One huge perk of working in Higher Ed is attending lunch-ins to hear top-researchers discuss their work. I had the privilege to attend an excellent presentation this past week to hear Dr. Richard Davidson who is globally acclaimed for his work studying emotion and the brain(he even worked with the Dalai Lama to understand meditative effects on the brain). He is the founder of Center for Healthy Minds at UW-Madison. See link to his website: https://www.richardjdavidson.com/

The title of Dr. Davidson’s talk was “Well-Being is a Skill”.

Dr. Davidson presented the shocking reminder from the US. General Surgeon that well-being is in rapid decline and the two major health advisories includes isolation and loneliness. These are two-fold more dangerous than obesity for overall health and longevity. It was fascinating to me that even when comparing those who smoke 15 cigarettes a day are living better than those in isolation. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf

The most recent post we had on our blog was all about recognizing the habits that will show up on your face in 10 years and to reflect on what those habits look like in your own life both mental and physical health.

 I think one crucial habit to evaluate is the reality of how you prioritize your social wellness and mental well-being. 

What are the habits that cultivate community and prevent you from being isolated? 

Who is in your circle to trust and rely on during the good and bad times? 

Dr. Davidson’s talk then transitioned into impacts of social media and being distracted as a whole. 

Next big question, how many hours do you spend on your phone? 

Did you know that the average American opens their phone 150x during the day? (this was a wake up call to me to evaluate  how many times I check my phone each day)

As for social media, the U.S. Surgeon General found that young people spend on average 3.5hrs on social media which is absolutely horrifying to me. Dr. Davidson emphasized that social media can be a powerful tool but can have severe consequences on our mental health. 

The 4 Pillars that Dr. Davidson emphasized to prioritize your well-being is:

1. Awareness/Mindfulness–The important skill to Be Present. The example he gave was having a meta-awareness which is described as knowing “what are minds are doing”. To further explain, he gave the example of when we are reading a few pages and then have no recollection of what we just read is a sign that we have a distracted mind.

One great study he emphasized that was published in SCIENCE is titled “Wandering Mind is Unhappy Mind” and link is here for you to read more about.(https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1192439) 

2. Connection–these characteristics include having appreciation, kindness, compassion and gratitude. One component that was emphasized here is what was described as “Compassion Meditation” Step 1 of this practice consists of taking a short time to reflect on a loved one and wishing this person happiness and free of suffering. Step 2 of this meditation practice is then thinking of yourself and applying same pattern then the 3rd is a stranger such as a bus driver, colleague who you don’t know very well. The fourth and last is for a difficult person in your life. As a Christian, this idea of “compassion meditation” is what I consider taking time to pray for others and not just meditating on thyself. It was very cool reminder that by taking time to pray for others truly does amplify the brain’s Ventral Striatum area, which leads to a higher ability for altruism. So, take time to incorporate more of a pattern of prayer in your life whether it be for close loved ones, strangers, yourself and last but not least the difficult people in your life.

Another fascinating reminder is that from the study based on this “compassion meditation” by them just having MRI of the brain within just two weeks of taking 5 mins average a day already had drastic results. So, just remind yourself that our brains thrive in structure and you will quickly see the changes. But also the reminder that just like not going to the gym, those changes can diminish just as quickly as you saw them appear. 

3. Insight-Get Curious–this was described as the narrative of who we are. The beliefs, thoughts we have towards ourselves. However, when this narrative turns negative about ourselves and leads to negative thoughts this is the “prescription for depression”. The danger is then the narrative becomes reality which is not true! That is why it is essential to not allow that false narrative to be what you live by, which plays into the next and final point of Purpose. 
4. Purpose–described as having a “True North” in your life to guide you. So how do you stay motivated, clarifying that purpose, embodying values. For Grace and I, this purpose is found in our faith which serves as an anchor to rely on during the good and difficult seasons. This is also important to make meaning out of the mundane and remember that the simple task of taking out the trash is important by being faithful even in the small tasks so that you can carry out the larger ones. It is just a reminder to have motivation to show up in all areas of your life. 

The ending point that Dr. Davidson finished with the idea that brushing teeth was never a biological necessity but we understand the importance for our own hygiene. This simple practice of brushing our teeth which only requires maybe 3mins/day how much more important it is to take a minimum of 5 mins each day to ground ourselves mentally and wish well for others. 

Remember that our brains have a great capacity for change called neuroplasticity, so instead of living in those mental cycles of shame choose to 1. Be Aware 2. Connect and live in community 3. Have Insight– to not let the narrative of who you are be the reality and 4. Purpose–live a life full of purpose–one great book I highly recommend is John Piper’s Don’t Waste Your Life–very impactful to realize how short this life truly is. 

The only way to make headway for healing your body physically, is to first start with prioritizing your mental well-being. So, Grace and I are praying for you to reflect on those habits in your life, assess these 4 pillars and implement new habits in your life so that you can maximize this year of change.