Harness the power of your mind

Does the thought of your unread inbox make you tense?

What about all your work deadlines, messages on your cell phone, irritable co-workers, constant meetings, bills to pay, the thought of getting one of your kids to soccer practice and the other to dance lessons on the same night at the same time, dinners to make, doctors appointments to schedule, and everything else you manage on a day-to-day basis?

We live in a world of constant information and never-ending to-do lists, which can stress us out and make work seem miserable. Not only does that hurt our health, it’s bad for our co-workers, too. So, what can we do? Eat right, of course, and exercise.

But what if you still feel anxious or even not very productive?

We can work on our minds to keep our stress in check. The mind can sometimes feel like a whirlwind that won’t stop, and this often prevents us not only from being productive at work, but can also hinder sleep and even our relationships.

We can’t turn our minds off—they are always working—but we can make the most of our minds. When we get regular physical exercise, our bodies become stronger.

Similar to exercise, when we practice mindfulness regularly, our minds become stronger and they just simply work better. Mindfulness is the ability to bring our full awareness to the present moment.

When we practice mindfulness, we become more proactive and less reactive. Mindfulness is not a system of beliefs or a religion. It is a practice that brings full awareness to the present moment.

The good news is almost everyone can do it. Through meditation, we can become more mindful. A common misconception is that we need to stop or clear all thoughts when we meditate. However, the goal of meditation is not to try to stop or control our thoughts, but simply to notice them. It’s when we get caught up in those thoughts that we lose mindfulness.

Feeling like it won’t work? Skepticism is a great place to start. Mindfulness is a practice where you test ideas and techniques for yourself and notice results.

Try it for a while and see for yourself. Just like with any lifestyle change, it does require dedication and patience to see the results and benefits of the practice. Recent research shows regular practice reshapes the brain, changing how we perceive and respond to stressful situations.

Participating in an eight-week mindfulness meditation program appears to make measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress. In a study that appeared in the Jan. 30 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, a team led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program report the results of their meditation study.

“Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day,” says Sara Lazar, the study’s senior author. “This study demonstrates that changes in brain structure may underlie some of these reported improvements, and that people are not just feeling better because they are spending time relaxing.”