The New Year serves as a reset for many – a time to set goals for a healthy and happy year ahead. Anxiety and stress can come hand-in-hand, making it a good time for providers to check in on mental health and discuss helpful tools for managing symptoms.
One promising practice to consider is Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). MBSR is a specific and standardized approach to mindfulness with increasingly promising evidence of benefit. A recent, large-scale preliminary study shows that practicing MBSR for 8 weeks is as effective at reducing anxiety as taking escitalopram 10 or 20 mg daily for 8 weeks. This is one of the highest quality studies to date suggesting that mindfulness can be a true therapeutic alternative for managing anxiety.
In addition to anxiety, there’s also evidence that mindfulness reduces symptoms of depression and can improve sleep quality in people with insomnia. With the holidays behind us and several long, dark months of winter ahead, this can be a difficult time for many. Both MBSR and another form of mindfulness called mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) might help.
If patients express concerns about anxiety, depression, and sleeping problems, ask if they’ve considered mindfulness practices. There are an increasing number of online resources and apps that can help guide patients through the practice. Mindfulness exercises are also much safer and more sustainable for long-term use than many medications for these conditions. But remind patients that mindfulness is called a “practice” for a reason. Patients will need to practice regularly and consistently to see the benefits. Review our monograph to learn more.
The information in this brief report is intended for informational purposes only, and is meant to help users better understand health concerns. This information should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Users should consult with a qualified healthcare provider for specific questions regarding therapies, diagnosis and/or health conditions, prior to making therapeutic decisions. Copyright © 2024 NatMed. Commercial distribution or reproduction prohibited. NatMed is the leading provider of high-quality, evidence-based, clinically-relevant information on natural medicine, dietary supplements, herbs, vitamins, minerals, functional foods, diets, complementary practices, CAM modalities, exercises and medical conditions. Monograph sections include interactions with herbs, drugs, foods and labs, contraindications, depletions, dosing, toxicology, adverse effects, pregnancy and lactation data, synonyms, safety and effectiveness.
