Feeling Tired After a Long Cognitive Work-Shift

Are you feeling tired after a long cognitive work shift?

First Responders suffer from mental exhaustion due to the pressures of a long work shift. It is more obvious that physical exertion and manual labor can drain your energy. Less clear is what complex cognitive tasks involve.

Feeling Tired After a Long Cognitive Work-Shift. The science behind it.

Researchers have found new evidence to explain why thinking causes mental exhaustion. And they also discovered that intense concentration leaves less brain power for making decisions. 

The reasons?

  • Hard cognitive work leads to glutamate accumulation in the lateral prefrontal cortex
  • The need for glutamate regulation reduces the control exerted over decision-making
  • Reduced control favors the choice of low-effort actions with short-term rewards

You can read the full study on Current Biology

Behavioral activities that require control over automatic routines typically feel effortful and result in cognitive fatigue. This fatigue is related to the necessity of recycling potentially toxic substances accumulated during cognitive control exertion

The research used magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to monitor brain metabolites throughout a workday. Two groups of participants performed either high-demand or low-demand cognitive control tasks, interleaved with economic decisions.

Choice-related fatigue markers were only present in the high-demand group. The same group experienced a reduction of pupil dilation during decision-making and a preference shift toward short-delay and little-effort options (a low-cost bias captured using computational modeling).

At the end of the day, high-demand cognitive work resulted in higher glutamate concentration and glutamate/glutamine diffusion in the lateral prefrontal cortex, which is a cognitive control brain region.

The result supports a neuro-metabolic model in which glutamate accumulation triggers a regulation mechanism that makes lateral prefrontal cortex activation more costly. This explains why cognitive control is harder to mobilize after a strenuous workday.

Now you know the reason why when you come home after a long work shift you prefer opting for a microwave easier dinner instead of cooking. You have limited energy and your mind naturally tends towards the easiest option.

The intense and long mental labor day results in toxic byproducts in the brain (glutamate). These toxins accumulate in the prefrontal cortex, which can reduce decision-making abilities and cause cognitive decline.

Feeling Tired After a Long Cognitive Work-Shift. What can we do to avoid this?

I hope that the First Responders’ organizations

  • would recognize the importance of self-care, encouraging staff to participate in some gentle mental and physical mindful activities such as yoga, breathwork, and meditation whose mental and physical benefits are supported by science. You can read more about it on FRY Canada’s research and links page
  • would allow their employees to share their feelings without red-flagging them. First Responders are human and having special mental health support can help them move through their challenging job.

What can you personally do?

Engage in meditation activities that can shut your sympathetic nervous system off and can improve the release of feel-good hormones in your body. That can help to make you feel restored.

We at FRY can help. 

Meditation, Breathwork, Functional Yoga Movement, Relaxation, and Positive Affirmations are all supported by science to help you to overcome physical injuries and burnout.

Chose FRY. We are here to Help You!

Yoga regulates the immune response during stress

FRY Canada

Yoga regulates the immune response during stress

Yoga regulates the immune response during the stress. In today’s fast-paced life the constant presence of stress can jeopardize your health. You need to be aware of this. 
 

Stress and immune system

How does the stress affect the immune response? The immune system is a network of glands, nodes, and organs. It protects the body from bacteria and viruses. It requires a constant supply of nutrients to maintain its function.
 
What can affect the immune system? Toxins in the environment, poor diet, lack of or excessive exercise, and, guess what? Stress.
 
 

The effects of stress on the immune responses

The stress on the immune system is mediated by a complex “communication” between the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. The mediators of these interactions are neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, hormones, and cytokines.
 
The effects of stress on the immune responses result in:
 
  1. Alterations in the Number of Immune Cells. It is called “Immunosenescence”. This alterations dysregulates the immune function and inflammatory processes
  2. Cytokine Dysregulation. It is a marker of difficulties in aging, as it links to an inability to control systemic inflammation

The effects of stress on the immune system responses. How to manage it?

The ability to mentally handle stress in everyday life alleviates the activation of the endocrine system. This, in turn, increases the effectiveness of the immune system. This is the union between body and mind.

The reflection of the union of the body and mind is what differentiates yoga from other forms of exercise. Yoga is meant to prepare the body to achieve tranquility of the mind.
 
Patanjali in his Yoga Sutra better describes the goal of yoga. He wrote  “Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodha“. That means yoga is the cessation of all mind’s fluctuations.
 
Yoga creates a sense of wellbeing. It boosts feelings of relaxation. It improves concentration and self-confidence. There are several studies supporting these results from the practice of Yoga. 
 
You can read more at this link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10365315/
 
Yoga boost self-awareness and because of that you can better deal with the stress response. It provides more results in stress, anxiety and health management than relaxation. 
 
You can read more at this link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17544857/
 

Tools available for you with “FRY. First Responders’ Yoga. The Book”

 
An excerpt of “FRY First Responders Yoga. The Book” is below. You can download it at this link: https://www.frycanada.com/books/#Books
 
“The HPA axis works in a straightforward manner of managing the neurological and endocrine systems to activate the fight-flight-freeze response, also known as the stress response.
 
When the fight-flight-freeze response is activated there is a release of corticotropin-releasing hormone, known as CRH. When this hormone binds to receptors in the pituitary gland it releases the ACTH (adrenocorticotropic) hormone. 
 
This hormone then binds to the adrenal cortex, stimulating the release of cortisol from the adrenals. After a stressful event, in which the fight-flight-freeze response is activated, cortisol is continuously released throughout the body for several hours.
 
The reduction of what we perceive as stress and anxiety can be modulated by yoga practice as it can modulate your stress response systems, as medical evidence has shown. 
 
Modulating your stress response means emphasizing the parasympathetic nervous system, the rest and digest response, over the sympathetic nervous system, the stress response. 
 
The physiological benefits of that modulation are easy to understand now that you have read the differences between the two branches of the autonomic nervous system in Chapter 3: reducing the heart rate, lowering blood pressure, easing breathing and also increasing the heart rate variability, an indicator of the body’s ability to respond to stress more flexibly, an ability First Responders need to develop.“
 
That is what we do with FRY. Sign up to FRY The APP and start your journey to your Mind-Body Wellness and Resilience.
 
We are here to help.

Movement & Mind Training in Mood Disorder Treatment

FRY The Method

Movement & Mind Training in Mood Disorder Treatment

 
Movement & Mind Training are tools to help Mood Disorder Treatment.
Keep reading to discover more.
 

Movement & Mind Training in Mood Disorder Treatment: Mood Disorder Treatment and Neuroscience

 
According to Neuroscience principles our brain can rewire the neural connections. These connections link together various lobes. They also link sensory input and motor output.
 
Our neuron connections constantly change in response to environments and life experiences. They change in number. They change in strength. This is Neuroplasticity: the changes in the number and strength of connections between our neuron. It plays an important role in treating the mood disorder.
 
Mood disorders can have a foundation in the quality and number of neuron connections. Neuroplasticity is key to good brain function. Brain malfunction may indicate that certain aspects of Neuroplasticity may be impaired.
 
The game changer is that we can reverse this process thanks to Neuroplasticity. In which way? Through exercising, training our mind and eating in a better way. 
 

Movement & Mind Training in Mood Disorder Treatment: Chemicals imbalance effect your mood.

 
The level of the protein called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) indicates Mood disorder.
 
BDNF is required for neuronal development early in life and for neuronal survival and function in the adult brain.
 
BDNF is a key molecule in Neuroplasticity. 
 
Stress or glucocorticoid exposures (steroid hormones used for the treatment of inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and cancer) decrease the level of BDNF in the hippocampus. Levels of BDNF are lower in the brains of people with depressive symptom (you can read more at this link)
 
The level of BDNF indicates the neurons’ ability to form new or stronger connections with other neurons. How can we increase the level of BDNF? Keep reading to find an answer.
 

Movement & Mind Training in Mood Disorder Treatment

 
Physical activity is considered a potential intervention for depression prevention (read more here at this link).
 
Exercise may be one of the best ways to promote healthy Neuroplasticity in parts of the brain that are implicated in depression.
 
Studies have shown that:
  • exercise (especially aerobic exercise) can increase the levels of BDNF in the brain
  • there is a correlation between more exercise and a bigger hippocampus, that means better regulation in learning and memory encoding.
Training the mind is another way to improve the brain’s Neuroplasticity mechanisms. You can reap that benefit by:
  • Challenging the brain by learning something new
  • Putting yourselfe in slightly uncomfortable situations
  • Practicing Mindfulness meditation.
 

You are what you think…and eat

 
Eating plays an important role in the neuron connection. This is due to:
  • The Gut-Brain Axis – It links the cognitive and emotional activity of the brain with the activity of the intestinal system. It is a channel by which the food we eat, after it is broken down into the gut by digestive enzymes, shapes our moods, our cognitive function, our reactivity to stress, our memory operations, how the brain ages, and much more.
  • The release of food-related hormones – Eating induces the brain to release “feel good” hormones, such as endorphins.
 

The role of sleeping in Mood Disorder

 
Mood disorders are found in one-third to one-half of patients with chronic sleep problems. Likewise, most patients with mood disorders experience insomnia (link to the study).
 
So we need to maintain a good sleeping regiment. Cutting out caffeine intake in the afternoon, winding down before bed, cooling the bedroom, and sleeping away from electronic devices can help.
 

Conclusion

 
FRY The Method offers techniques that will trigger the body resilience with movement.
FRY The Method trains your mind with meditation.
FRY The Method helps to relax your body with relaxation techniques.
 
If you have read the articles above, you can link the benefits of FRY The Method to your overall mind-body wellness.
 
Download FRY The APP at this link to start your Mind-Body Wellness journey right now.

Breathing eases Stress, Anxiety, Depression and PTSD.

FRY stress anxiety PTSD

Breathing ease Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD.

Breathing eases Stress, Anxiety, Depression and PTSD. 2017 research focused on people with those Major Disease Disorder. These People showed inadequate antidepressant treatment response. They participated in a 8 weeks Sudarshan Kriya yoga practice (SKY). SKY is a breathing technique that eases those disorders. It is a sequence of specific breathing techniques:
– the Ocean Sound,
– abdominal breathing, the Bellows Breath/Skull-polishing breathing and
– retentions
 
The study is available on the National Library of Medicine at this link

 

How can Breathing eases Stress, Anxiety, Depression and PTSD.

SKY can ease those Major Disease Disorder. Mechanisms contributing to a state of calm alertness include:
– increased parasympathetic drive,
– calming of stress response systems,
– neuroendocrine release of hormones, and
– thalamic generators.
 
SKY is beneficial to treat stress, anxiety, PTSD, depression, stress-related medical illnesses. Also it is a low-risk and a low-cost adjunct.
 
SKY is a public health intervention to ease PTSD in survivors of mass disasters. Yoga techniques enhance well-being, mood, attention, mental focus, and stress tolerance. What will maximize the benefits? Proper training by a skilled teacher and a 30-minute practice every. Health care providers play a crucial role in encouraging patients to maintain their yoga practices (see the part II of the study here)
 

FRY and Science Support

During the live class FRY streams 3 times a week, the breathing techniques above are a constant. We try to follow the tradition supported by science. We want our audience to believe in what we do with science support. You can find a list of research supporting FRY The Method on our website at this page.
Follow FRY The Method for a better life, for your mind-body wellness, for you and for the people you help on a daily basis.

Anxiety is a result of becoming aware of our deeper level of vulnerability

FRY anxiety yoga

Anxiety is a result of becoming aware of our deeper level of vulnerability.

Anxiety is a consequence of being aware of our deeper level of vulnerability. 

As human beings, we all are going to experience pain in our lives. That is something we cannot avoid at all. At a certain point in our life our body will hurt, so too our emotions. Feelings and pain can become even worse due to the horrible things happening in the world.

Stay with your moment-to-moment experience

Unnecessary suffering arises when we decide not to have direct experience. The more we refuse to stay in moment-to-moment experience, the more suffering arises.

Carl Jung says “All neurosis is a substitute for legitimate suffering.” We tend to unconsciously dissociate ourselves from intense experiences. We work instead on the relationship we have with pain. Neurosis is the effort of not feeling pain, risk, panic or fear. We try some distractions to get out of the real experience and disturbing feelings. Watching TV, drinking or using drugs are neuroses. Neuroses can bring immediate relief by numbing the awareness of our actual experience but they work only in the short run.

The magic of staying on the sensation level

I have found it helpful to stay on the sensation level. As a matter of fact, it’s very hard to find a problem at the sensation level of one’s experience. It’s very easy instead to find a problem at the interpretive and conceptual level. If you stick to the way you feel – “I feel tired”, “I feel angry”, “I feel pain” and so on – you can easily understand how those feelings are not harming you. They are just feelings. By staying on the sensation level, you can move around the pain. 

Fighting or accepting the who that you are?

Changing the way you relate to the who that you are can be a way towards a better life. Do not fight it. Instead accept it and observe it. Learn to yield and accept the sensation level of your experience. Witness the experience itself. It won’t allow you to avoid pain but it will lessen the suffering.

A few minutes of meditation on a regular basis can help you to recognize your emotions and become aware of the differences between the who you are and the sensations you feel. 

Try it! You do not even tell the others what you do. They will notice the difference in the who you will become.

If you want to learn more about the benefits of Yoga, Meditation, Breathwork, Positive Affirmations have a look at our dedicated page FRY Research and Links. Those are all segments of FRY The Method for First Responders.

Sasy, FRY Director

Yoga: Self-esteem boost or ego quieting?

FRY Self-enhancement

Is Yoga a self-esteem boost or an ego quieting practice?

Keep reading to find out the scientific answer.
 
“Quieting the ego” is considered a root cause to lessen suffering and pain. I do not think there is too much to discuss about it. Each of us had some experiences about dealing with over-self-centered counterpart. Everyone deal with situation based on “I” talking, “mine” talking and so on. You cannot get out of that. “Mine” will be always more important than “yours” because “I” will be always more important than “you”.
 
Here is why Yoga and Meditation are important. They help you to feel the undivided unity between you and the other. In fact, separation is an illusion. The great poet Rumi said “Why struggle to open a door between us when the whole wall is an illusion?”
 

Research

The “Self-Centrality Breeds Self-Enhancement” Principle.
There is a study about self-esteem’s relation to the Big Two personality dimensions:
– “agency” – e.g., ambitious, competitive, outgoing, getting ahead, and
– “communion” – e.g., caring, honest, understanding, getting along.
 
The researchers stated that “self-centrality breeds self-enhancement” principle. Agency will link to self-esteem, if agency is self-central. Communion will link to self-esteem, if communion is self-central. You can read the full study at University of Southampton (UK) at this LINK.
 
William James was a 1907 phycologists. He also stated that possessing important agentic or communal self-attributes, produce much self-esteem. In other words, when you believe in what you do, the result you get is an increase in self-esteem. No matter if what it is important for you is an agentic or communal self-attributes
 

Research

Mind-Body Practices and the Self: Yoga and Meditation Do Not Quiet the Ego but Instead Boost Self-Enhancement.
 
An article first published online on June 2018, reports the effect of yoga and meditation on the Self. You can read it on Sage Journal website at this LINK.
 
According to the study, self-enhancement bias is higher in the yoga  and meditation conditions, and the effect is mediated by greater self-centrality. Additionally, greater self-enhancement bias mediated mind-body practices’ well-being benefits. Evidently, neither yoga nor meditation fully quiet the ego; to the contrary, they boost self-enhancement.
 
The “ego-quieting” effect people talk in yoga, contradicts the self-centrality principle. According to this principle, practicing any skill renders that skill centered within yourself; and self-centrality breeds self-enhancement bias.
  

Outcome

There are so many studies supporting the benefits of yoga and meditation. Boosting your self-esteem is another added benefit. Another gain in the First Responders-fast-decision-to-take environment.
 
FRY The Method has its root in those ancient practices. Wanna give them a try? Download FRY The APP by using this LINKor contact us to know more about what we do and offer.
 
Sasy, FRY Director and Co-Founder

Can Yoga modulate stress, anxiety and depression? Does stress impact gender differently in Policing?

FRY The APP Yoga for First Responders

Can Yoga modulate stress, anxiety and depression? Does stress impact gender differently in Policing? Keep reading to find out the answer.

The U.S. Department of Justice published a study regarding the “Stress, Gender and Policing: The Impact of Perceived Gender Discrimination on Symptoms of Stress”.

You can read the full study at this link:

https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/stress-gender-and-policing-impact-perceived-gender-discrimination.

The results indicate that male and female officers have conflicting attitudes about the amount and nature of gender discrimination within police work. The findings further suggest that female officers experience higher levels of stress. Additionally, the results indicate a weak relationship between perceptions of gender related jokes and stress levels for females. The study iterates that police work is inherently stressful, and that the traditionally male-dominated field of policing may create increased obstacles and stressors for women officers.

In recent decades, several medical and scientific studies on yoga proved it to be very useful in the treatment of some diseases, stress and PTSD.

On our page https://www.frycanada.com/fry-research-links/ we have available different studies showing the benefits of yoga, meditation and mindfulness, breathwork and relaxation. Please feel free to jump there and learn more about the science beyond the yoga practice in all its full aspects.

A study published on the National Library of Medicine was conducted to investigate the effects of yoga on stress, anxiety, and depression in women.

You can read the full study here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5843960/

The total eligible sample consisted of 52 women with a mean age of 33.5 ± 6.5 years. The study above showed that 12 sessions of intervention such as regular Hatha Yoga exercise significantly reduced stress, anxiety, and depression in women. Thus, it can be used as complementary medicine and reduce the medical cost per treatment by reducing the use of drugs.

Not “the solution” but a tool, that extra juice you can add to your daily healthy routine that can really better your life and change the way you perceive happenings as stressors in your life.

Forty-three percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress and seventy-five percent to 90% of all doctor’s office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints. So, if you are really interested in wellness you have to factor in your mind states: meditation and mindfulness are other “natural drugs” you can use without any side effects.

FRY The Method has its root in those ancient practices. Wanna give it a try? Download FRY The APP or contact us to know more about what we do and offer or book a chat with us by using our Calendly: https://calendly.com/frycanada/fry_meeting_with_sasy_or_julia

Sasy, FRY Director and Co-Founder

The Science Behind FRY The Method for First Responders

The Science Behind FRY The Method for First Responders

The Science Behind FRY The Method for First Responders

A list of Research supporting each of the element belonging to FRY The Method for First Responders.

FRY Canada conducted: 

  • Qualitative interviews of First Responders across the 3 services (Fire, Police, Paramedic) and Dispatch; and
  • Literature review of mind-body injuries of First Responders

in 2018 and 2021 as preliminary investigation in the development of FRY The Method and FRY The APP. 

The book “F.R.Y. First Responders’ Yoga. The BOOK” is the culmination of these interviews and literature reviews paired with fitness training, advanced yoga education and direct experience as First Responders.

https://www.frycanada.com/books/

 

What FRY Canada heard from First Responders:

There is no time for self-care after shift with home life and personal responsibilities;

  • They cannot follow regular weekly classes due to their erratic shifts; and
  • There is no ONE source they may go to for their energetic workouts, stretching, meditation, relaxation, mindfulness or other stress relief techniques NOR are they specific to First Responder needs.

https://www.frycanada.com/individual-first-responders/

 

Generalizable Mindfulness-Based Strategies for First Responders

Generalizable Mindfulness-Based Strategies for First Responders such as Large and Deep Exhale, Diaphragmatic Breathing, Progressive Relaxation, Mindfulness Imagery increase self-awareness, lead to “decentering” (a non-identified awareness of the experiences whose consequence is a reduction of emotional reactivity), promote intentional responses, enhance self-compassion, and ultimately decrease suffering.

The mind-body interventions have been shown to directly promote First Responders’ mental and physical health while providing increased resilience when facing work-related stressors.  

The American Journal of Psychotherapy, July 2018, Summary of mindfulness-based benefits and empirical research. 

 

Strategies for First Responders Mental Health

A scoping review was conducted using the PubMed database (1966 to October 1, 2020) and the Google Scholar database (October 1, 2020) found:

  • Strategies for supporting mental health and well-being need to be implemented early in the First Responder career and reinforced throughout and into retirement (Begin in training).

  • They should utilize holistic approaches which encourage “reaching in” rather than placing an onus on First Responders to “reach out” when they are in crisis. (Develop a supportive community in good times to be there in the bad times).

Smith E, Dean G, Holmes L. Supporting the Mental Health and Well-Being of First Responders from Career to Retirement: A Scoping Review. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2021 Aug;36(4):475-480. doi: 10.1017/S1049023X21000431. Epub 2021 Apr 30. PMID:  33928892.

 

Breathwork: 

Yogic breathing is a unique method for balancing the autonomic nervous system and influencing psychologic and stress-related disorders. Mechanisms contributing to a state of calm alertness include increased parasympathetic drive, calming of stress response systems, neuroendocrine release of hormones, and thalamic generators – a set of neurons in the thalamus that sets up a clear rhythm in a related cortical area (due to breathwork).

Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 11 Issue 1: March 4, 2005. Richard P. Brown and Patricia L. Gerbarg.The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.Feb 2005.189-201.

 

Functional Movement: 

  • Functional fitness improvements after a worksite-based yoga initiative (Firefighters). Improvements were noted in trunk flexibility and perceived stress. Participants also reported favorable perceptions of yoga: feeling more focused and less musculoskeletal pain. 

Cowen VS. Functional fitness improvements after a worksite-based yoga initiative. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2010 Jan;14(1):50-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2009.02.006. PMID: 20006289.

  • Mindfulness-Based Stretching and Deep Breathing Exercise reduce the prevalence of PTSD-like symptoms in individuals exhibiting subclinical features of PTSD.

Kim SH, Schneider SM, Bevans M, Kravitz L, Mermier C, Qualls C, Burge MR. PTSD symptom reduction with mindfulness-based stretching and deep breathing exercise: randomized controlled clinical trial of efficacy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Jul;98(7):2984-92. doi: 10.1210/jc.2012-3742. Epub 2013 May 29. PMID: 23720785; PMCID: PMC3701284.

  • Therapeutic yoga is defined as the application of yoga postures and practice to the treatment of health conditions and involves instruction in yogic practices and teachings to prevent, reduce or alleviate structural, physiological, emotional and spiritual pain, suffering or limitations. Results from this study show that yogic practices enhance muscular strength and body flexibility, promote and improve respiratory and cardiovascular function, promote recovery from and treatment of addiction, reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, improve sleep patterns, and enhance overall well-being and quality of life.

Woodyard C. Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life. Int J Yoga. 2011 Jul;4(2):49-54. doi: 10.4103/0973-6131.85485. PMID: 22022122; PMCID: PMC3193654

  • Pre-to-post-yoga sessions, levels of positive emotions (engagement, tranquility and revitalization) increased while exhaustion decreased.

Complementary Therapies in Medicine Volume 49, March 2020, 102354 Exploring how different types of yoga change psychological resources and emotional well-being across a single session

 

Relaxation:

  • Relaxation training and yoga most effectively reduced anxiety symptoms among older adults. Furthermore, the impact of some relaxation interventions remained in effect for between 14 and 24 weeks after the interventions.

Effects of relaxation interventions on depression and anxiety among older adults: a systematic review – Piyanee Klainin-Yobas, Win Nuang Oo, Pey Ying Suzanne Yew & Ying Lau, Published online: 09 Jan 2015

  • Relaxation is as effective as cognitive and behavioural therapies in the treatment of anxiety disorders.

Is Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy More Effective Than Relaxation Therapy In The Treatment Of Anxiety Disorders? A Meta-Analysis” – Jesus Montero-Marin, Javier Garcia-Campayo, Alba López-Montoyo, Edurne Zabaleta-Del-Olmo, Pim Cuijpers

  • Research suggests that common forms of relaxation training, such as Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Meditation, Breathing exercises, and Visualization can help individuals reduce stress, enhance relaxation states, and improve overall well-being. The study below examined three different, commonly used approaches to stress relaxation: Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Deep Breathing, and Guided imagery that are all part of FRY The Method. The result is that those techniques promote both psychological and physiological states of relaxation, offering a head-to-head comparison of stress-reduction strategies.

Effectiveness Of Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Deep Breathing, And Guided Imagery In Promoting Psychological And Physiological States Of Relaxation – Loren Toussaint, Quang Anh Nguyen, Claire Roettger, Kiara Dixon, Martin Offenbächer,Niko Kohls, Jameson Hirsch, And Fuschia Sirois – 03 Jul 2021

 

Positive Affirmations / Neuroplasticity: 

Positive statements that can help you to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging and negative thoughts, brief phrases, repeated frequently, which are designed to encourage positive, happy feelings, thoughts, and attitudes and set goals. 

Self-affirmations have been shown to:

  • Decrease health-deteriorating stress (Sherman et al., 2009; Critcher & Dunning, 2015).

Clayton R. Critcher and David Dunning. Self-Affirmations Provide a Broader Perspective on Self-Threat

or you can read:

Psychological vulnerability and stress: The effects of self-affirmation on sympathetic nervous system responses to naturalistic stressors – Sherman, D. K., Bunyan, D. P., Creswell, J. D., & Jaremka, L. M. (2009). Health Psychology, 28(5), 554–562.  

or you can read this Link 2

  • Create an adaptive, broad sense of self which makes us more resilient to difficulties when they arise

Minakshi Rana. Positive Affirmations and its Benefits on Psychological Well-Being

  • Lower stress and rumination (Koole et al., 1999; Wiesenfeld et al., 2001)

Koole, S. L., Smeets, K., van Knippenberg, A., & Dijksterhuis, A. (1999). The cessation of rumination through self-affirmation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(1), 111–125

or you can read this Link 2

  • Improve problem-solving under stress

Creswell JD, Dutcher JM, Klein WM, Harris PR, Levine JM. Self-affirmation improves problem-solving under stress. PLoS One. 2013 May 1;8(5):e62593. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062593. PMID: 23658751; PMCID: PMC3641050

  • Exhibit significant positive correlation to feelings of hopefulness and promote adaptive coping, goal achievement, and better health

Taber JM, Klein WMP, Ferrer R, Kent E. Optimism and Spontaneous Self-affirmation are Associated with Lower Likelihood of Cognitive Impairment and Greater Positive Affect among Cancer Survivors Annals of Behavioral Medicine 50(2) November 2015 

or read Link 2

 

Mindfulness:

  • Mindfulness Training Improves Quality of Life and Reduces Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Among Police Officers 

Mindfulness Training Improves Quality of Life and Reduces Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Among Police Officers. Front. Psychiatry, 26 February 2021

or read Link 2

  • Mindfulness training with First Responders leads to increased resilience and reduced burnout

Kaplan, J. B., Bergman, A. L., Christopher, M., Bowen, S., & Hunsinger, M. (2017). Role of resilience in mindfulness training for first responders. Mindfulness, 8(5), 1373–1380.

  • FRY Interview with Neurologist Gus Castellanos “The Benefits of Mindfulness for First Responders” – 2022

https://www.frycanada.com/video-registration/#NeurologistMindfulnessForFirstResponders

 

Meditation:

  • Meditation practices may impact physiological pathways that are modulated by stress and relevant to disease. Specifically, engagement in compassion meditation may reduce stress-induced immune and behavioral responses.

Thaddeus W.W.Pace, Lobsang TenzinNegi,  Daniel D.Adame, Steven P.Cole, Teresa I.Sivilli, Timothy D.Brown, Michael J.Issa, Charles L.Raison. Effect of compassion meditation on neuroendocrine, innate immune and behavioral responses to psychosocial stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology Volume 34, Issue 1, January 2009, Pages 87-98 

  • Meditation increases grey matter and this benefit is part of the underlying neurological correlate of long-term meditation independent of a specific style and practice

Eileen Luders, Arthur W.Toga, Natasha Lepore, Christian Gaser. The underlying anatomical correlates of long-term meditation: Larger hippocampal and frontal volumes of gray matter. Neuroimage. Volume 45, Issue 3, 15 April 2009, Pages 672-678

 

Workplace Health Initiatives: