Mindfulness is a Muscle
6.13.23
Mindfulness is a Muscle
with
Julia Montalto, CRNA
I am lucky to have a BFF who is in the world of medicine! My lifelong friend, Julia, graces us with some science-backed wisdom when it comes to the practice of mindfulness. Read below to learn more!
We often hear how mindfulness needs to be a consistent practice. Do you feel like consistency matters? If so, why? What can be impactful if someone isn’t consistent with their mindfulness?
100% yes. Mindfulness needs to be a consistent practice. The literature states that even just a minimum of 5 minutes every day for 30 days can significantly reduce stress levels and maintain a reduction at 60 day mark. As the amountof practice time increases, stress levels decrease more and overall well being increases. If you decide to start playing a sport, you can’t go to practice once and expect to see yourself perform well during a game. Same thing goes with mindfulness; you have to practice and strengthen your brain (muscle) in order for it to be beneficial in your everyday life. Of course, taking a few breaths during a stressful situation is likely to calm your nervous system and help in that moment. But it’s the consistent mindfulness practice that helps prevent you from getting into an extreme fight or flight state during a stressful situation.
Can you talk a little bit about why stress can have an adverse effect on us in the short term and the long term?
Chronic states of stress increase cortisol and endorphin levels in the body which overtime can wreak havoc on many parts of body. The symptoms that arise from chronic stress states typically have to do with a disrupted hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis. In general, elevated levels of cortisol increase inflammatory cytokines, glucose levels and heart rate which are helpful in an acute situation like when you need to run from a lion. When this response happens frequently and in unnecessary circumstances, people end up with systemic inflammation, high blood pressure, weight gain, depression, gastrointestinal disorders, memory loss and much more. (This is a big question and truthfully can’t be thoroughly answered in a few sentences!)
What are three simple ways everyone can incorporate mindfulness into their day?
Mindfulness is a mental state that is achieved by focusing on what’s happening in the present moment while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations.
1. Limit the amount of screen time you have. Social media does the opposite of mindfulness to your attention span- it makes it extremely short. Mindfulness is all about being present to what’s going on around and inside of you. Social media is exceptional at captivating your attention and taking you away from the present moment.
2. Take a pause. Spend a few minutes or even a few seconds throughout the day to stop what you’re doing and just breathe, focusing on what’s going on around you or internally. Great times to do this are before you eat, when you get in your car, as you’re walking from your car to your office.
3. Movement. Walking meditation or mindfulness is a great way for people who might be intimidated by the idea of a sitting meditation. The idea is to walk in a slow pace, listening to the sounds around you, observing your thoughts and focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. Bonus points if this is done in nature!
If you could share one takeaway from your research that you wish everyone could understand and integrate into their lives, what would it be?
I’d say the biggest take away from my research is that chronic stress states will hinder your ability to learn and comprehend information. Memory recall can be poor which is extremely detrimental when it comes to anesthesia school. Most people who are under a lot of stress during graduate studies are under the impression that the more hours you clock studying, the smarter you’ll be and the more information you’ll learn. This is false in many circumstances. The brain needs breaks just like our muscles need rest when exercising. Additionally, living in a constant state of stress will make your study time extremely inefficient. Take breaks, practice mindfulness and you’re likely to have improved memory recall and comprehension.
For those who don’t know, can you describe to us what a CRNA is and how you feel mindfulness ties in with your work?
Yes! A CRNA is a certified registered nurse anesthetist. We work independently or with an anesthesiologist, administering anesthesia for surgical procedures. The practice of mindfulness is important in this field for a few reasons. First, involvement in surgical procedures can lead to critical situations that require quick judgement calls and clear communication. Having a mindfulness practice helps decrease the stress response and improves attention stability and flexible cognition. Having attention stability allows you to stay in the present moment and focus on exactly what is going on with the patient in critical condition. Flexible cognition allows the brain to adapt to unexpected information and improves insight for problem solving. All this said, if you are able to maintain a calm, cool and collected demeanor, think quickly and communicate clearly while a patient is in critical condition on the operating table, then mindfulness is doing its job.
Finally, how do you hope to see mindfulness create a bridge between holistic, Eastern studies of wellness, versus our Western medical practices?
I hope to see more medical providers practicing mindfulness and educating their patients to do the same. Not only is mindfulness helpful to reduce stress, it also increases empathy and the ability to be present with your patients. This is an extremely important part of patient-centered care and can really change the relationship you have with your patients. I do have hope that Eastern practices will blend into Western medical practice in the near future. I think after the pandemic, many providers realized the importance of self-care and have started to implement different practices in their life to help cope with the stressors of being in the medical field and hopefully will encourage their patients to do the same.
THANK YOU JULES!
Julia Montalto is an experienced ICU nurse finishing her Masters degree in nurse anesthesia. She is passionate about creating and maintaining balance in her life. You can find her singing and playing music or spending time with her new puppy and fiance in their home in Maine. If you’re curious to learn more about her work, email her at Julia.montalto@hotmail.com.
Three Things
I haven’t stopped listening to Ramit Sethi’s podcast, “I Will Teach You to Be Rich” He navigates difficult yet powerful conversations with couples of all financial backgrounds. Highly recommend!
If you’re in the Rhode Island area this summer, please consider stopping by Nitro Bar for some locally-brewed goodness and craft treats. This is a small biz run by two 30 year olds who are incredible at creating community and developing unparalleled cold brew!
Jed and I have been cooking up this ancestral-blend ground beef that includes mineral-dense organ meats. So glad to have found this awesome blend via Meg at Grounded Nourishment.
