Basic HTML Version
holiday depression
32
NOV / DEC 2014
I
Healthcare Journal of new orleans
early in the season can help, but so can tak-
ing a step back to foster a conscious aware-
ness of who, or what, is pushing us to spend
money. Businesses understandably try to
persuade us to spend large sums on gifts.
The resulting commercial images, however,
have permeated our culture as new norms
that are hard not to internalize, leading to
unrealistic and unhealthy expectations. Buy-
ing gifts for extended family can be partic-
ularly daunting, and all too often leads
only to a glut of unwanted posses-
sions. Talking to family mem-
bers and deciding as a group
to not buy gifts for each other,
or only buy gifts for children,
can lower stress and change
the focus to spending qual-
ity time together. Creative
solutions can help, too, such
as gift parties, where everyone
buys (or makes) just one gift, but
can enjoy each other’s company and
the ritual of exchanging presents.
Dovetailing with modern cognitive and
social approaches is an ancient set of tech-
niques originally developed by Buddhists in
Asia. Known as mindfulness practice, these
methods aim to develop objective awareness
of one’s thoughts, perceptions, and emotions.
At their core is meditation. While a number
of meditation techniques exist, the most
common involve sitting still and straight-
backed, in a state of calm concentration,
focusing either on
the breath or on
one thought at a time,
gently bringing the mind
back to the focus whenever
it wanders. Building mental stam-
ina throughmeditation allows us to be mind-
ful of our thoughts andmotivations through-
out the day, so that we can quickly intercept
irrational or harmful thoughts that lead to
stress and depression.
The resulting changes in brain structure
are prominent enough to be measured: neu-
roimaging research on the effects of mind-
fulness practice has revealed enhanced
connectivity and activation of several brain
areas, most notably in cortical midline struc-
tures (which are involved in the perception
of self and feelings related to morality, such
as guilt and compassion), insular cortex
(involved in consciousness and emotion),
hippocampus (involved in memory), and
amygdala (involved in memory, decision-
making, and emotion). During the holi-
days, meditation can help build awareness
of thoughts leading to depression, such as
unrealistic or irrational expectations. Better
yet, since it is a great way to reduce stress
and improve cognition in general, learning
to meditate can be a holiday gift in itself—a
gift to oneself that is meaningful, useful, and
that lasts a lifetime.
n
‘‘