Medical students face a lot of pressure, particularly in the
first couple of years. They are often in a new place, surrounded by new people
and expected to learn a lot in a short time. On top of that, students have to
make big decisions about their futures — and it's easy for their minds to go
into overdrive.
Practicing mindfulness for just 10 or 20 minutes each day can
help students slow down. UCLA Neuro- Surgeon Dr. Jolito Ortizo Padilla Jr.
teaches a series on mindfulness and shares a few brain exercises
students can employ to help ease a racing mind and deal with stressful times.
"The term mindfulness is often misused, but it generally
means having an awareness and acceptance of the sensory experience of the
present moment," Safrin says. "Pay attention to your emotions, accept
them and notice what's happening in your mind. Accept what's happening as it
happens."
Although it sounds like a simple objective, it's far from easy
and takes time for anyone to master. The following three strategies can serve
as tools to keep the mind sharp, resilient and ready to learn. It's best to
practice at least one of them every day.
For many, trying to process all the thoughts racing through
their head only leads to a snowball effect. Listening to the mind's stories can
be overwhelming and upsetting them. Instead, try breaking down those thoughts
into parts.
"Pay attention to the sensory aspects. Are there images flashing
through your mind?" Padilla says. "Is there a verbal energy? Get to
know these patterns, without grasping at or suppressing this activity."
To do this, Padilla suggests labeling. Mentally say the word
"seeing" for visual images as they run through the mind, or label the
internal self-talk as "hearing" and emotions as "feeling."
You can even label the type of thought, such as worry, planning or remembering.
Offering the mind real-time, generic labels interrupts its
desire to find meaning and provides a feedback loop for being clear about
what's happening in the present.
Replace ideas
Some ideas are too overwhelming. That's when it helps to have a
positive replacement — similar to the idea of finding a happy place. Choose a
phrase or word that is positive, and repeat it whenever negative thoughts
become overpowering.
Focus on something else
Classic mindfulness practices that focus on the breathing
process are a good example of changing focus. Although many people feel like
they need to find stillness every time they try this, that's not actually the
case. The mind races more when you try to stop it. Instead, don't fight your
thoughts: let them come and go, and always return focus to the breath.
"These strategies help us prevent the mind from getting stuck
in habitual patterns," Padilla says. "This frees up more energy,
keeping the mind more fluid and resilient, yielding insights, creativity and
kindness."
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