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Dr. Shefferman’s Tips for meditation and mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of bringing your full attention into the present moment, very intentionally and without judgment.
There are many ways to practice mindfulness, including meditation where you intentionally tune inwards and focus on your breathing, thoughts and what you’re feeling in your body.
Mindfulness can be used to manage stress and anxiety, as well as acute and chronic pain.
Calming the mind allows us to see life from a point of clarity. We observe ourselves going through life and can respond to things with intention rather than react from fear.
Practicing meditation can help us be happier and reduce negativity, as it increases serotonin levels and acts as a natural antidepressant.

There is a lot of help available for women experiencing symptoms due to hormonal changes–you don’t have to suffer through them!
In addition to hormone treatments, natural remedies and changes in your diet can help treat some symptoms.
Prioritize sleep when dealing with hormone changes since lack of sleep can make your symptoms worse.
Don’t be afraid to seek help for depression and anxiety that can sometimes accompany hormonal changes. Those symptoms can often be addressed with medication and therapy or support groups.
Remember it won’t last forever. Try to have reasonable expectations and be realistic about what you’re going through and adjust your life accordingly.

Sometimes people need to do the work around personal trauma before they are able to focus on self-acceptance. Consider seeing a therapist to work through some of these bigger issues.
Cognitive behavioral therapy can help us change negative thought patterns and find a more balanced and more helpful way of thinking about ourselves.
Practicing mindfulness can help us ignore critical thoughts or feel less bothered by them.
Positive affirmations can also help us change negative thought patterns and feel better about ourselves.
Find ways of practicing self-care since taking care of your body and mind can make you feel better about yourself.

Change is a normal part of life–try not to resist it but embrace it.
Be patient with yourself and with the process; change can take time to adjust to.
Try to focus on what you can control and not what you cannot – know that even if you can’t control everything, you can control how you react to it.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Focus on what is going right and not just the challenges.

Write down 1-2 things you’re grateful for each day in a notebook or journal. This can be something you do every morning or every evening.
Don’t put pressure on yourself to always be positive. It’s important to allow yourself the downs as well as the ups.
Practice the S.T.O.P technique to ground yourself when you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Stop what you’re doing, Take a deep breath, Observe what’s going on inside you and Proceed with purpose.
Remind yourself that the hard times won’t last forever and focus on the improvements or wins, however small, instead of the challenges and hardship.
Make time for self-care by doing something that you love. Self-care not only isn’t selfish, but makes us better caretakers by refilling our own cup.

Don’t let your fear of failure stop you from setting goals. You can always change, adjust or reset your goals.
Start by setting small, attainable goals and build from there.
Be clear in your focus. The clearer you are in what your end goals are and what you want out of something, the more likely you are to stick to it.
Take time for self-care; if you are solely focused on one thing, you risk burning out.
Find someone to hold you accountable, to help you stay committed to your goals.

Knowledge is power. Start by finding out your family history since it can be a game-changer.
Be careful when searching online for medical information. Check the website to see if there are peer reviewed studies and experts quoted.
Take action-able steps, like booking an appointment with your doctor, rather than worrying yourself sick on the internet.
Use your research to prepare questions for your doctor.
If in doubt, get multiple medical opinions so you can compare them.

Have self-compassion and allow yourself to feel sad.
Exercise and practice self-care.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help and lean on friends and be open to getting professional help if necessary.
Arm yourself with the facts so you can be prepared and know what to ask your doctor.
Focus on what you can control.

It’s ok not to be ok. Accept that you don’t always have to be happy or strong.
When dealing with anxiety, try to focus on factual evidence and things you can control.  Practice self-care – good sleep, exercise, grace. Remember you can’t take care of others unless you take care of yourself.
Try mindfulness techniques to combat anxiety and stress.
Try to structure your time and create routines to follow but don’t put pressure on yourself to be perfect

Exercising with friends, with COVID can be done virtually or outside.
Walking dogs together with neighborhood friends.
Volunteering with friends for organizations that are meaningful to both people.
Regular check-ins over text, particularly funny messages that help us laugh together.
Leaving little gifts on friend's porches to let them know they are being thought of.

Try to put down your phone about 30 minutes before you plan to go to bed, it gives your mind time to wind down and electronics exposure before bed will make it harder for you to fall asleep.
Your sleeping environment should be cool and dark—it’s the best environment to get quality, restful sleep.
Starting the day with a cup of coffee in the morning is fine, but avoid caffeine after 1 or 2 p.m., as it may impact your ability to fall asleep at night.
People who get daily exercise report lower rates of insomnia and overall better quality of sleep, so make sure you are getting some exercise every day.
All of us have temporary stressors or situations in our lives (job stress, illness, having an infant or young child) that are going to have an impact on the amount of sleep we’re able to get. The key to establishing healthy strategies to help us work through these times is to make sure these bouts of temporary lack of sleep don’t turn into long-term behavioral habits.