GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The holidays can be a stressful time for many of us, but it can be especially difficult if you have anxiety. Dr. Matthew Clark from The Clark Institute talked with us about ways to use mindfulness to cope.
He talked with us about a recent study led by Harvard neuroscientist Sara Lazar where researchers revealed a promising way to alter our experience of fear by altering the memories that trigger it. It's a tool that you've surely heard of and may already practice: mindfulness.
Here were a couple of Dr. Clark's key points.
- How does mindfulness change the way the brain stores fear-inducing memories? Through a process called "extinction learning." The whole goal of mindfulness is to redirect your attention to the present moment--to sights, sounds, and sensations that are happening now.
- Notice when you feel subtle forms of anxiety.
- Shift your attention to the present moment.
- Watch what happens with curiosity and interest.
According to Dr. Clark, this practice may be the key to unwinding the memories that hold fear in place, and to approaching your work and the world from the powerfully productive place of fearlessness.
To contact Dr Matthew Clark, visit http://www.theclarkinstitute.com/
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