The causes and effects of stress have been studied extensively and mindfulness exercises are gaining a lot of attention- for good reason! They can support overall health in a variety of helpful ways. And much like physical activity, the positive effects of mindfulness exercise are associated with repetition and habits.  The terms mindfulness exercise, mindfulness practice or mindfulness technique are used interchangeably and refer to actions that can be taken which contribute to managing the body’s automatic reactions to stress.  Those automatic reactions include hormonal responses, thoughts, decisions, and actions. This overview of mindfulness exercises and health behavior change highlights what stress is, its role in forming habits, and how practicing these techniques regularly can contribute to establishing new habits. Videos tutorials of specific mindfulness exercises are available at the following links: lengthening the out breath, mindfulness meditation, box breathing.

Developing routines which include mindfulness exercises can help with reacting to stress in more helpful ways while also supporting the process of developing new habits which can lead to health improvements.

Overview of Stress and its Effects

Stress describes a physical experience in response to something the brain and the body perceive as a threat to survival.  Stress can be experienced suddenly and urgently, like having to act quickly while driving to avoid getting in an accident. It can also last over a long period of time, which might be the case when managing multiple responsibilities and a busy schedule.  Often something we can rationally determine is not a threat to survival can cause stress levels to rise. The brain isn’t automatically equipped to override the body’s hormonal changes in response to stress, but with some learning and practice it’s possible to explore options and find what is helpful for them as they strive to feel more calm and make more intentional decisions. The same strategies and techniques that are helpful for cultivating more calm also help facilitate the process of changing habits, which is why I find it such a valuable topic to discuss.

Biological survival instincts serve humans well when hunting for food and avoiding predators or other dangerous situations, but our survival response engages even when the triggers don’t involve a life or death circumstance. These built-in survival tactics involve a lot of fast and automatic response, primarily through a series of hormones signaling to various parts of the body. The result of this sequence of signaling is commonly thought of as “fight, flight, or freeze.” Outside of a survival situation these reactions might include seeking temporary comfort or distraction by eating, drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, etc.

The stress response of the nervous system begins in the brain where the hypothalamus signals to the adrenal glands that a threat has been detected.  The adrenal glands release the hormones epinephrine (aka adrenaline) and cortisol, which act as messengers throughout the body and prompt additional responses to stress.  

Adrenaline signals to other parts of the body to react to stress, leading to increased heart rate, increased blood pressure and releasing glucose from the liver.  Adrenaline also contributes to racing thoughts and quick decision-making. This can be immensely helpful in a survival situation but can also lead to anxiousness, difficulty sleeping, and making choices in a less rational way compared to when stress is low.

Cortisol affects regions of the brain involved with the experiences of fear, motivation and mood.  Cortisol also changes the function of systems involved with immunity, digestion, reproduction and growth.  When cortisol is released in response to stress it’s possible to experience increased hunger and choosing foods that are higher in fat and sugar.

The hormonal response to stress can lead to many effects which make it difficult to engage in healthy habits. These effects can include increased hunger, craving high sugar and high fat foods, impulsive decision-making and difficulty sleeping.  While these challenges might not create a lasting impact on overall health in one-off situations, the habits a person forms in response to stress sometimes affect health significantly.  Routinely practicing a mindfulness exercise can lead to health improvements while also supporting the process of developing new habits.

The decision making process is one habit and the action which is ultimately carried out is a separate habit.

The Role of Stress in the Formation of Habits

Habits are formed for a variety of reasons and after they are repeated over time they allow the brain to function in a way that’s more automatic or reflexive. Intentionally developing a habit requires slowing down the process of making decisions which sometimes seem to happen automatically.  Often patterns can be observed related to habits. Generally there’s a trigger that prompts a behavior and as a result of that behavior some reward is experienced.  With repetition, the brain interprets experiences, environments, or other prompts as triggers associated with behaviors and rewards. Over time the decision-making process becomes very efficient and fast. The decision making process is one habit and the action which is ultimately carried out is a separate habit. A routine mindfulness exercise can contribute to slowing down habitual decision making and identifying opportunities for making a different decision. This can lead to choosing a new action and, with repetition, new habits can form related to thinking and decision making.

Stress is a common trigger for habits, including habits that interfere with health goals.  Experiencing mental, emotional or physical discomfort leads to self-soothing or distracting attention away from the underlying stressor.  If the behavior chosen in response to a stressor doesn’t address the root cause of stress, the habit will likely be repeated when the stressor is experienced again. And if this habit contributes to adverse health effects it becomes increasingly difficult to address those health outcomes without also developing strategies for managing stress.

If the consequences of a habit lead to negative health outcomes, the trigger, behavior and reward can be examined to identify where there are opportunities to do things differently.  Some people find that developing a consistent routine which includes a mindfulness practice helps to interrupt automatic reactions in response to stress and explore ways of self-soothing without external stimulus.  

In summary, it’s possible to notice the discomfort brought on by stress and experience it without reflexively taking action, which creates space for taking action in an intentional way instead of staying on auto-pilot.  While the stressor might persist and present challenges, a person who engages in effective stress management practices is likely to take action in ways that are more aligned with their goals.  With repetition and time, these new decision-making processes become more habitual.

5 Ways A Mindfulness Exercise Can Contribute to the Process of Health Behavior Change 

Adding a mindfulness exercise to a routine requires behavior change. If practiced regularly, those exercises can help with the process of changing behaviors, maintaining new habits, and managing stress in ways which support long-term health and wellbeing.

A routine which consistently includes mindfulness exercises can help with behavior change in a variety of ways:

1. Observing without judgment.  Including a mindfulness exercise as part of a regular routine can help with experiencing life just as it is without pressure to label or judge what’s noticed.  Observing patterns related to current habits in a neutral way is helpful for identifying opportunities to implement changes and experimenting as a way of learning.  
2. Rational thinking and decision making instead of impulsive decision-making.  Bringing attention to the present moment by using a mindfulness exercise helps with focusing on what you can do and keeping thinking helpful. This can also lead to considering potential outcomes as a result of taking action which contributes to reaching goals. 
3. Practicing stress management regularly helps limit the impact of stress.  For some people, improved stress management allows for reducing dependence on external stimuli which otherwise impact health negatively.  Many people use food as a source of comfort or distraction when times get stressful, for example.  Mindfulness exercises and mindful eating can lead to aligning eating habits with the body’s needs for energy and nutrients while also easing mental and emotional discomfort.
4. Changing habits is hard and inevitably there will be times when things don’t go as planned.  Consistently engaging in a mindfulness exercise not only helps with remaining calm during challenging times, but also can reinforce strong internal sources of motivation, love and appreciation for self and body, as well as self-compassion and forgiveness. Identifying ways to continue progressing toward goals after challenges arise is one way routine mindfulness exercise contributes to building resilience.
5. Taking action regularly to manage stress can contribute to improved sleep quality and duration, which supports overall health and decision-making.

Examples of Mindfulness Exercises

The best stress management practice is something that’s effective, included in a consistent routine, and can be utilized on demand as needed.  There isn’t a right or wrong way to start a stress management practice, but it can take time to become comfortable with “just being.”  As with any new routine, developing a mindfulness-based practice requires repetition but these don’t require a lot of time to be effective. Even just 2 minutes practicing a technique such as deep breathing or meditation or muscle relaxation can have positive effects.  

You can find my video tutorials for techniques which can be learned quickly, practiced daily, and utilized on-demand at the following links: lengthening the out breath, mindfulness meditation and box breathing.

Mindfulness exercises are one of the seven recommendations I suggest instead of dieting.  You can read that series of posts which begins here.