Name: Balance Brain Health
Address: Calgary Alberta Canada, AB
Telephone: (403) 764-0771

Exercises to Use to Reduce Chronic Pain

Chronic pain can be relentless, and alleviating it in any manner may seem impossible when you’re going through the throes of perpetual pain. Managing chronic pain can take some work and consistency, and one popular method to help with your pain is exercise. Upon exercising, your brain will release a substantial amount of endorphins that will enhance your overall mood while quelling chronic pain. While physical and medical treatments are imperative in managing chronic pain, you can also practice both mindfulness-based stress reduction and certain physical activities, as they are conducive ways to ease suffering and go about your day without feeling visceral pain.

Find out what exercises you can do daily to reduce chronic pain and enhance your overall health.

Swimming and water aerobics

For anyone with mobility issues that often cause pain, exercise in the water can be a viable solution for reducing chronic pain. Swimming or water aerobics are relatively low-impact for anyone who has incredibly sore joints and muscles that can be hard to move without inducing pain, where water won’t put any unnecessary strain or pressure on these sore areas. Being in the water, in general, can be therapeutic in clearing your mind, something that is often needed when you’re suffering from chronic pain.

Walking

Walking is a versatile and accessible exercise that can do wonders for your health. Walking can build your strength and endurance, and this exercise will improve cardiovascular health. More so, walking is an exercise that will work to quell chronic pain, notably when it comes to relieving lower back pain. Walking is an accessible exercise that you can perform anywhere from five minutes to one hour and is something you can start slow and eventually work to take longer and more active walks.

Yoga

For exercise that can be low-energy and not strenuous, turn to yoga, where you can learn slow movements, breathing exercises, mindfulness-based stress reduction methods, and certain postures that can help reduce pain while increasing mobility. Yoga is helpful in reducing arthritis, lower back pain, migraines, fibromyalgia symptoms, and general anxiety, among many other ailments that cause pain.

Stretching

Increase your flexibility and bring more flow to your muscles and joints by practicing stretches you’ve always known while adopting new ones into your exercise routine. By stretching, whether you do it before more laborious exercises or before you begin your daily routine, you can reduce any pain and muscle soreness that will be experienced later in the day and reduce any chance of injury when exercising. Stretching each day for about 10-15 minutes can be an extremely accessible way to manage your chronic pain.

Strength training

When you practice strength training, it can successfully relieve some of your back and joint pain. Using a machine to help with strength training will support your body and guide your movements as you build your strength. When you get more acclimated to this type of exercise, you can incorporate weight lifting and improve your form while alleviating some chronic pain in your lower back and joints.

Conclusion

While these physical exercises can help decrease varying levels of chronic pain, it is highly reccomended to consult with a doctor before you approach these exercises to ensure you are managing your own pain in accordance with your circumstances. Ultimately, chronic pain varies depending on the individual, and it is important to know your limitations by inquiring about these exercises to your healthcare provider.

MCI Clinic in Calgary and Cognitive Impairment

Aging brings on a host of changes, including an increased risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is the stage between normal age-related changes in cognitive abilities and other conditions that impact one’s ability to live independently, like Alzheimer’s disease. People experience a slight decline in their mental abilities in MCI, including problems with memory, language, and judgment. While these problems can be noticeable to you and your loved ones they don’t obstruct the individual’s abilities to carry out their daily activities. Although there is not one factor that definitively causes MCI, conditions like diabetes, a stroke, or depression can increase your risk of developing MCI. Still, there are ways to adapt to these changes, and health professionals at your local MCI clinic in Calgary can help support the difficulties you may be experiencing.

Although you can still perform daily activities when you have developed MCI, you should be aware of the treatments, outcomes, and symptoms.

Symptoms of MCI

The signs and symptoms of MCI can vary depending on the cause and underlying neurological process, but often these changes aren’t explicit and visible to others. Even so, a shift in memory and pacing when it comes to tasks can become noticeable to you and your loved ones, as well as changes to your personality or language skills. Some symptoms that may warrant further discussion with your family doctor include:

You begin to forget things more frequently
You begin to feel more overwhelmed at following directions, completing tasks, and making decisions
You begin to lose your train of thought mid-conversation and become a bit adrift during discussions, movies, or television shows
You forget about appointments or dates of social events
You find yourself regularly misplacing items

Alongside these symptoms, you may feel more anxious and irritable than usual and depressed.

Diagnosis

When you or your loved ones begin to notice symptoms that align with MCI, your doctor can do a series of tests and assessments to help determine what is causing this cognitive impairment. These assessments will measure your reflexes, walking and balance, and the ability to remember. While causation may not always be available, your impairment can be caused by certain medications or underlying conditions that can be treated. Your doctor may also order additional neuroimaging, such as a PET scan, to help determine whether the MCI is an early stage of some other condition.

It remains imperative that you talk to your medical provider when you notice something is amiss concerning any of your cognitive functions.

Treatments

While there are no specific cures or drugs you can take to reverse your MCI symptoms, intervention programs can be sought at any MCI clinic in Calgary. These clinics can offer strategies to improve memory loss and provide essential information about memory loss and what activities and lifestyle changes can be practiced and adopted to help. Furthermore, it is important to discuss treating other conditions that interfere with cognitive functions with your family doctor, such as high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and depression. Or, if the medications you’re taking are causing cognitive changes, you can work with your doctor to figure out a viable solution.

Outcomes

While your mild cognitive impairment is dependent on certain factors, whether it can progress to a more impairing condition can be determined by tests from your doctor and other health professionals. Because there is a chance that MCI can progress, it may be helpful to monitor possible changes on a yearly basis. More so, you can work with your doctor and specialists at MCI clinics to adopt methods to help with memory loss and other cognitive and emotional challenges.

Calgary psychologists: The Benefits of Virtual Psychotherapy

The global pandemic has forced many individuals to do many daily and weekly routines in remote settings, including working at their jobs, communicating with friends and family, and attending therapy sessions. Going to therapy sessions by computer has been an adjustment for both client and Calgary psychologists, but that isn’t a negative experience at all. While going to teletherapy instead of seeing your therapist in person may sound like a less effective alternative, it has many benefits and advantages for the client and therapist.

Discover the many benefits of receiving therapy through a computer screen and how it can help improve and maintain your mental health during uncertain and contentious times.

Convenient

Scheduling your therapy appointments in between work and social events can be a headache, and rushing to your appointment to make it on time on a commute can easily induce stress. Instead of trying to get to your scheduled appointment frantically after a long day of work, you can simply return home and begin your therapy appointment virtually on your computer. Teletherapy can be a convenient way for all patients to make it to their scheduled appointment so you can attend your appointment feeling stressed out over being late and without having to miss one minute of a session you’re paying for.

Comfortable and safe

According to a study conducted by the National Library of Medicine, many participants who are attending teletherapy sessions because of safety measures brought on by COVID-19 have had positive experiences in these sessions. Many of those participants in this study have stated that therapy from home feels safe and comforting as they divulge the uncomfortable or upsetting aspects of their lives, both past and present. This form of therapy allows any participant to forge a space of solace within their home, whether that means making yourself a soothing cup of tea or grasping onto any object that exudes sentiment and comfort.

Someone communicating with their therapist remotely

Just as effective as in-person

There are some misconceptions about teletherapy and how it is deemed less effective than in-person therapy, but that simply isn’t true and has proven to be a baseless claim. Recent research has indicated, including the aforementioned study by the National Library of Medicine, that teletherapy offers many of the same benefits that in-person will also provide and effectively treat mental health conditions.

Approachable for all

Teletherapy is an accessible approach to mental health guidance for everyone. Finding a therapist to see in person can be extremely difficult when you live in a remote location or have mobility concerns, but teletherapy can be a viable and conducive solution. You don’t have to drive long distances from any remote rural area to try to receive help for your mental health from Calgary psychologists. No one with mobility concerns should have to worry about building access when teletherapy is available to receive.

Speaking with Calgary psychologists or psychiatrists for anxiety

When you have anxiety and depression hanging over your head, it can be highly challenging to deal with daily. But if you are seeking assistance to help improve your mental health for the first time, it can seem like that also has its own set of challenges. The effective treatment you can receive is typically from a mental health professional who is well versed in providing you with coping mechanisms and is someone you can feel comfortable talking to as you discuss your condition openly and honestly. Although finding someone to help alleviate your anxiety is easier said than done, specifically when the intricate differences between a psychologist and a psychiatrist can elude anyone seeking mental health guidance.

Find out the difference between Calgary psychologists and psychiatrists that can be used for worthwhile mental health treatment.

Psychiatrist

According to Healthline, a psychiatrist is able to provide you with both psychotherapies and can prescribe you the necessary medications that can help alleviate your anxiety. A psychiatrist studies various mental health disorders, such as anxiety, depression, bipolar, and schizophrenia, among other conditions. Further, a psychiatrist is deemed qualified to assess various issues pertaining to psychological disorders and the mental and physical symptoms often associated with these conditions. More so, psychiatrists are also able to treat their patients using talk therapy, but such treatments will differ based on the individual case. Some of the medications a psychiatrist is liable to prescribe can include but are not limited to antidepressants, mood stabilizers, stimulants and non-stimulants.

Psychologist

A psychologist will provide professional counselling and talk therapy to alleviate the debilitating anxiety you may experience. A psychologist will work with you to help you understand the root of your anxiety and give you the tools for behavioural changes. Although very few psychologists can prescribe you medication, it is usually dependent upon the location in which where you reside. Much like psychiatrists, psychologists can assess and diagnose you with certain psychological disorders, mental disabilities, and behavioural issues.

Difference

The most explicit and defining difference between psychologists and psychiatrists, in addition to their academic background, is that psychiatrists are able to prescribe medication while also providing psychotherapy to their patients, while a psychologist can provide counselling services without having the authority to prescribe medications. Though when seeing a psychologist, it is highly recommended to work with your primary physician while undergoing talk therapy to ascertain the best prescriptions that will help treat your anxiety.

Conclusion

When it comes to the question of whether you should seek help from a Calgary psychologists or psychiatrist, there is no broad consensus. Simply put, this question can only be answered with the assistance of your primary physician, who knows your medical history. You should be honest with your primary physician and tell them of the specific symptoms you experience when anxious, and they will be able to refer you to someone who can assist you in starting proper treatment, whether that be a psychologist or a psychiatrist.

Mindful stress reduction strategies and exercise

When stress becomes overwhelming and you become stuck in a constant loop of negative thinking, it can seem nearly impossible to minimize these persistent feelings. Fortunately, there are helpful methods to reduce stress, many of which involve practicing mindfulness when exercising. Mindfulness-based stress reduction can be easily utilized when doing a myriad of exercises and will help you focus on the here and now instead of dwelling on what has already happened. Mindfulness and fitness can go hand-in-hand together and will enable you to shift your focus elsewhere to help decrease high amounts of stress.

Here are ways you can practice mindfulness when exercising and the number of benefits it can provide.

Three senses

When you begin to exercise in any function and feel stress rising so much that it is taking you out of the current moment, you can use your three senses–sight, sound and touch. Ask yourself, after a few deep breaths, what are three things you can currently hear, see and feel? Incorporating this mindful technique while you exercise can level your stress and remove you from a place of rising anxiety.

Breathing

Before any activity where mindful focus is required and necessary, like any exercise, you should take a few minutes to practice and regulate your breathing. This is particularly important if you find your stress levels increasing before exercising because taking slow, deep breaths can effectively remove yourself from your own frantic thoughts. Though it isn’t just simple breathing that is necessary to help induce relaxation and calm, you have to breathe deep enough to engage with your diaphragm. A good way to practice stress-reducing breathing is to lay on your back and place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest, where you will then begin to inhale for four seconds and exhale for six seconds.

Reminding yourself why you’re exercising

After you finish your breathing exercises and begin your workout, it’s important not to rush your routine. While you may have more tempting plans ahead, you should focus on what you’re doing when you’re exercising and why you do it. Continuously center your mind on the present instead of the past or future by reminding yourself why you’re exercising right now and how it is currently helping you in all regards.

Group Of People In Class At Outdoor Yoga Retreat, practicing stress reducing exercises

Focus on your body

In the midst of any workout, your mind is bound to wander. To keep yourself engaged with what you’re doing, focus on the movements of your body. What are your triceps doing as you do pushups? How do they feel? How do your legs feel when you jogging, and how are they moving? Ask yourself these questions regarding the movements of your own body to incorporate mindfulness-based stress reduction into your exercises. This will help connect you with your body and will give you a healthy chance to check in with yourself as well.

Set your intentions

When you begin your exercise, set your daily intentions and say them aloud to yourself. This can reduce any anticipated stressors of the day as it will force you to focus on that one intention at the moment. Setting intentions for your workout can help you maintain your focus on your exercises instead of dwelling on something else.

Cool down

Once you complete your workout, always take a few moments to cool down. Stretch the muscles you just exercised and inhale and exhale slowly for a bit to regulate your breathing and keep yourself in a relaxed state as you set off for whatever you have planned next.

Worries, anxieties, and general stress can consume our minds, impacting our overall health. Whether we are worrying about the future or preoccupied with our past, connecting with our present surroundings using mindfulness can reduce stress and improve mental well-being. Mindfulness means being aware of your feelings, thoughts, and all five of your senses. It also means staying in the moment and focusing on how you feel in the here and now, rather than dwelling on something else. Mindfulness-based stress reduction can relieve everyday stressors and should be practiced every day.

Here are five easy and accessible ways to practice mindfulness with your thoughts to reduce stress.

Gratitude

Thinking of all the positives in your life and how grateful you are for them can push the negative thoughts away, at least for a moment. Allowing yourself to feel gratitude for what you have can be a forceful and powerful way to push positive thoughts to the forefront of the mind. Thinking so positively about your present will enable you to curate a more thoughtful and positive future and can reduce any initial stress that has weighed you down.

Breathing

Mindfulness-based stress reduction can be particularly impactful when we stop and focus on our own breathing. Because breathing is so instinctual, you may not notice how daily worries and negative thoughts can bleed into how we breathe. To stop what you’re doing and focus on the breaths you are currently taking; you can assess if your breaths are shallow or deep.

Once you focus on your breathing, you should practice helpful breathing techniques by inhaling for five seconds and exhaling for five seconds after. Repeat however many times you want until you feel more relaxed.

Setting daily intentions

When you wake up, you should set intentions for the day to help you focus on who you are in the moment and who you want to be in the future. These intentions can consist of any personal goal you want to achieve for yourself or for others around you. These mindfulness-based intentions can include practicing self-care for the day, exuding compassion to others, pursuing your passions, or anything that you think will help better yourself and make you feel good.

Observe your own thoughts

Throughout the day, you can practice mindfulness by stepping back and observing your own thoughts. Understand how your thought processes can fester into negative thinking when you stop and observe. Further, by using this mindfulness method, you can distance your feelings from your current thoughts, where you can easily let them go before they begin to stress you out. Throughout the day, you can practice mindfulness by stepping back and observing your own thoughts.

Understand how your thought processes can fester into negative thinking when you stop and observe. Further, by using this mindfulness method, you can distance your feelings from your current thoughts, where you can easily let them go before they begin to stress you out.

Check-in with yourself and your body

On a daily occasion, you should take a break from whatever you’re doing and check-in with yourself and your body. Connect with your five senses, forcing yourself to react to the present. Make mental notes of what you smell, hear, touch, see, and taste to bring back to the here and now. And when you check in with your body and feel any underlying aches, ask yourself if you’re holding any tensions that need to be released.

CTA: Balance: Psychology & Brain Health can help you find balance in your life by maximizing functioning and minimizing disability through holistic, evidence-based, and client-centred care. Calgary cognitive psychologists and neuropsychologists Calgary offer cognitive assessments, behavioural therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy in Calgary, and insomnia therapy in Calgary. Call (403) 764-0771 today to book at our neuropsychology clinic, chronic pain clinic Calgary or MCI clinic Calgary.

Witnessing your partner or a loved one suffer from an injury can significantly change a relationship and erode the mental health of all parties involved. While you may not have been injured yourself, caring for a loved one or partner who has can take an emotional toll. Trying to sift through the collective trauma between your loved ones and yourself is complex, and learning to cope is particularly important.

If dealing with an injury of someone close to you is becoming emotionally taxing, here are some methods that can help you cope.

Having a support system

Surrounding yourself with loved ones aware of what you and your partner are going through can take away some of the weight you are carrying. Taking the time to spend with loved ones away from your injured partner will also give you time to relax, vent your emotional grievances, and allow you to feel their earned support. Asking loved ones to care for your injured partner when you are unable can also give you time to yourself without the threat of exhaustion consuming you. No one should ever have to go through times of stress without relying on loved ones who will help curate a healthy, positive environment for both you and your injured partner.

Set boundaries

When supporting someone that has suffered from an injury and the trauma that results from that, you also need to keep your own health in mind and set boundaries. Caring for your loved one day in and day out, or if your loved one is prone to lashing out on bad days, you must consider how these accumulated events might impact your mental health. Setting clear and ardent boundaries with your loved one can reduce the risk of a contentious relationship forming and exhaustion. Don’t push yourself too much and tell your loved one what your expectations are in how they treat you.

Coping mechanisms

Adopting coping strategies for you and your loved one can help you sustain a healthy relationship. Breathing techniques, meditation, avoidance of negative thoughts, and wishful thinking are healthy coping mechanisms to reduce stress and pessimism that might arise after an injury. Taking time out of your day to do any physical activity can also be great in reducing stress, and setting aside light activities to do yourself or with your loved one can enhance your relationship.

Don’t neglect self-care

When caring for a loved one with an injury, it is vital not to neglect to tend to yourself as well. Do things you enjoy, whether by yourself or not, and perform tasks that will better your wellbeing. Self-care can include following a skin-care regime, cooking, reading, or any activity that brings you joy. When pouring yourself into caring for another person, you should always set time aside to fulfill your own needs.

Seek professional help

If you find your mental health declining after the injury of your loved one, talking to a therapist or visiting a local mental health clinic sometimes is necessary to improve your health. Talking to a professional can give you coping mechanisms that can be helpful for you and your loved one to adopt into your daily lives. The more you can cope with the traumatic injury of a loved one, the more you will be equipped to help them manage as well.

Balance: Psychology & Brain Health can help you find balance in your life by maximizing functioning and minimizing disability through holistic, evidence-based, and client-centred care. Calgary cognitive psychologists and neuropsychologists Calgary offer cognitive assessments, behavioural therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy in Calgary, and insomnia therapy in Calgary. By utilizing a biopsychosocial model, we specialize in assessing, preventing, and treating factors that can negatively affect your brain health. This includes keeping in mind the biological (e.g. genetics, neurochemistry, medical conditions), psychological (e.g. mood, personality, coping skills), and socio-environmental factors (e.g. culture, social support, education) that individually and collectively impact our well-being. Call (403) 764-0771 today to book at our neuropsychology clinic, chronic pain clinic Calgary or MCI clinic Calgary.

According to the Canadian Pain Task Force Report from March 2021, nearly eight million, or one in five Canadians, suffer from chronic pain. Because of the immense number of people who are suffering, chronic pain has been deemed a public health emergency. These numbers have increased as the population ages, making it explicit that chronic pain isn’t just an isolated issue. Daily life when suffering from pain can become gruelling and dysfunctional, which is why managing chronic pain is so vital. Ascertaining ways to manage your chronic pain can assist in diminishing emotional grievances and can make functioning in your day-to-day life a little easier.

Here are some helpful methods to manage your chronic pain.

Meditation and breathing techniques

Adopting meditation and breathing techniques into your daily life is a useful method that will help ease your body into relaxation and reduce some of your chronic pain. Ignoring all your current thoughts and focusing on your breathing while repeating a mantra or phrase will place your body into a more relaxed state. Practicing deep breathing is another way to ease any tensions that could exacerbate your pain and reduce it significantly. Sitting in a quiet spot can help you find the tranquillity needed to allow the effects of deep breathing exercises to work for you.

Exercise

Although resting is important to do when you suffer from chronic pain, too much rest can also increase your pain levels. To minimize pain as much as you can, incorporating regular exercise into your daily routine can increase muscle strength and flexibility. Ask your healthcare provider what types of exercises are safest for you and what would work best to help manage your chronic pain.

Acupuncture

For chronic conditions like headaches, lower and upper backaches, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and menstrual cramps, acupuncture is a good way to relieve these acute aches. Acupuncture is performed to release endorphins, which are the chemicals that block out feelings of pain. Acupuncture can be a conducive way to decrease pain and it can also work as a preventative measure to avoid the risk and reduce the severity of migraines, cluster headaches and neck pain.

Stress reducers

Significant stress and anxiety can all contribute to worsening pain. Learning to manage your stress can also be helpful in managing your chronic pain. Taking the time out of your busy schedule to do relaxing activities that you enjoy, like listening to music or reading, is an affordable and easy way to lessen the stress you may endure during the day. Stress reduction is an assured way to alleviate some of the chronic pain you suffer from.

Therapy

Receiving therapy, whether physical or psychological, can greatly reduce both physical and emotional pain that is caused by chronic suffering. Numerous physical therapies can teach you to perform stretches and strength-building techniques that will help you manage your pain. More so, seeking help for your mental health can improve the ways you cope with your chronic pain and the mental health struggles that may derive from it.

Managing your pain

Chronic pain can feel completely consuming as it impacts every aspect of your life. Improving your suffering may feel may seem improbable, but it can be done through various daily methods. Chronic pain doesn’t have to define your daily life, and taking small steps to minimize and manage your suffering can be incredibly helpful.

When life circumstances become too stressful, sometimes it is necessary to tend to your mental health by taking time off work. Forcing yourself to work as your stress builds can contribute to emotional and physical illness. Luckily, mental health leave from work can help you recuperate when you most need it.

The process to attain this type of leave can seem daunting at first, but once you know where to start, you can begin to take steps to take leave from work that will significantly benefit your mental health.

Signs of mental stress

If you find yourself consistently anxious, sad, or angry and are plagued with thoughts of constant worry, these can be emotional symptoms of worsening mental health. When these symptoms begin to fester and impact your physical health, where you’re often suffering from headaches, insomnia, and digestive problems, it should be a definitive sign to take action. Knowing the signs that stress is manifesting into physical symptoms and mental distress will let you know that it is time to seek leave from work to prevent ailing health.

These varied symptoms can impact your quality of work and your interpersonal connections. Your mental health should not be disregarded, and if you suffer immensely from these symptoms, taking a mental health leave from work could be necessary.

Doctors appointment

Once you recognize the symptoms of ailing mental health, you should make an appointment with your healthcare provider to receive documentation that will help you get mental health leave. Be honest with your healthcare provider about the physical and emotional symptoms you are experiencing. Providing details that might be uncomfortable to share will help your doctor grasp the extent of your mental health troubles. Additionally, contacting a mental health professional can provide you with coping mechanisms to help you manage overwhelming stress. Consult your nearest mental health clinic to receive guidance and care.

It may seem unfair that you need such detailed documentation from a doctor to prove you should be granted leave, but it is a crucial and proactive step in alleviating your troubles.

HR and your employer

Requesting mental health leave will require you to talk to your HR department head and your supervisor. Requesting leave is a process that can vary depending on the company you work for, which is why reading your workplace guide or handbook can inform you on who you should contact and what documentation is needed.

Bring your documentation from your healthcare provider to this meeting. Generally, you need to be direct with your HR department and supervisor as you request leave for health reasons. It would further help if you came prepared to answer questions about how workplace stress has ultimately impacted your health. Be open and honest about your troubles and communicate how you are learning to cope.

Mental health leave

As soon as you’re able, begin the process to receive mental health leave from your job. Many employers require notice before you can take leave, and many HR departments will guide you through this procedure. You should also check to see if you’re employers offer disability insurance that you may qualify for.

Caring for your mental health should be a top priority, and alleviating stress by taking mental leave from your work is the right step to take.

Mindfulness practice and meditation may seem like synonyms at first glance since meditation employs mindfulness, and mindfulness practice owes a great deal to meditation. But it helps to understand the distinction when you’re looking for ways to complement conventional psychological treatment.

What is Meditation?

Mindfulness is a practice derived from more traditional forms of meditation. In traditional forms of meditation, there are a few schools of thought, and many more technical pointers. But the goal remains the same: generate a harmonious mind frame and get in touch with your spirit and surroundings.

Some schools of thought take it even further. They aim to attain a mental state empty of thought for various aims within mind cultivation. However, such schools of practice may not be compatible with everyone due to differences in philosophy and personal aims. But Mindfulness experts can leverage all traditional techniques to make practice methods fit a broader part of the population. Enter mindfulness practice.

Mindfulness entails complete presence in the moment by observing one’s current experience with open curiosity and a willing readiness to accept one’s surroundings and future. It combines traditional meditation techniques with bodily awareness to teach people how to embrace the current moment with heartfelt acceptance. According to rapidly accumulating research, regular mindfulness practice indicates improved stress management abilities through functional and structural changes in the brain.

Stress management skills may help us recover swiftly from adverse conditions while also maintaining our cognitive, emotional, and physical health directly, allowing you to do more than just consult with a psychologist. You can take control and benefit from a regular practice, improving your experience when you do get facetime with a psychologist; it allows you to shift from over-reliance on breakthroughs to steady and gradual progress.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) puts you in the driver’s seat, and can aid in the regulation of emotions (such as anxiety, sadness, and anger), the effective use of cognitive capacities such as attention and memory, and the management of health issues (e.g., blood pressure, pain, sleep disturbance). Mindfulness skill development may be beneficial to anybody who wants to learn how to handle stress more efficiently in their everyday lives, off of the therapy couch. And it’s better suited to someone who’s never even heard of meditation before.

Fortunately, mindfulness practice is quite suitable for a broad range of patients. Moreover, it’s accessible online and in-app as a part of more general virtual psychological care. With mindfulness practice, you can maximize your psychological health potential and minimize debilitating psychological issues from anywhere. Ready, set, meditate!

Balance Psychology & Brain Health can help you find balance in your life by maximizing functioning and minimizing disability through holistic, evidence-based, and client-centred care. Calgary cognitive psychologists and neuropsychologists Calgary offer cognitive assessments, behavioural therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy in Calgary, and insomnia therapy in Calgary. By utilizing a biopsychosocial model, we specialize in assessing, preventing, and treating factors that can negatively affect your brain health. This approach includes keeping in mind the biological (e.g., genetics, neurochemistry, medical conditions), psychological (e.g., mood, personality, coping skills), and socio-environmental factors (e.g., culture, social support, education) that individually and collectively impact our well-being. Call (403) 764-0771 today to book at our neuropsychology clinic, chronic pain clinic Calgary or MCI clinic Calgary.