Wellness Wednesday: Mindfulness

Dear colleagues,

A recent study in JAMA Psychiatry showed that mindfulness exercises worked as well as Lexapro for anxiety. Mindfulness treatments used in the study included breath awareness exercises, which involves paying attention to your breath as you allow thoughts to rise, then pass through your mind before letting them go.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction vs Escitalopram for the Treatment of Adults With Anxiety Disorders: A Randomized Clinical Trial | Anxiety Disorders | JAMA Psychiatry | JAMA Network

Granted, we may not all have the luxury of taking an 8-week course with a weekly 2.5-hour-long class with a mindfulness teacher, daily at-home exercises for 45 minutes, and a one-day mindfulness retreat. But that is not to say that small daily dose of the activities cannot help lower our stress and anxiety levels.

Best,
GME Wellness Committee