Kelsey Hinkley, DPT

We tend to underestimate the power of breathing! Breathing is an automatic response we typically do without thinking about it. However, breathing and how we breathe has shown to be extremely important.

There are many benefits specifically to diaphragmatic breathing. Some include but are not limited to:

·        Lowering cortisone (the body’s stress hormone) to help your body relax (6)

·        Lowering the body’s heart rate

·        Lowering blood pressure

·        Reducing gastric reflux by applying pressure to the esophagus (4)

·        Increasing sustained attention (6)

·        Reducing swelling and improving efficiency of the lymphatic system (1)

The diaphragm is an upside down U-shaped, skeletal muscle that separates our chest from the abdominal cavity. When we inhale, the diaphragm contracts pulling down and flattening. This helps create a vacuum effect to pull air into our lungs. When we exhale, the diaphragm relaxes back into that U shape, helping to push air out of the lungs. (4,5)  The more air we bring into our body, the better we can oxygenate our blood.

Here is a link to a video tutorial that provides a 3-D view of the diaphragm during diaphragmatic breathing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp-gCvW8PRY

If we are stressed or have cardiopulmonary issues, we tend to be shallow breathers and use accessory muscles in our necks rather than our diaphragm.  This could lead to muscle imbalance, tension, headaches, decreased oxygen levels, and pain. The more we perform diaphragmatic breathing, the more optimally we function. If we do not breathe like this naturally, it is important to practice this type of breathing. The more we practice, the more efficient and more automatic this type of breathing becomes.

How to Perform Diaphragmatic Breathing (3):

1.      Lie on your back with your knees bent and your back flat

2.      Place your hands on your stomach (A.) or place one hand on your stomach and one on your chest (B.) and concentrate on your breathing

3.      Inhale while expanding your stomach with minimal to no trunk or chest movement

4.      Then exhale without forcing.

5.      There should be a short pause after each exhale before the next inhale.

According to the Cleveland Clinic website, it is recommended to initially practice diaphragmatic breathing exercises 5-10 minutes about 3-4 times per day. (2) If no dizziness or discomfort is noted, gradually increase the length of time as desired.

I hope that after reading the benefits of diaphragmatic breathing, you will take the last 5-10 minutes of your busy day to perform this type of deep, relaxed breathing. You may be amazed how it may benefit your daily life.  Remember, we all get stressed and overwhelmed in life, however, it is how we overcome and deal with these emotions that matter.

Citation:

1.      Abu-Hijleh MF, Habbal OA, Moqattash ST. The role of the diaphragm in lymphatic absorption from the peritoneal cavity. J Anat. 1995;186 (Pt 3):453-467.

2.      Diaphragmatic Breathing. Cleveland Clinic website. Updated September 14, 2018. Accessed December 27, 2020. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9445-diaphragmatic-breathing

3.      Diaphragmatic Breathing. Physiotec Website. Copyright 1996 to 2020. Accessed December 27, 2020. https://hep.physiotec.ca/

4.      Drake R, Vogel A, Mitchell A. Gray’s Anatomy for Students. 2nd ed. Churchill Livingstone, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.; 2010.

5.      Hadjiliadis D, Harron P, Zieve D.  Diaphragm and lungs. National Library of Medicine: Medline Plus. Updated May 16, 2019. Accessed December 5, 2020. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/19380.htm

6.      Ma X, Yue ZQ, Gong ZQ, et al. The Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Attention, Negative Affect and Stress in Healthy Adults. Front Psychol. 2017;8:874. Published 2017 Jun 6.doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00874