Mindfulness in the news. From the Washington Post:

Mindfulness for decreasing drinking

Something anyone who’s been to therapy for substance use issues knows, is that if you’re going to quit something, it helps to also have something to replace it with. Removing whatever unhealthy coping substance a person uses from their life without pulling a Temple of Doom move and substituting it for something that also uses energy and time to elicit a shift in mood can lead to a quick relapse.

Many people automatically go to exercise as recourse, which can be very effective, but an option less consider is simply creating time in their day to sit and observe the breath. Research has shown that as little as 5 minutes per day can lead to improvements in cognition, memory, emotional self regulation, and cardiovascular health.

There are many routes when it comes to mindful approaches to living. In other Wednesday posts I’ll unpack some of the plethora of techniques and perspectives you can bring into your daily life to benefit your own self balance.