We are all aware that there is a mind body connection in every being or part of our body. It is something that keeps us aware of the focus that is needed in helping with stress reduction and many other interventions to improve our mental and physical health. Sleep is one of those processes that is affected by the mind body connection. I have never been a great sleeper but I am also one that needs her sleep. After I passed through menopause, it got even more difficult to get a full night of uninterrupted sleep. Sleep disturbances are very common to cancer patients and survivors. This one aspect in your recovery and survivorship is of utmost importance in your daily health. Learning to calm the mind and slow down the processes and relax takes a certain amount of training and practice. Watching in TV is not one of those tricks that will help and a clock by your bed that has enough light to land a plane is not going to help either. In fact, turn the clock away from you so you don't keep waking up and looking at the clock. Reaching a state of well being helps in the healing processes and also helps to reduce those negative thought patterns. Being mindful of what made you happy today and writing three positive things that impacted your life each night before bed is a good practice. Unfortunately, the negative carries alot of weight for many and can help erode the whole process. Keeping a small book by your bed so when those unanswered questions pop up in the middle of the night, write them down and then close the book and go back to sleep. You have now given it a voice that you can address in the morning. Many studies are going on at the moment regarding this mindfulness and different techniques to help develop a more positive mind -body awareness. Slow down, deep breathe and count to eight as you breathe in and then exhale through pursed lips to the count of eight. Do that for a series of 5 or more and you will soon find out that you have mindfully slowed down the processes that have been circulating in your head. All of these techniques are easy to do and does not require any advance degree or understanding and although this is still being studied, the results are showing it does improve that mind body connection. So what have you got to lose? I hope tonight that you will start to integrate some of these techniques and that you will reap the same benefits that I have been experiencing by doing some of these exercises and in doing so, making today a great day!
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AuthorMy name is Sue Kilburn and I am a clinical nurse breast cancer educator at the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Archives
March 2015
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