Managing Stress with Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Dr. Sheri Jacobson
November 20, 2024
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for Stress Management
In today’s fast-paced world, stress is a common experience for many of us. Whether it’s due to work, family responsibilities, or personal pressures, managing stress effectively is crucial for maintaining our overall wellbeing. One powerful tool for stress management is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), which allows us to slow down and become more attuned to our thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations.
Setting Boundaries and Listening to Your Body
An essential aspect of managing stress is setting boundaries, especially around work and daily activities. Often, we push ourselves too hard, ignoring signs that our bodies are giving us. This can lead to burnout or illness. Mindfulness helps us check in with ourselves and notice what we’re feeling, which is a key indicator of what we need.
By regularly practising mindfulness, we can better understand our emotional and physical limits.
For instance, if you’re feeling exhausted and you continue to push through – working late or not getting enough rest – your body may eventually force you to slow down through illness or fatigue. Paying attention to how we feel and setting boundaries when needed is essential for long-term health.
Understanding the Nervous System
Our nervous system plays a significant role in how we respond to stress. By understanding the different parts of the nervous system, we can better manage our reactions to stressful situations:
- Sympathetic Nervous System: This is responsible for the ‘fight or flight‘ response. When activated, we may feel anxious, angry, or panicked.
- Engaging in calming activities like meditation or deep breathing can soothe this system and bring us back to a state of balance.
- Dorsal Nervous System: This part governs the ‘freeze‘ response, where we may feel numb or disconnected, leading to dissociation or depression.
- In such states, physical movement, like dancing or exercise, can help bring us back into a more regulated state.
- Ventral Nervous System: Located in the eyes, ears, and voice, this part of the nervous system is responsible for social connection and co-regulation with others.
- Activities that promote connection, such as spending time with loved ones or participating in group activities, can be highly beneficial for our nervous system.
The Role of the Vagus Nerve
The vagus nerve plays a central role in regulating the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest, digestion, and calming stress chemicals like cortisol. Simple practices like slow, deep belly breathing – such as box breathing – can help activate the vagus nerve. This technique involves inhaling for four seconds, holding the breath for four, exhaling for four, and holding again for four. It’s a quick and effective way to ground yourself when feeling anxious.
Nourishing vs. Depleting Activities
By: sean mason
Mindfulness also encourages us to reflect on our daily activities. Are they nourishing or depleting? For example, work and study can be draining, so it’s important to balance them with activities that restore your energy and vitality. Nourishing activities can be anything that brings you joy and relaxation, such as reading, listening to music, or spending time in nature. However, it’s crucial to reflect on how these activities make you feel.
Some things, like watching TV or gaming, may seem relaxing but could be distractions from deeper emotional needs.
The Power of RAIN Meditation for Emotional Healing
An essential part of mindfulness-based stress reduction is learning to process difficult emotions in a healthy and compassionate way. One of the most effective tools for doing this is Tara Brach’s RAIN meditation, which stands for Recognise, Allow, Investigate, and Nourish. This meditation is designed to help you identify, understand, and heal challenging emotions through mindful awareness.
1. Recognise What Is Happening
The first step is to recognize what emotion or feeling is present. This involves pausing and becoming aware of what you’re experiencing. It might be stress, sadness, anxiety, or even a physical sensation. Simply acknowledge what is there without judgement.
Practical Tip: Take a moment to mentally name what you’re feeling, such as “I feel anxious” or “I’m noticing tension in my shoulders.”
2. Allow the Experience to Be There
Once you’ve recognised the emotion, the next step is to allow it to exist without trying to fix or avoid it. Often, we resist uncomfortable feelings, which can actually make them stronger. Allowing means giving yourself permission to feel what you’re feeling, even if it’s unpleasant.
Practical Tip: Say to yourself, “It’s okay to feel this way.” Allow the emotion to be there without needing to change or suppress it.
3. Investigate with Kindness
Now that you’ve recognised and allowed the emotion, you can investigate it with gentle curiosity. Ask yourself, “Where do I feel this in my body?” or “What is this feeling trying to tell me?” The goal isn’t to analyse the emotion but to explore it with compassion and openness.
Practical Tip: As you investigate, place a hand on your heart or another part of your body where the emotion is felt. This helps bring a sense of kindness to the investigation process. For example, you might ask, “What does this part of me need right now?”
By: Ivan Radic
4. Nourish with Self-Compassion
Finally, the last step is to nourish yourself with self-compassion. After investigating the emotion, respond to yourself in a nurturing, kind way. This could be through reassuring words, a comforting image, or a calming action, such as placing your hand over your heart or engaging in a soothing breath.
Practical Tip: Offer yourself kind words like, “I’m here for you,” or “This is hard, but I’ll take care of myself.” This step helps to heal and soothe the emotions that have surfaced.
Integrating RAIN Into Daily Life
The beauty of the RAIN meditation is that it can be practised anytime, whether during a dedicated mindfulness session or in the moment when difficult emotions arise. Over time, regularly practising RAIN helps you to become more attuned to your emotions, less reactive, and more compassionate towards yourself. This emotional awareness can significantly reduce stress and improve your emotional wellbeing.
Checking In with Yourself Regularly
By: huiping ho
An important part of MBSR is making time to regularly check in with yourself. This could be done through journaling, creative activities, or simply taking a walk. It’s important to create space to process emotions, rather than letting them build up. This helps prevent emotional overwhelm and allows you to move through difficult feelings more easily.
Tara Brach’s book Radical Compassion is an excellent resource for learning more about the RAIN meditation, and her guided practices are also available through apps like Insight Timer. Additionally, books like Mindfulness: Finding Peace in a Frantic World by Mark Williams and The Compassionate Mind by Paul Gilbert can offer further guidance in developing mindfulness and self-compassion.
Conclusion
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is a powerful tool for managing stress and improving emotional wellbeing. By incorporating practices like boundary-setting, body awareness, and the RAIN meditation, you can better manage the stress in your life, reduce emotional reactivity, and cultivate a deeper sense of peace and resilience.
About the Author: Leila Steeds
Leila Steeds is a compassionate and experienced psychotherapist at Harley Therapy, specialising in helping individuals manage stress, anxiety, and emotional challenges through evidence-based approaches like mindfulness and MBSR. With a deep commitment to empowering her clients, Leila provides a supportive environment where you can explore your emotions, build resilience, and develop practical tools for living a more balanced life.
If you’re ready to take the next step towards managing stress and enhancing your emotional wellbeing, book a session with Leila or one of our highly skilled practitioners at Harley Therapy. We’re here to guide you on your journey to a healthier, more mindful life. Book your appointment today.
