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+--- Thread: Nothing new but good for reflection (/showthread.php?tid=2128)
Nothing new but good for reflection - The People - 06-17-2016
I pulled this off a Facebook site. There are five points. The basis is to find ways to help us stop living in the past. For as long as we live there (we as in me at least) we feel nothing but misery. Whenever I use any of these, or have the good fortune of putting a few of them together, I step outside the castle and into the present.
Mindfulness could reduce depression.
Mindfulness practice is connected to lower depression scores, and we can actually see why in the brain. When people practice mindfulness they spend less time in the part of the brain that ruminates on the old stories that keep us stuck in the past. Instead, they spend more time connecting to the area of the brain responsible for sensing the world.
2.Self-compassion can powerfully fight anxiety.
Self-compassion reduces rumination (spending time rehearsing those unhelpful stories from the past) and increases well-being. This is inversely correlated with anxiety and depression.
3.Compassion practices can increase empathy.
Compassion practices can shift activity to the left prefrontal cortex, and that has been more associated with positive emotions and resiliency. We can also grow the areas of the brain associated with empathy and compassion.
4.Play can be a natural anti-depressant.
Studies reveal that the act of play as well as creating more enriching environments can give us energy, make us more efficient, and serve as a natural anti-depressant.
5.Living with purpose could reduce inflammation.
Living with greater purpose has been shown to reduce the expression of genes associated with cellular inflammation. Cellular inflammation is associated with many diseases and depression.
The science that continues to come out about mindfulness, self-compassion, purpose/compassion, play and confidence and their neurological benefits is incredibly motivating.
And I know these effects are real, not only because of the science but because of the thousands of people whose lives have changed as a result of engaging this work.
But don’t take my word for it – begin to bring these natural anti-depressants into your life, and see what you notice.
Of course, this list just scratches the surface of how to naturally create a more antidepressant brain.