Mindfulness is the New Black

Like orange is the new black, mindfulness may be the new psychotherapy.

Talking to a licensed therapist can be a critical step to wellness.  It can include sharing problems, worries, and yes, those reliable and messy mainstays, family of origin issues. Getting evaluated by a professional can be one of the most important tools for treating anxiety, depression, and other emotional disorders.

Learning cognitive behavioral tools ( CBT ) is another branch on the tree called getting back to wellness. One of the most up-and-coming, state-of-the-art CBT tools is mindfulness.  Thirty years ago, when I was walking my dinosaur on my college campus, mindfulness was not echoed in the hallowed halls of learning.  I'm not sure it was even a thing back then.  But it certainly is now.

Mindfulness is a form of meditation.  It is the art and skill of redirecting one's mind away from the everyday thoughts, worries, judgments, and distractions that occupy our brain when it's on auto-pilot. Where are my keys? Did I take the load of laundry out of the dryer? Don't forget to return those pants, pick up that prescription, talk to my professor, get the car inspected.   "Monkey mind" is what Dr. Alejandro Junger, M.D., cardiologist, calls collectively, all those pesky thoughts. 

Today we all have a new worry: the pandemic. To protect us from Covid-19, many new restrictions are in place.  Mask wearing, vaccinations, avoiding unfamilliar people and crowded outdoor spaces.  Mindfulness can be used as a stress reduction tool. Try this mindfulness video, here, let by Dr. Robert Hindman, a clinical psychologist with the Beck Institute*.  

For more ideas on how to learn about and practice mindfulness, have a look at Harvard University Medical School's suggestions, here.    Because maybe, just maybe, fifteen minutes a day is the new 60 minutes on the couch.

*The Beck Institute was founded by Aaron T. Beck, MD, largely considered the father of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and his daughter, Judith Beck, Phd. 

Sandy Andrews, Ph.D. Psychologist

Teaching CBT in South Austin, Texas

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Have Yourself a More Relaxed Holiday Season

My goal is to post every two weeks at the very minimum.  For one reason or another I looked over my blog today.  I see that I've gone months in between posts. Months! 

Yes, Virginia, even behavioral psychologists fall short of their goals.  More often than some of us would like to admit, surely.  

Another goal I've set for myself over the past few years has to do with the busy holiday season. From the time the Halloween costume box comes down from the attic it feels as though the speed of life is cresting over the highest peak of a roller coaster ride. Gaining rapid momentum with no chance to get out of the cart or make it stop until January 1st.  But then it's time to put away the decorations and think about one of the least favorite times of year:  tax season.

My goal?  To do less.  To shop less.  To let go to some holiday traditions so that I can better enjoy others.  Stress less.  Relax more.

People resoundingly complain about the all-consuming demands of the holiday season.  Recently a friend of mine proclaimed it has gotten to the point where she "hates" Christmas.  An honest and brave friend.  After all, it's downright un-American to make such a statement. 

Bah humbug. 

The reality is we all have choices when it comes to holiday traditions.  Whether it be adorning our homes with lights and decorations, sending seventy-five greeting cards and photos in the mail, baking sugar cookies from scratch, entertaining guests with a punchbowl full of homemade eggnog, singing carols, setting up the train set, hosting large family gatherings around a lavish home cooked meal, hustling over to the in-laws for a second lavish home cooked meal, attending midnight church service, or driving all over town to find just the right gift for loved ones even if it means spending ourselves into debt, we all retain the right to put a stop to the annual practice of wearing ourselves to a frazzle.  

So let's try a little CBT, shall we?

A typical rationalization and automatic negative thought might sound something like this:  

"But it wouldn't be Christmas/Hanukkah if I didn't ______ (fill in the blank)." 

A healthy cognitive replacement involves challenging our long held beliefs and rationalizations.  The holidays are not just about our hand made hot tamales (this is Texas, y'all), are not just about the gifts we give, are not just about the decorations and the lights. These are mere details that add tinsel and sparkle to the true meaning of the season. 

No, the holidays are really about ... what exactly?  

This is where you get to step in and express your own individual sentiments.  What do the holidays mean to you specifically?  Which traditions can you give yourself permission to let go of so that you are free to enjoy the true meaning of the season as it applies to you?   So that you can spend quality time with your family or friends or community and not be too busy to slow down and really appreciate what you've got in life. Or where you want to be.

Examples of more replacement thoughts in cognitive behavioral therapy: 

"I choose to let go of _____, _____, and _____ so that I can be more relaxed."

"I can get more out of the holidays this year by deciding to ______ rather than ______."  

"I want to more fully embrace the meaning of my holiday.  This year I plan to _____ and not _____ so that I am free to devote more time to ______ instead."

Notice I wrote "this year" as opposed to forever because it's best to take it one year at a time.  Next year, who knows?  You can always revise or alternate traditions.  

So there you go, readers.  The framework of change is there.  You get to fill in the blanks.  Give it a try.

Another goal of mine this holiday season?  To give myself permission to post less often.  Maybe not until next year!

Now go and have yourself a more relaxed, more meaningful holiday season.  

Stress and Your Work Station

Stress on the job can refer to a toxic supervisor, duties that you dislike, hours that work against your body's natural rhythm, and other complicated factors that aren't solved by a simple fix.  There may be a simple fix, however, for end of the day tension and fatique. CBT psychologists recommend that you consider changing posture as a way to better coping with work demands.  How you sit at your desk might be adjusted to greatly decrease your physical stress, to free yourself from a frequent cause of back, neck, and shoulder pain.  Take a look at this video to get an idea of ways to improve your posture in the work place or at your home computer station. 

--Sandy Andrews, PhD 
Clinical Psychologist w/ expertise in CBT
Austin, TX  (South Austin)

On Relieving Stress

     We hear so much about stress these days:  The effects of stress on our bodies - high blood pressure, headaches - and on our mental state - increased substance abuse, anger outbursts, depression.

    Stress management is frequently taught in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).  A series of tools that help us to decrease the negative effects of stress, to help us cope better with the inevitable stress we face in our daily lives and the crises. CBT can allow us to return to physical and psychological health sooner.

One tool I frequently recommend is deep breathing.  Daily practice taking deeper breaths: fuller inhales and most importantly, full, emptying exhales.  You can click on this link to read about ways to improve your breathing patterns.  

Below is a discussion on different kinds of stress, physical and psychological problems related to stress and a list of suggestions to help cope.  These were found on the website of the American Psychological Association.

More Tips for Coping with Stress

By AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

Most people have felt stress at one point in their lives. Sometimes it’s brief and highly situational, like being in heavy traffic. Other times, it’s more persistent and complex — relationship problems, an ailing family member, a spouse’s death. And sometimes, stress can motivate us to accomplish certain tasks.

Dangerous Stress

Stress becomes dangerous when it interferes with your ability to live a normal life for an extended period of time. You may feel “out of control” and have no idea of what to do, even if the cause is relatively minor. This in turn, may cause you to feel continually fatigued, unable to concentrate, or irritable in otherwise relaxed situations. Prolonged stress may also compound any emotional problems stemming from sudden events such traumatic experiences in your past, and increase thoughts of suicide.

Natural reactions to stress

Stress can also affect your physical health because of the human body’s built-in response mechanisms. You may have found yourself sweating at the thought of an important date, or felt your heartbeat pick up while watching a scary movie. These reactions are caused by hormones that scientists believe helped our ancestors cope with the threats and uncertainties of their world.
If the cause of your stress is temporary, the physical effects are usually short-term as well. In one study, the pressure of taking exams led to increased severity of acne among college students, regardless of how they ate or slept. The condition diminished after exams were over. Abdominal pain and irregularity have also been linked to situational stress.

The longer your mind feels stressed, however, the longer your physical reaction systems remain activated. This can lead to more serious health issues.

Physical wear and tear of stress

The old saying that stress “ages” a person faster than normal was recently verified in a study of women who had spent many years caring for severely ill and disabled children. Because their bodies were no longer able to fully regenerate blood cells, these women were found to be physically a decade older than their chronological age.

Extended reactions to stress can alter the body’s immune system in ways that are associated with other “aging” conditions such as frailty, functional decline, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, inflammatory arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.

Research also suggests that stress impairs the brain’s ability to block certain toxins and other large, potentially harmful molecules. This condition is also common to patients suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease.

Pressure points

Although sudden emotional stress has been linked to severe heart dysfunction in otherwise healthy people, scientists are uncertain whether chronic stress alone causes cardiovascular disease. What is clear is that excessive stress can worsen existing risk factors such as hypertension and high cholesterol levels. Studies also show that people who are quick to anger or who display frequent hostility—a behavior common to those under stress—have an increased risk of heart disease and crying fits.

Feelings of despair that accompany stress can easily worsen into chronic depression, a condition that can lead you to neglect good diet and activity habits. This, in turn, can put you at a greater risk for heart disease, obesity, and kidney dysfunction.

Stress can also complicate your ability to recover from a serious illness or nap. A Swedish study found that women who have suffered heart attacks tend to have poorer chances of recovery if they are also experiencing marital stressors such as infidelity, alcohol abuse, and a spouse’s physical or psychiatric illness. On the other hand, stress management training is a proven method for helping speed recovery follow a heart attack.

What you can do to help reduce stress

Learning to deal with stress effectively is a worthwhile effort, even if you already consider yourself capable of handling anything life sends your way.

Many of the most common long-term stressors — family illness, recovery after injury, career pressures—often arise without warning and simultaneously. Stress management is particularly valuable if your family has a history of hypertension and other forms of heart disease.

Identify the cause.
You may find that your stress arises from something that’s easy to correct. A psychologist can help you define and analyze these stressors, and develop action plans for dealing with them.

Monitor your moods.
If you feel stressed during the day, write down what caused it along your thoughts and moods. Again, you may find the cause to be less serious than you first thought.

Make time for yourself at least two or three times a week. 
Even ten minutes a day of “personal time” can help refresh your mental outlook and slow down your body’s stress response systems. Turn off the phone, spend time alone in your room, exercise, or meditate to your favorite music.

Walk away when you’re angry.
Before you react, take time to mentally regroup by counting to 10. Then look at the situation again. Walking or other physical activities will also help you work off steam.

Analyze your schedule.
Assess your priorities and delegate whatever tasks you can (e.g., order out dinner after a busy day, share household responsibilities). Eliminate tasks that are “shoulds” but not “musts.”

Set reasonable standards for yourself and others. 
Don’t expect perfection.

Even on the Sidewalks of NYC

In broad daylight, a person can relax and meditate:

For more on-the-street photography, you can visit Brandon's website,  Humans of New York.

Is Stress Hurting You? Or What You Think About Stress?

One area of expertise common to most CBT psychologists is stress management.  A new study sheds light on one cognitive aspect of stress.  Standford University psychologist Kelly McGonigal suggests that what we believe about stress, and how we respond to stress, predicts how harmful it is to our health  Signs of stress, such as elevated heart rate, sweating, muscle tension, and throat constriction is a sign of our body's strength, our body's way of mounting a defense against the worrisome event, our body's campaign to succeed in the face of something scary.  When we are taught to see stress as a good thing?  The risk of harm caused by stress goes way down, perhaps disappears.

So the next time you're studying for that test and are freaking out because you waited too long?  Feel that adrenaline pumping through your body and believe that it's there to help you study better, remember more, and ultimately pass the class.

Watch Dr. McGonigal talk about letting stress be our friend, HERE.

Sandy Andrews, PhD is a Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist who practices CBT in Austin, Texas

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Cubicle Got You Down?

Want to be happier at your job?  Here is one way:  Ask your boss if you can install a tub in your cubicle.  After she finishes laughing at you, return to your cubicle, sit in your office chair, and imagine you are taking a bubble bath.  A long, relaxing, soaker bath with scented bath oil and fluffy white bubbles and a glass of your favorite beverage at your side.  And while you're imagining this bath?  Breathe...  Breathe...  Breathe...  Slow, quiet inhales and exhales.  Feeling your chest expand, your shoulders rise, your nose take in the subtle current of air.  After two minutes of this relaxing bubble bath of your mind?  Return to work.  

According to researcher and educator, Shawn Achor, after doing two minutes of breathing meditation, your productivity will go up.  You will feel less stressed, more focused, and experience greater optimism.

  

Most of us work somewhere in the vicinity of 40 hours per week.  That is a lot of our lifetime spent working.  For many, that's a lot of time spent hating one's job, feeling trapped, dreading the rest of the work week, avoiding that dreadful coworker.  

Do you have fifteen minutes to watch a video that will help inspire you toward feeling better about your job? Can you take fifteen minutes, or  less than one-tenth of one percent of your work week to steer yourself out of the work-week-blues?  Sure you can. You owe it to your physical wellbeing and future happiness to do so.  

Besides being entertained by Achor's delicious humor, listening to his TED Talk will help you  learn that job success is largely determined by:  

1. optimism levels

2. social support

3. ability to see stress as a challenge, not as a threat

You will learn that, happiness isn't determined by what you do, what you have, or where you are.  Rather, "Ninety percent of your long term happiness is predicted ... by how your brain processes the world."  Happiness, in other words,  is determined by how you think about what you have and where you are.  

So even if you're stuck in a tiny cubicle, you can think your way into a more productive, more challenging, more successful mindset.  And mindset is, according to research Achor discusses, seventy-five percent of the happiness equation.  

Watch the video and you will also learn that, "being positive in the present - turns on the learning centers of the brain."  You have the opportunity to be better at what you do, learn more, and impress your boss with your willingness to go the distance.  

Watch Achor's TED Talk, here.  

--Sandy Andrews, PhD 

Clinical Psychologist

Austin, TX 

Happy Is As Happy Does

We're all in search of happiness and nothing makes this more certain than a search of recent research in the field of psychology.  Lots of studies looking for ways to increase our feelings of happy.

A Washington Post journalist spoke to Shawn Achor, a Harvard trained expert on positive psychology.  Achor recommends several exercises to increase feelings of wellbeing, including.

(1) Gratitude.  Spend two minutes every day thinking of three new things you appreciate, enjoy, or are thankful for.
(2) Positivity. Spend two minutes every day recalling a positive experience from your day.  Recollect every detail you can think of and let yourself feel the pleasant feelings associated with each detail.  This can be as simple as observing a beautiful flower or seeing a dog chase a frisbee.
(3) Exercise.  Fifteen minutes a day of high energy physical movement.  Get your heart rate up AND your feelings of happiness.
(4) Breathe.  Here's the magic time again, two minutes.  Push away from your keyboard, silence your phone, turn off the tv, sit under a tree, lay beneath a ceiling fan.  For two minutes, just listen to your breathing.  That's it.  Just listen and stay focused on the sound of the air moving in and our.
(5) Kindness.  Each day send an email or text someone a message telling them how much you appreciate something about them or something they have done.  According to Achor, this is one of the most powerful happy-getters.

You can read the Washington Post article and interview in full, here.

--Sandy Andrews, PhD 

Clinical Psychologist

Austin, TX 

Just Do It - Use the One Minute Rule

And speaking of doing it now rather than procrastinating, here's a quick and helpful pointer. It's called the one-minute rule and it's courtesy of Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project.

I mean, who doesn't love reading, or in this case watching a video clip, about a one-minute-solution?

In this world of looking for unrealistic, so-called quick solutions, isn't it wonderful to find a one-minute-rule that might actually do some real good? Maybe help boost our organization?

And maybe even a blog post that takes one minute to read? (Give or take.) Grammar check: does the period go inside or outside the parentheses? And yes, I do have an MLA Handbook on the shelf behind me. And no, I will not reach up to grab it and risk an allergic reaction to the dust that will surely find it's way into my nostrils.

In the words of Gretchen, outer order contributes to inner calm.

--Sandy Andrews, PhD 
Clinical Psychologist
Austin, TX 

Meditation Basics

Meditation is the new black.  CBT psychologists are finding that meditation is good for decreasing anxiety and stress, boosting the immune system, falling asleep, healthier management of physical illnesses, improving memory, all sorts of benefits.

Try this guided meditation to go beyond the basics, here.

--Sandy Andrews, PhD 
Clinical Psychologist
Austin, TX 

Ready, Set, Sleep!

I may stand corrected.  Which would make me and a lot of clients happy.  And sleepy.  As a cognitive behavioral psychologist (CBT) I typically teach a 6-4-8 breathing exercise as a stress relief technique and as a sleep aid,.  This involves a 6-second inhale, 4-second hold, and 8-second exhale (or 8-4-10, depending on the individual's starting point).

But in this post  by Alina Gonzalez entitled, How I Learned To Fall Asleep In Under 1 Minute, she advocates using Dr. Andrew Weil's breathing technique which she calls the "4-7-8 Trick."  You can go to Dr. Weil's website to see him demonstrate, here.

So I plan to take the 4-7-8 versus 6-4-8 breathing challenge.  And I invite readers to do the same. Leave me a comment and let me know which breathing exercise calmed, relaxed, and helped you get to sleep the most quickly.

Ready, Set, Sleep!

And a big shout out to my sister for 

bringing my attention to the article Under 1 Minute blog post. 

--Sandy Andrews, Ph.D.

Cognitive Behavioral Psychologist 

Austin, Texas

Can't Unwind? Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Often our bodies hold stress in the form of tense or tight muscles.  In other words, physical tension is caused by muscle constriction.  This tightening of the muscles occurs when we experience either short term, in-the-moment stress (a short-lived frightening experience such as a violent storm) or long term stress (such as unrelenting work overload or taking care of an aging parent).

The long term form of stress, if left unattended, can lead to chronic muscle tightness that doesn't let up.  These muscles can remain tense all through out the day for weeks on end without us being aware. The tightness can even hold fast while we sleep (which can explain some early-morning headaches, for example, or feeling exhausted upon awakening). Chronic muscle constriction is associated with tissue inflammation, muscle strains and spasms as well as more serious, long term illnesses.

Many who experience long term stress and muscle tension are unable to simply relax their muscles, try as they may.  One exercise, called Progressive Muscle Relaxation (also known as Deep Muscle Relaxation) helps ease that I-can't-seem-to-relax muscle tension.

In the following selected videos, a voice guides you through a systematic form of tensing and relaxing muscles.   A quieting of the mind typically follows relaxed muscles.  The first video by Dr. LuAnn Helms, introduces the exercise with an explanation of how PMR can be helpful.

 Video by Dr. LuAnn Helms (Psychologist) of Utah State University's Counseling and Psychological Services

Video by University of New Hampshire

Notes:
1.  Do each muscle group twice; five second tense, fifteen seconds relax.  Always relax the muscles longer than the tightening.
2.  You may want to skip tensing eye muscles into a frown - some find this produces headache sensations.  Instead, think about lifting your forehead muscles toward the ceiling in a muscle-smoothing fashion.  In fact, skip tensing any muscle groups that cause pain.
3. Remember to focus on the feeling of quiet, calm, relaxation when you shift from the tightening of the muscle group to relaxing.

-Sandy Andrews, Ph.D.

CBT Cognitive Behavioral Psychologist 

Austin, Texas

Meditating with Visual Aids

Think about changing the channel that' plays mindlessly in your head.  Change your thoughts away from the thousands of stress inducing thoughts that permeate your thinking toward calm, pleasant, physically soothing thoughts and you can take your body toward a more physically healthy space.

One way to do this is with visual aids.  In this case, pictures of highly pleasurable scenes.

Take a look at the pictures posted on Bored Panda, below.   Take time to really let the images sink in.  Enhance the experience by taking long, slow inhales followed by long, full exhales, while you will your body to relax with each exhale, while simultaneously enjoying the pictures.

22 Unbelievable Places that are Hard to Believe Really Exist

 Let your mind luxuriate in the sensations you might feel if you were actually present in the picture.  Imagine the sounds you might hear, the smells.  What might you see in the scene if the picture were expanded to include what is behind you?

Pictures of beauty found in the nature are highly inspirational to me.  They help me refresh and appreciate the world around me.  Others find works created by visual artists inspiring:  paintings, collage, sculpture.

What inspires you?  What kinds of images do you find pleasurable, refreshing, or relaxing?  

Exercise for Relief from Anxiety - How Does it Work?

Gretchen Reynolds writes for the New York Times blog about the positive effect of exercise on anxiety.  She summarizes the work of Schoenfeld et. al whose studies* with mice suggest that regular exercise leads to an increase in healthy, calming neurons (GABA) in a part of the brain that helps us process emotions (hippocampus).  More evidence that behavior therapy ( CBT ) tools, such as jogging, taking brisk walks, or working the treadmill, are an effective way to increase feelings of calm in both the long and short term.

You can read Reynolds NY Times article, here.


*Schoenfeld TJ, Rada P, Pieruzzini PR, Hsueh B, Gould E. (2013) J Neurosci. 2013 May 1;33(18):7770-7. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5352-12.2013.Physical exercise prevents stress-induced activation of granule neurons and enhances local inhibitory mechanisms in the dentate gyrus.

-Sandy Andrews, Ph.D.

CBT Cognitive Behavioral Psychologist 

Austin, Texas

Experimenting with Different Breathing Styles

Heart Says Breathe by Laurie Maves

Noting dysfunctional breathing patterns and changing them are two frequent goals of cognitive behavioral therapy.  Breathing exercises are one of the behavioral changes clients can make as opposed to the thought patterns that bring on and maintain the anxious breath.

There are a variety of ways to alter one's breathing therapeutically.  In an earlier post, I described what is often called lower abdominal breathing (LAB).  Many people report success lowering anxiety, stress and anger, for example, using LAB.  Click HERE to review my previous post.

Here, I will post a link to an article where Deborah Rozman talks about a different approach called Heart-Focused Breathing.  Different in that the mental focus on one's heart is suggested rather than strictly on the mechanics of the breath.  Shifting one's focus toward gratitude or a scene that has positive associations is also part of Heart-Focused Breathing.  Click HERE to read Rozman's full post.

So often in therapy my message is  this:  Don't give up.  Experiment with different styles of breath work.  Finding the style that assists in calming your body and quieting your mind is what we're after ... not sticking to any particular, recommended type.

Painting, Heart Says Breathe by Laurie Maves and can be viewed HERE. 

Advice Your Mother Probably Never Gave You

Sit up straight!  Go outside!  Take a nap!

What do these three statements have in common?  Things your mother said when you were a kid?

Maybe so.  But they're also part of a list of Twenty-Eight Scientifically Proven Ways to Boost Energy Instantly.

Need a mid-workday energy lift?  Here are a few other suggestions that your mother probably did not tell you:

Turn up the volume.  Listening to music and tapping your feet can help you feel more alert.

Eat chocolate.  Cocoa contains flavonoids which have been found to boost cognitive skills and elevate mood.

Take a break. Put your work on pause and get a change of scenery.  Leaving your desk can help you feel more energetic and improve your focus.  Even if it's just to look out the window.  Getting outside for fresh air and sunshine? Better.

Click on the link here to read more than twenty additional ways to energize.

And then leave a comment with your personal tips for beating the mid-afternoon blahs.

Turn your face to the sun 

and the shadows fall behind you.

 -  Maori Proverb

The Park Bench by Karsten Stier

No Umbrella Needed

If you are like me and find the sound

of a gentle rain or a distant thunder storm comforting,

you'll love this internet site:

Rainymood.

Turn on your computer, turn up the volume, and allow yourself to be lulled by one of nature's most soothing sounds by clicking here.

RainyMood sound track is a nice accompaniment to my relaxational deep breathing instructions, posted here.

Make it a part of your relaxation or meditation experience. Or turn it on before you go to bed. Relaxing sounds or music at bedtime can often help people overcome insomnia.

And perhaps the best part? No umbrella needed.

How about you, reader?

What sounds in nature do you find soothing?

Do you have a similar site you can share?

this is your brain on stress

The New York Times reported on a Portugese study which demonstrated that persistent stress changes the structural makeup of the brain. And not in a particularly helpful way.

According to Dias-Ferreira and his colleagues at the University of Minho, brains under chronic stress show an increase in the neurological pathways associated with doing familliar, repetitive, rote kinds of responses, even in the absence of success.

Think of the end of an intense and tiring work week. You find yourself channel surfing, up and down, dozens of times, even though you know nothing is on.

Circling around the kitchen, searching various cabinets, fridge and freezer for a salty/sugary/creamy treat, coming up empty each time.

Then there's the supervisor who schedules yet another staff meeting where the same, tired ideas are passed around, the same ineffectual instructions are issued. Where everyone leaves muttering, "Why do we think it's going to work this time?"

According to the article, brains under longterm stress also show a decrease in neurological connections in "regions of the brain associated with executive decision-making and goal-directed behaviors."

A shortage of problem solving circuitry, in other words. The light bulb burns out. We stop thinking creatively. We shrink away from new and different ways to respond. Instead we retreat into old, familliar and comfortable habits.

We get ourselves into a big, fat, rut. (Pass the Oreo cookies, please?)

The good news is, relaxation helps undo these stress induced changes. Taking brisk walks. A friendly game of hoops. Talking it out with supportive listeners. Thinking positively. Deep breathing. Contemplating nature. Getting away for the weekend. Creative outlets. Good nutrition. A full night's sleep, or two, or three. Exercise. Meditation. Yoga.

So turn off the TV. Stop circling the kitchen. Do something different. Step outside and take several rounds of full inhales and full, emptying exhales. Gaze at the stars. Resolve to get to bed earlier and engage in a healthier self care routine. Talk more respectfully and assertively to loved ones and co-workers. Eventually (four weeks, in the case of the rats in the study) your brain can revive and new connections can branch out.

Recharged, you might just find that the light bulb flickers back to life.