It's exam time for high school students in Ottawa; often stressful period where anxiety levels can run high.
Youth mental health has never been more under the spotlight than now as demands for services skyrocket. So, there's a new approach developing at CHEO's YouthNet that could help reduce stress and perhaps even medications. It's called Mindfulness.
Before the big game when little hockey players step on the ice.
Before the bell that signals the start of that final exam, that is the moment to be “mindful.”
“Mindfulness helps you pull back and re-centre yourself in what's happening right now,” says Dr. Marjorie Robb, the medical director of Mental Health Ambulatory Care at CHEO, “and that's how it decreases depression, which is worrying about the past, and anxiety, which is worrying about the future.”
Dr. Robb says adults have been practicing mindfulness for years but in the last few years, people have realized how effective it can be for teens and children.
Chris Aquino has been practicing it since he was 18. He’s now 26.
“I learned it on line,” he says, as he takes off his shoes and glasses, sits on a mat and crosses his legs, “there were tutorials, and walk-throughs. It’s very easy to do; anyone can do it.”
Similar to meditation, it is about calming the mind but, unlike meditation, you can be mindful while you dance or walk or even eat.
Dr. Robb explains, “It's paying attention on purpose in the present moment without judgement. And the “without judgement” part is probably the hardest part for people.”
CHEO's Youth Net is currently training two young people who will run mindfulness sessions for 12 to 20 year olds, starting in the spring. The hope is to eventually introduce this into Ottawa schools.
For Chris Aquino, it has helped him overcome life's many stresses.
“Taking even one minute at top of hour to breathe for myself makes everything more manageable.”
