Does mindfulness meditation help you if you are depressed?

Counting sheep is the age old method of falling to sleep, but does it really work? Those finding hard to sleep often seek distraction and some distractions work better than others, a team at Oxford University has found.   Researchers have discovered that picturing an engaging scene takes up more brain space than the same old sheep.  In addition it is easier to focus on an engaging scene because its way more interesting that sheep. Harvey and her colleague Suzanna Payne asked 50 insomniacs to try different distraction techniques on certain nights, to see which helped them fall asleep more quickly. One group conjured up a tranquil and relaxing scene such as a waterfall or being on holiday, while a second were asked to think of a distraction such as counting sheep. A third group were left to their own devices. On average, those picturing a relaxing scene fell asleep over 20 minutes earlier than on nights they didn’t try the technique. But both the sheep-counters and the controls took slightly longer than normal to fall asleep on the nights of the experiment.  The researches concluded that counting sheep is just too mundane to effectively keep worries away. If you find it difficult to conjure up vivid visulisations, aromatherapy may help.  A few drops of lavendar, chamomile or neroli essential oils may assist you to relax and unwide, and counjure up tranquil springtime fields. References A G Harvey, S Payne (2002) The management of unwanted pre-sleep thoughts in insomnia: distraction with imagery versus general distraction.  Behaviour Research and Therapy vol 40, issue 4, 267 - 277

In Part 1, I introduced the Bates Method. It was created as result of over three decades of clinic practice as an ophthalmologist. It is based on the theory that errors of focusing are temporary abnormalities which, due to the inability of the eyeball to change shape and when exposed to the healing powers of the body, can be reduced in severity or eliminated.   While conventional wisdom is based on the work of Hermann von Helmholtz states that errors of focusing are due to the inability of the lens to change shape. Dr W H Bates postulated that focusing problems where the result of strain, either emotional or due to “trying” to see. The logical anti-dote to strain is rest, hence he developed palming a technique for resting the eyes. As I know lots of my readers spend long ours in front of computer screens which can strain the eyes. I wanted to share with you this simple version of palming.

1. Cover your eyes with your cupped palms.
2. Add a pillow under your elbows if more height is need to keep your back relaxed and straight.
3. Breathe deeply while you palm for a few minutes.

My final tip on reducing anxiety is to try chamomile.  Chamomile is a herb with a long history of use. A cup of chamomile tea is a common home remedy to calm frayed nerves and promote sleep. A 2009 study showed chamomile may also be a powerful ally against generalized anxiety disorder. The study found people who took German chamomile capsules (220 milligrams up to five times daily) had a greater reduction in scores for tests that measure anxiety symptoms than those who were given a placebo. A more recent trail, much longer term trail reported similar results and noted that the treatment was safe with only a few mild side effects. References https://nccih.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/040310.htm Amsterdam JD, Yimei L, Soeller I, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral Matricaria recutita (chamomile) extract therapy for generalized anxiety disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. 2009 ;29(4):378–382. https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Long-term+chamomile+treatment+for+generalised+anxiety+disorder.-a0503569379