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Well-Being Strategies
Jun. 3rd, 2024 10:14 amI was recently asked for some references to psychological and self-help books I found useful. Thought I'd collect it all in one place.
I've found meditation and biofeedback extremely helpful in coping with life's challenges.
Any of the visualization books by Gerald Epstein are great reads.
For more on meditation and coping strategies, Pure Edge Inc. has some wonderful videos and webinars.
https://pureedgeinc.org/
Breathing can have a profound effect on mental state. Taking a few deep breaths when stressed can quickly move a person from a sympathetic nervous state to a parasympathetic state. Books like Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor go into more details. I've found Buteyko breathing which Nestor described to be a helpful way of temporarily lessening the pain of migraine attacks. Breathing techniques such as starfish breathing described by Pure Edge, Inc or the alternative nostril breathing technique are great coping mechanisms.
Here are some courses I've taken on the importance of meditation and mindfulness that I thought were useful:
https://palousemindfulness.com/
https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being
Finding your strengths was mentioned in the Science of Well-being course:
https://www.viacharacter.org/character-strengths
While mindfulness can be helpful in some cases and helps some people more than others, there are other forms of meditation. Creativity, mind wandering and thinking of the past and/or future which is characterized by theta states are often at odds with mindfulness practices and being in the present moment. However, they coincide well with other forms of meditation and help some people who find living in the present moment not as useful for their particular situations.
Scott Barry Kaufman shares an alternative view of mindfulness:
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/my-mindfulness-journey/
The book Mindwandering by Moshe Bar goes into more details on the positives of using that technique.
This brings me to flow states which are a wonderful coping mechanism. Both those that advocate mindfulness and those that advocate for alternatives like creativity, mind wandering and not being in the present moment often mention flow states as a useful technique. Ironically both groups find this technique compatible with their philosophies. Some see flow states as being in the present moment while others see it as being more in a theta brainwave state where one has access to past and future memories. There's more information on flow states here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)
I have a theory that those who tend to be high in openness on the Big Five (psychology's gold standard for personality tests) also tend to be more prone to flow states and more comfortable with creativity and mind-wandering.
https://bigfive-test.com/
Discussing flow states seems like a natural segue into monotropism which can have a strong connection. Monotropic thinking can encourage flow states.
https://monotropism.org/
https://dlcincluded.github.io/MQ/
Another set of psychological concepts that I found interesting was related to defensive pessimism, vantage sensitivity and spoon theory. The mind and the body are connected and living with chronic pain can affect mood.
Spoon theory is an interesting way of viewing living with chronic pain. Here are some articles related to spoon theory:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_theory
https://despitepain.com/how-to-stop-pain-destroying-your-social-life/
There is so much material on resilience these days but what about coping mechanisms for those who either do not value resilience or have chronic conditions that have worn away their resilience?
Vantage sensitivity provides an interesting theory that puts resilience on one point of a spectrum and sheds light on the positives of being less resilient. The theory fits in well with some HSP tendencies.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5959990/
Defensive pessimism can be a useful technique for some including many with chronic conditions or highly sensitive personalities. Like vantage sensitivity which shows there are alternatives to resilience which can be beneficial, defensive pessimism highlights that not everyone needs to be an optimist in life. Some actually do better using pessimism as a tool. Again, this can be useful for those with chronic pain and health conditions.
https://theconversation.com/the-surprising-benefits-of-being-a-pessimist-91851
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_harness_the_power_of_negative_thinking
http://academics.wellesley.edu/Psychology/Norem/Quiz/quiz.html
Another important aspect of well-being is the gut-brain connection. We like to think that if we can control our thoughts and emotions, we can control how we feel. However, not everything is centered in the brain as often believed in Western philosophy. TCM includes the idea of three dantians. The upper dantian can be correlated with the mind. The middle dantian can be correlated with the heart and lower dantian with the gut. We're just finding out in Western medicine that the heart has neurons similar to the brain. There is also a gut-brain connection. The microbes in our gut can affect our thoughts, moods, health and even IQ levels.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31728781/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6469458/
Having a proper diet can affect the make-up of the microbiome. No one diet is right for everyone as is explained nicely in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p97VbFFT8pU
Changing the microbiome can have a profound effect on mental states. Lack of (or too much of certain) minerals, electrolytes or vitamins can affect mood and well-being. Food with natural probiotics and high fiber foods have been linked with longevity, better mood and diversifying the microbiome. As with the case of no one diet being right for everyone, for some people, probiotics are more useful and for others, fiber is more useful in improving the gut microbiome.
Forest bathing, awe walks, gardening and similar techniques can all affect mood. Some believe it's being in a mindfulness state that helps. Others say it's the exposure to microbes from the soil and plants. Sunlight exposure can have an effect as well. Certain EMDR techniques discuss how specific eye movements and walking forward (towards a direction rather than initiating a flight or freeze response) can be helpful. These types of techniques are all a form of healthy exercise and exercise can be very beneficial. So there are many reasons why these types of coping strategies can affect and improve health.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/awe-walks-inspire-more-joy-less-distress
Sleep is also incredibly important for mood, mental and physical health. Diet and sleep can be interrelated. Vitamin D which is actually a hormone (not a true vitamin) can affect sleep and is involved in many functions that regulate the body. We derive a good portion of our vitamin D from sunlight. Some people have seasonal affective disorder which is noticeable when a person does not get enough exposure to light. I've heard many recommendations during the pandemic for taking supplements of extra vitamin D if your levels are low. The theory is that it helps the immune system. However, some studies have found that taking it is not nearly as effective as actual exposure to light. Light is also an important part of regulating circadian rhythms which include the sleep cycle.
https://www.sleepadvisor.org/morning-sunlight/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/21091509540I8.htm
There's a lot of interrelationship between diet, light and sleep. Another key factor for mood is exercise. Many studies often find specific exercises work as well as popular medicine for certain conditions. In the article, "A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind", which is often referenced by mindfulness advocates, there's a chart of activities in relation to happiness. The article discusses how mind wandering scores poorly and mindfulness scores well. However, when you look at the chart, pleasant mind wandering also scored in the positive range and exercise scored higher than mindfulness.
Another positive activity that scored higher than mindfulness was related to music. Music can profoundly affect health. It can also affect mood. To notice the effects of music first hand, just try watching a movie or TV show without the music soundtrack. Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research has some fascinating studies going on about how music can affect people.
Here's one video I was very impressed with on sound therapy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgDg2PP_oHw
One form of music that has been shown to affect mood is bird song. It's yet another reason why awe walks and forest bathing are helpful techniques. It's also another example of the efficacy of music in affecting mood.
https://www.audubon.org/news/more-birds-bring-more-happiness-according-science
I've been searching for good resources related to grief. I really haven't found any grief specific reference materials out there that I felt were very helpful. I personally found exercise practices such as Qigong and Tai Chi more effective strategies for dealing with grief than reading about it, attending support groups or being in nature. However, these newsletters do go over some basic concepts about grief:
http://continuingcare-sandiego.kaiserpermanente.org/Support_Home.html
The topic of grief brings me to the concept of glimmers. Techniques like glimmers and flow states are possible techniques that may be helpful for people dealing with negative emotions such as grief and loss or other stressful situations.
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-glimmer-5323168
One other self-help book I found very informative was Wishcraft.
http://wishcraft.com/
I'll update this as I think of other useful references. Hope this is a helpful starting point.
I've found meditation and biofeedback extremely helpful in coping with life's challenges.
Any of the visualization books by Gerald Epstein are great reads.
For more on meditation and coping strategies, Pure Edge Inc. has some wonderful videos and webinars.
https://pureedgeinc.org/
Breathing can have a profound effect on mental state. Taking a few deep breaths when stressed can quickly move a person from a sympathetic nervous state to a parasympathetic state. Books like Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor go into more details. I've found Buteyko breathing which Nestor described to be a helpful way of temporarily lessening the pain of migraine attacks. Breathing techniques such as starfish breathing described by Pure Edge, Inc or the alternative nostril breathing technique are great coping mechanisms.
Here are some courses I've taken on the importance of meditation and mindfulness that I thought were useful:
https://palousemindfulness.com/
https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being
Finding your strengths was mentioned in the Science of Well-being course:
https://www.viacharacter.org/character-strengths
While mindfulness can be helpful in some cases and helps some people more than others, there are other forms of meditation. Creativity, mind wandering and thinking of the past and/or future which is characterized by theta states are often at odds with mindfulness practices and being in the present moment. However, they coincide well with other forms of meditation and help some people who find living in the present moment not as useful for their particular situations.
Scott Barry Kaufman shares an alternative view of mindfulness:
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/my-mindfulness-journey/
The book Mindwandering by Moshe Bar goes into more details on the positives of using that technique.
This brings me to flow states which are a wonderful coping mechanism. Both those that advocate mindfulness and those that advocate for alternatives like creativity, mind wandering and not being in the present moment often mention flow states as a useful technique. Ironically both groups find this technique compatible with their philosophies. Some see flow states as being in the present moment while others see it as being more in a theta brainwave state where one has access to past and future memories. There's more information on flow states here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)
I have a theory that those who tend to be high in openness on the Big Five (psychology's gold standard for personality tests) also tend to be more prone to flow states and more comfortable with creativity and mind-wandering.
https://bigfive-test.com/
Discussing flow states seems like a natural segue into monotropism which can have a strong connection. Monotropic thinking can encourage flow states.
https://monotropism.org/
https://dlcincluded.github.io/MQ/
Another set of psychological concepts that I found interesting was related to defensive pessimism, vantage sensitivity and spoon theory. The mind and the body are connected and living with chronic pain can affect mood.
Spoon theory is an interesting way of viewing living with chronic pain. Here are some articles related to spoon theory:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_theory
https://despitepain.com/how-to-stop-pain-destroying-your-social-life/
There is so much material on resilience these days but what about coping mechanisms for those who either do not value resilience or have chronic conditions that have worn away their resilience?
Vantage sensitivity provides an interesting theory that puts resilience on one point of a spectrum and sheds light on the positives of being less resilient. The theory fits in well with some HSP tendencies.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5959990/
Defensive pessimism can be a useful technique for some including many with chronic conditions or highly sensitive personalities. Like vantage sensitivity which shows there are alternatives to resilience which can be beneficial, defensive pessimism highlights that not everyone needs to be an optimist in life. Some actually do better using pessimism as a tool. Again, this can be useful for those with chronic pain and health conditions.
https://theconversation.com/the-surprising-benefits-of-being-a-pessimist-91851
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_harness_the_power_of_negative_thinking
http://academics.wellesley.edu/Psychology/Norem/Quiz/quiz.html
Another important aspect of well-being is the gut-brain connection. We like to think that if we can control our thoughts and emotions, we can control how we feel. However, not everything is centered in the brain as often believed in Western philosophy. TCM includes the idea of three dantians. The upper dantian can be correlated with the mind. The middle dantian can be correlated with the heart and lower dantian with the gut. We're just finding out in Western medicine that the heart has neurons similar to the brain. There is also a gut-brain connection. The microbes in our gut can affect our thoughts, moods, health and even IQ levels.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31728781/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6469458/
Having a proper diet can affect the make-up of the microbiome. No one diet is right for everyone as is explained nicely in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p97VbFFT8pU
Changing the microbiome can have a profound effect on mental states. Lack of (or too much of certain) minerals, electrolytes or vitamins can affect mood and well-being. Food with natural probiotics and high fiber foods have been linked with longevity, better mood and diversifying the microbiome. As with the case of no one diet being right for everyone, for some people, probiotics are more useful and for others, fiber is more useful in improving the gut microbiome.
Forest bathing, awe walks, gardening and similar techniques can all affect mood. Some believe it's being in a mindfulness state that helps. Others say it's the exposure to microbes from the soil and plants. Sunlight exposure can have an effect as well. Certain EMDR techniques discuss how specific eye movements and walking forward (towards a direction rather than initiating a flight or freeze response) can be helpful. These types of techniques are all a form of healthy exercise and exercise can be very beneficial. So there are many reasons why these types of coping strategies can affect and improve health.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/awe-walks-inspire-more-joy-less-distress
Sleep is also incredibly important for mood, mental and physical health. Diet and sleep can be interrelated. Vitamin D which is actually a hormone (not a true vitamin) can affect sleep and is involved in many functions that regulate the body. We derive a good portion of our vitamin D from sunlight. Some people have seasonal affective disorder which is noticeable when a person does not get enough exposure to light. I've heard many recommendations during the pandemic for taking supplements of extra vitamin D if your levels are low. The theory is that it helps the immune system. However, some studies have found that taking it is not nearly as effective as actual exposure to light. Light is also an important part of regulating circadian rhythms which include the sleep cycle.
https://www.sleepadvisor.org/morning-sunlight/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/21091509540I8.htm
There's a lot of interrelationship between diet, light and sleep. Another key factor for mood is exercise. Many studies often find specific exercises work as well as popular medicine for certain conditions. In the article, "A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind", which is often referenced by mindfulness advocates, there's a chart of activities in relation to happiness. The article discusses how mind wandering scores poorly and mindfulness scores well. However, when you look at the chart, pleasant mind wandering also scored in the positive range and exercise scored higher than mindfulness.
Another positive activity that scored higher than mindfulness was related to music. Music can profoundly affect health. It can also affect mood. To notice the effects of music first hand, just try watching a movie or TV show without the music soundtrack. Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research has some fascinating studies going on about how music can affect people.
Here's one video I was very impressed with on sound therapy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgDg2PP_oHw
One form of music that has been shown to affect mood is bird song. It's yet another reason why awe walks and forest bathing are helpful techniques. It's also another example of the efficacy of music in affecting mood.
https://www.audubon.org/news/more-birds-bring-more-happiness-according-science
I've been searching for good resources related to grief. I really haven't found any grief specific reference materials out there that I felt were very helpful. I personally found exercise practices such as Qigong and Tai Chi more effective strategies for dealing with grief than reading about it, attending support groups or being in nature. However, these newsletters do go over some basic concepts about grief:
http://continuingcare-sandiego.kaiserpermanente.org/Support_Home.html
The topic of grief brings me to the concept of glimmers. Techniques like glimmers and flow states are possible techniques that may be helpful for people dealing with negative emotions such as grief and loss or other stressful situations.
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-glimmer-5323168
One other self-help book I found very informative was Wishcraft.
http://wishcraft.com/
I'll update this as I think of other useful references. Hope this is a helpful starting point.
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