# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
To say that COVID-19 has been an emotional roller coaster is an understatement. While you're busy juggling working at home, homeschooling your children, and disinfecting your groceries, your mind may be playing a constant chatter of worry on a loop. "What's going to happen with my retirement savings?" "What if I lose my job and health insurance?" "How will I make my mortgage payment?" And the ultimate fear: "What if I develop a cough, fever, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of the disease?"

Now, for a moment, try to forget all of that. Breathe in and out a few times. If your mind wanders, just notice that, accept that your mind has wandered, and refocus on your breathing.

That's a bare bones example of mindfulness, an approach to dealing with stress that can involve a simple form of meditation-although it doesn't have to-or a variety of other techniques that help you slow down.

"Mindfulness is really important in times like this," says Auguste H. Fortin VI, MD, MPH, a Yale Medicine internal medicine specialist who has recommended mindfulness practices to some of his patients to help them cope with their illnesses. With COVID-19 front and center of nearly every aspect of life, he believes that, under the surface, many people are grieving the loss of their former lives. "It's not just the kind of grief you feel when a loved one dies-it's grief created by so much uncertainty," he says. "We liked the way things were."

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness can be a formal meditation. Though people might be intimidated at the thought of what's involved with meditating, Dr. Fortin suggests that it may be easier to think of it as a gym for developing mindfulness. "In meditation, your only job is to follow your breath and notice what your mind is doing while that's happening," he says. "You'll then learn how to use the muscles you develop."

But mindfulness shouldn't be confused with other types of meditation such as TM®, which stands for transcendental meditation, a popular kind of meditation that involves using a mantra, says Rajita Sinha, PhD, chief of psychology for the Department of Psychiatry. She is also the director of the Yale Stress Center, which offers mindfulness classes, trainings, and workshops, and also conducts research focused on developing and testing novel treatments to reverse the destructive effects of stress.

Dr. Sinha adds that a mindfulness practice doesn't have to involve meditation. "It is really about being in the moment, observing what's coming at you from the outside and what's coming up inside-taking it in and observing, and not reacting to it," Dr. Sinha says. "With extended practice, you can begin to let go of what's coming at you. But that takes longer."

It's also important to refrain from judging yourself or anything that's happening in the moment, Dr. Sinha says. "Being nonjudgmental is a critical part."

This may sound easy, but maintaining a daily mindfulness practice can be difficult, says Dr. Sinha. "You can't just pull mindfulness down from a shelf whenever you need it," she says. It's not just taking a relaxing break, nor is it a "state of mind"-and if someone says they had a mindful day, they probably didn't, she adds. "We may think we are in the present moment, but our attention keeps going to where we have to be tomorrow or the pain that we are feeling, or to talking on the phone or looking at the computer. When you are staying in a moment fully, it means you observe what is happening and notice when your mind gets taken away to something else. Then, you bring it back. That's when this becomes a skill."

A variety of ways to practice mindfulness

Anne Dutton, MA, LCSW, is director of the Yale Stress Center mindfulness education program, where she teaches a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course, a group program that was developed in the 1970s by Jon Kabat-Zinn and pioneered at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Kabat-Zinn took mindfulness, which is part of an ancient Buddhist tradition of practices, and repackaged it as a secular intervention to help patients struggling with life's difficulties, including physical and/or mental challenges. MBSR is used widely today in preventive and clinical programs.

Dutton says mindfulness is a practice that involves three components:

Paying attention to what is happening in the present moment

Doing this purposely and deliberately, with resolve

Maintaining the attitude that you will stay with your mindfulness experience, whether it's pleasant or unpleasant

"You can pick your practice," says Dutton. A formal practice means specifying at least one time each day when you will put other concerns aside and focus only on the practice, be it meditation or another technique. (There are many apps available online that can be used for guidance, she says.) You can also do an informal practice, which could involve picking something you do anyway and approaching it with the three components (above) in mind.

Mindfulness and COVID-19

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing your hands frequently to prevent COVID-19, and that can be done as a mindfulness practice, Dutton says. "Before you begin, set your intention that you are going to pay attention to the sensations associated with the experience, as well as any thoughts that arise and emotions you may feel while handwashing. Moment to moment, pay attention to the water, the application of soap to your hands, the smell of the soap, the rubbing of your hands together. If a thought pops into your head while you are doing that-or if you start to feel sad-notice that but go back to the sensations of washing your hands, which is your anchor."

The Yale Stress Center and Kabat-Zinn provide other tips and techniques:

Take a moment or two to pause during the day. Put aside whatever you are working on or thinking about, and take in a few slow breaths. Notice the sensations of the air going in through your nose and exhaling out through your nose.

Lie down, close your eyes, and slowly scan your body mentally from head to toe-or start from the opposite direction-bringing your awareness to each part of the body without judging or trying to change anything.

Practice S.T.O.P.-this is an acronym that stands for Stop, Take a breath, Observe your feelings, and Proceed.

For people who want further guidance on how to practice mindfulness, Dutton leads a free weekly Zoom program every Wednesday afternoon called " Coping with COVID-19 Anxiety through Mindfulness."

Mindfulness can stop the chatter, especially related to COVID-19

Dutton says the mind's constant chatter can be stopped by mindfulness, which can be invaluable when people are worrying about everything from whether they wore their mask properly in the grocery store to how to help a loved one who is seriously ill.

"Strong emotions like fear, sadness, and anger-that we are all feeling right now-are perpetuated by ruminative thinking [thought patterns that go around and around], so sometimes we don't even realize this is happening," Dutton says. "Usually these thoughts are speculative," she adds, explaining that they might be based on something in the news or a concern about what could happen in the future. For example, "You can really get caught up in getting furious about how the health care workers don't have the personal protective equipment [PPE] they need."

This loop of ruminative thinking perpetuates the emotions, Dutton says. "A mindfulness practice can help us connect with awareness and let things come and go without our attention getting stuck on it. It can also help us make better choices. Between the emotion and the action, there is a choice, so this can help you to respond rather than to react."

Is there evidence mindfulness works?

In the last few years, there has been an exponential increase in mindfulness research, according to Dr. Sinha. "The research has just completely exploded. There have been lots of different studies," she says. Various findings-some from National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded research-have shown that mindfulness can help reduce stress and increase well-being, and help in the treatment of addiction, anxiety, high blood pressure, depression, cancer, chronic pain, heart disease, stress, and many other mental and physiological problems.

Hedy Kober, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and psychology, and director of the Clinical & Affective Neuroscience Laboratory in the Yale School of Medicine, is interested in the benefits of brief mindfulness interventions. "A lot of mindfulness research-including some of my own early work-uses individuals who are experienced meditators. For some people that's a lot of investment, and what they might want to know is that with a little effort they might start seeing a little bit of benefit, and that can help them to do even more," she says.

One of Kober's most recent studies involved recruiting people who had never meditated, teaching them to be mindful in a moment, and studying the effects of doing so on the brain. The effect was so pronounced that when participants were practicing mindfulness and subjected to physical pain (in this case, the application of heat to their forearm that was intense enough to cause pain, but not burn them), their brains responded as if they were experiencing a lower, less intense temperature.

While more research needs to be done on minimal mindfulness practice, Kober says, "My recommendation to patients is that any amount of mindfulness you bring into your day can yield benefits. What do you have to lose? You can at least try."

You can try the 10-minute meditation Kober used in her research here.

Can mindfulness help you?

Dr. Fortin's patients with serious illnesses have reported experiencing less suffering when they have practiced mindfulness techniques. One patient visited the emergency department three times within a couple of weeks partly because he had so much anxiety over COVID-19, even though he didn't have any symptoms. During a telehealth appointment, "I was able to acknowledge the patient's anxiety," Dr. Fortin says. "He learned that it's OK to be with what is, and to recognize how we bring suffering on ourselves because of our desire to want things to be different than they actually are."

That kind of anxiety doesn't surprise Dutton, who says many people are underestimating the emotional impact of COVID-19 and the changes it has caused in their daily lives. "Emotions are at much higher levels than we are used to," she says, "and it's not just anxiety. People are furious as well as incredibly sad, and many are really having trouble focusing on anything. I think we all have to slowly work on the ability to feel balanced in the face of these stressors."

Dutton says people can use mindfulness as a tool. Depending on their level of anxiety, they may want to take advantage of other tools as well, possibly including some form of psychotherapy and medication, in addition to lifestyle habits such as sleep, exercise, and good nutrition, she says. "Find a good teacher who you feel comfortable with, invest time in it, and have faith that this is something that has helped people for thousands of years. It's not a quick fix, but it can be really helpful."

Click here to learn more about Yale's research efforts and response to COVID-19.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mindfulness: How It Can Help Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To say that COVID-19 has been an emotional roller coaster is an understatement. While you're busy juggling working at home, homeschooling your children, and disinfecting your groceries, your mind may be playing a constant chatter of worry on a loop. "What's going to happen with my retirement savings?"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Minute Guided Meditation for Focus / Mindful Movement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Here are 7 Tips to Start a Daily Mindfulness Practice:

( If you haven't already joined our Free 30 Day Meditation Challenge, check it out HERE!)
1. Make it a Priority.
To start a daily mindfulness practice, you need to make a commitment to sit for at least five minutes a day. Put away all distractions, don't multitask while meditating - that defeats the purpose. Remember, it's just five minutes a day. Don't make excuses, just find five minutes a day and make it happen!

One thing that can help to make it a priority is to write down your intention. Research shows you're more likely to follow through on a goal if you write it down and if you connect with a deeper "Why". Why are you doing this, and what are you hoping to get out of it? Get out a piece of paper and write this down:
I Commit to five minutes of mindfulness for 30 days to create more xxx in my life.
(fill in your own desired result for xxx)
Next, think about what systems you'll need in place to make this a priority.

Is it telling your partner not to disturb you the first five minutes of every day? Setting aside time during your bus commute to listen to the meditations? Or, if you have little ones, putting them in front of a cartoon like Caitlin did;

"It's so hard to find time for myself with a 1 year old and 3 year old who wake me up bright and early each day but I got them set up downstairs with their breakfast and a cartoon and came back into my room upstairs to do this. I found it wasn't as difficult as I was expecting and actually went by very quickly. Thank you!"
- Caitlin Rives Hatzenbuhler

2. Create Sacred Space.

Decide where you're going to meditate each day and create an inviting, cozy space for yourself. This could be setting up your favorite soft blanket or a candle in the corner of your bedroom, or simply deciding you'll do the meditations on your commute to work each day on the bus. Wherever it is, make it an inviting space.See yourself in a golden bubble of light while, for example, riding on the bus with your headphones, listening to the meditation. Imagine yourself sitting to meditate in this sacred space each morning for the next month. This is called "future pacing" and it makes you more likely to follow through on something if you can see (feel, hear, smell) yourself doing something in the future.

3. Pick a WHEN.

In addition to creating Sacred Space and choosing a "Where," you also need to choose "When" you want to meditate each day. You'll be more successful if you choose the same time each day and build it into your routine.I recommend doing it first thing in the morning, as research shows this is when your willpower is strongest and it's also when your mind is clear and in a rested state.Obviously, life happens. Sometimes you'll end up meditating at a different time. But your baseline should be a time you choose in advance that you'll stick to as often as possible.If you're meditating in the evening before bed and struggle with falling asleep, you may want to try meditating in the morning or during your lunch break when you're less sleepy.

4. Replace Bad Habits with Good.

Creating a Ritual around this new habit or practice is an excellent way to make it stick. One of the best ways to create a new habit, according to research, is to replace an old habit with a new one.Do you check your phone first thing in the morning? If so, how does that make you feel?If you're like most people, it makes you feel anxious and stressed out, thinking about all the things you have to do that day and all the demands other people are placing on you.Instead, start your day with a new habit by creating a Morning Ritual. At night, before you go to bed, put a full glass of water on your nightstand. When you wake up in the morning, the glass of water is a visual reminder of your Morning Ritual. You drink the water and spend five minutes meditating before checking your phone or doing anything else.

This simple Morning Ritual will change the entire tone of your day because you're starting your day with your needs and priorities, versus responding to everyone else's demands. You're taking care of your body by hydrating, and your mind by meditating. And you're being proactive rather than reactive. This will help you stay grounded and focused on what really matters for the rest of the day.

You'll be amazed at what making this one simple change will do. So remember - don't check your phone or read the news, instead, drink a glass of water and meditate first thing in the morning.

5. Don't Go It Alone.
Get support. Join our buddy system, be part of the community, and leave a comment on the page after you meditate. It may feel silly to make a comment after meditating, but the more you engage, the more you'll get out of it. Having a Buddy who is going through the Challenge with you is one of the best ways to get support. There is a percentage of the population that really needs group support to follow through on things, if this is you, definitely sign up for a buddy, participate in the community, tell your friend, your mom, or your great-uncle to check in and see how you're doing. Get the support you need to make this a priority.

6. Let Go of Expectations.

A lot of people get discouraged when they first meditate, and think they're doing it "wrong." If you're having a hard time sitting still remember, this is NORMAL. Cut yourself some slack. Let go of all expectations and you'll find this much more enjoyable.If you have a hard time staying focused on your breath, or you miss a day (or two, or five) of meditating, it's ok. See if you can observe rather than judge yourself. There is no "right" way to meditate.

The key is to always come back to your breath and to the point of view of the Observer. Imagine you're sitting in a theatre watching the movie of your life unfold. Let's say your name is Sarah. You're having a hard time concentrating. Instead of believing your mind chatter saying; "oh, I stink at this! I'm not a good meditator, I'm such a spaz!" go up a level to the balcony seats of the theatre in your own mind, and become the Observer. Look down at Sarah, trying to meditate, feeling frustrated and observe her with curiosity; "Wow, isn't that fascinating, look at Sarah beating herself up, believing she's not a good meditator, how interesting, she's creating a lot of drama about this whole meditation thing." Imagine you're watching yourself. As soon as you pop up to the observer level, you create space between you and your thoughts and beliefs. This is the practice. Be the Observer, get curious instead of judging, and you'll find this much easier and more enjoyable!
Bonus Tip: Connect with your deeper WHY.
7. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to yourself. Did I mention...Be kind to yourself?

This bears repeating because it isn't easy or natural for most of us. My new favorite self-compassion tool is this: Whenever you start beating yourself up about how you suck at meditating, try telling yourself; "I'm just a little bunny, working through my issues, trying something new." Forgive yourself and move on.Research shows being kind to yourself actually BOOSTS your willpower! So don't beat yourself up if you're not meditating "right". Any effort is worth a HUGE pat on the back! The fact that you even showed up gives you a gold star. :). Be kind to yourself, give yourself a gold star for even attempting this, and when you notice you're being unkind to yourself, say; " I'm just a little bunny, working through my issues," and move on.
If you're forcing yourself to meditate because you "should," it's gonna be a slog.
To really turbo-charge your practice, see if you can connect to deeper emotions and find your deeper why. Why are you doing this? What do you hope to get out of it?
When you connect with a deeper motivation, it's easy peasy to stay on track.
There's tons of research on the benefits of meditation, but why, specifically are you doing it? If you can find a deeper why (for example, "I want to be more present with my young kids rather than having my mind wander to all the errands I have to run." Or "I want to be more focused at work instead of feeling constantly pulled in a million different directions"), and see yourself achieving this new desired state, you're more likely to follow through. This will help motivate you.

Go big with your questions, ask yourself; "hmm, what will my Soul get out of this?" Remember the intention from Step 1? What is your deeper desired result? What's your xxx in this sentence?;

REMEMBER:
I Commit to five minutes of mindfulness for 30 days to create more xxx in my life.
(fill in your own desired result for xxx)

Stay true to xxx, and you can't go wrong!

Happy Meditating!!! Let me know in the comments below if you found these tips helpful, or any other questions you have about starting a daily mindfulness practice.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Start a Daily Mindfulness Practice - Vanessa Loder

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here are 7 Tips to Start a Daily Mindfulness Practice: (If you haven't already joined our Free 30 Day Meditation Challenge, check it out HERE!) 1. Make it a Priority. To start a daily mindfulness practice, you need to make a commitment to sit for at least five minutes a day.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Do you savor life or let everyday stresses control you? In other words, how mindful are you?

The practice of mindfulness has been linked to happiness, health, and psychological well-being, but many of us may not know exactly what it is, let alone how to cultivate it.

The quiz below draws on a mindfulness scale developed by researchers at La Salle University and Drexel University, led by psychology professor Lee Ann Cardaciotto. Please answer as honestly as possible about how frequently you experienced each of the following 20 statements over the past week.

When you're done, you'll learn more about what mindfulness is, how much you currently practice it, and how you can promote more of it in your life.

Any responses submitted here will never be shared with any organization outside the Greater Good Science Center under any circumstances, ever. All responses are anonymized and only used in aggregate for evaluation purposes.

Source: Cardaciotto, L., Herbert, J. D., Forman, E. M., Moitra, E., & Farrow, V. (2008). "The Assessment of Present-Moment Awareness and Acceptance: The Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale." Assessment, 15 (2), 204-223.

Embed This Quiz on Your Web Site

Copy this HTML code and paste it into your Web page wherever you would like the quiz to appear. Be sure to include the script tag -- it allows the quiz to resize to fit the space properly.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Do you savor life or let everyday stresses control you? In other words, how mindful are you?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Mental Training Practices for Athletes

Have athletes tackle each of these training practices - either all at one time or periodically throughout the season. Check in with the team regularly to get a pulse on how they are doing with their practices.
Write down your goals
Do you have a goal for your mental health? A goal for your mindfulness practice? For your athletic performance?

Go "old school" and write down your mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, academic and athletic goals! Putting pen to paper helps get these thoughts out of your head and, research shows, that you're more likely to follow through with these goals when you've written them down.
Practice positive self-talk
As a team, or as an individual, commit to using instructional or positive self-talk rather than critical talk.

Paying attention to your internal dialogue, as well as the stories you tell yourself, your friends and your family, is important because your internal dialogue can reflect and shape your mental state. It's OK to notice the thoughts or feelings when they come up, but it's not OK to take them with you to the next race or shot.
Mentally practice like you physically practice
As an athlete, you spend countless hours training your physical body to perform. Now that you know the importance of your mental state, reflect on how much time you spend training your brain.

Start small with mini check-ins throughout the day. When you think of it, ask your mind where is your body? How is your body feeling? How is your mind feeling? Are there emotions present?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Change to Chill for Athletes - Change to Chill

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We get it. Most athletes aren't really into the whole "mindfulness" thing. But guess what: there's a ton of research behind the benefits of practicing mindfulness and its link to increased athletic performance, readiness for competition and overall success. As...Read more ›

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By Yasuhiro Kotera, Academic Lead in Counselling, Psychotherapy and Psychology at the University of Derby Online Learning (UDOL).

Taking the next step and searching for a programme to study can leave you feeling tired, but the excitement and eagerness to start makes taking the next step worth it. You decide to apply to the course that suits your needs, interests and ambitions and you finish the application process. After a short while, you receive your acceptance letters (yay!), and start preparing for your first semester.

You share the good news with your family and friends, leaving you excited with anticipation to start your new journey. Day 1 of your new study is memorable. You meet your classmates, university staff, and faculties. You are amazed to see the library, classrooms, cafeterias, and other university facilities. A few weeks in and you're settling in to your new study routine and surroundings.

Sooner or later, deadlines approach and examination week is upon you. Many students can experience difficulties or struggles throughout these stages of a programme. Assessments are difficult, you're anxious about getting it right and the pressure is rising. The more stressed or worried you become, the more difficult it is to stay focused and complete the assignment.

In my experience as a student and as a faculty staff member, it is as important to study the curriculum, as it is to learn to manage your own state of emotion during your studies. In this article, I will introduce you to 3 mental skill techniques, based on basic mindfulness practice that can benefit you in taking control of your studies.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is about paying attention in a particular way to the present moment nonjudgmentally [ 1]. Mindfulness pays attention to the 'here and now' without any interpretation. In Japanese and Chinese, the word to represent mindfulness is '念' which consists of '今' meaning 'now' and '心' 'mind' [ 2].

The practice of mindfulness has existed in Buddhism for a long time and became particularly popular in the West from the early '90's by Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of 'mindfulness'. Unlike traditional approaches in psychotherapy (psychoanalysis, behaviourism, humanism, and cognitive-behaviourism), mindfulness takes a rather simple yet effective approach to help us deal with our stress, anxiety and other symptoms we may feel.

Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises can be a direct way to approach your mental state from a physical movement. When you feel stressed or anxious, your breathing can become faster or shallower, leaving you feeling like you can't think straight, let alone comprehend complicated theories or arguments. On the other hand, when you are focused, or in the flow, your breathing tends to be firm and slow. By changing your breathing pattern, you can reduce your stress and anxiety. This exercise is particularly useful to do right before you start studying. Here I have listed the 4-8-8* breathing exercise which includes 3 steps.

Step 1. Set your alarm for 2 minutes (as you get used to this, you can make it longer).

Step 2. Make yourself comfortable. If you are sitting on the floor, you can cross your legs. If on a chair, you can put your feet flat and put your hands on each leg. Sit up straight and close your eyes.

Step 3. Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 8, and exhale for 8. While doing this, pay attention to your Tanden (this is the area 9cm or 3-4 inches below your navel) until the alarm goes off.

*Please note: 4-8-8 is an example of a breathing exercise. You can modify these techniques as necessary. In each exercise, exhaling needs to be longer than inhaling.

Body Scan

A relatively easy way to pay attention to the 'here and now' is to tune in and be aware of your physical senses (body). Your feelings can be noticed by paying attention to your body-and-mind connection. Often when people are busy, they forget to notice their feelings. If this lasts for a long time, it can sometimes lead to a person developing serious mental or physical health problems. By practicing the body scan mindfulness technique, you can develop the ability to notice your feelings, reducing the risk of suffering from a serious mental health problem. Here is an example of a body scan technique.

Step 1. Sit comfortably on a chair. Put your feet flat on the floor and rest your hands on your knees. Close your eyes and breathe slowly.

Step 2. As you breathe slowly, pay attention to how the air passes through your nose and mouth. Expand your awareness to each part of your face. Notice where they are located, how warm they are, how they move etc.

Step 3. Continue to breathe slowly. As you do, become aware of your upper body, working down from your neck to your shoulders, arms, chest, and stomach.

Step 4. Carry on working your way down to your lower body, starting at your buttocks and finally moving on to your thighs, knees, calves, shins, ankles, feet and toes.

Step 5. Expand your awareness to your entire body. Notice how you feel now.

Walking Meditation

This is a type of meditation technique where you move and adjust your body in a meditative state, thereby creating an awareness of your body. Take 10-15 minutes and walk with no purpose but to meditate. This walk should be done in a safe environment where you feel comfortable. During your grocery shopping or walking to the post box may not be suitable!

Walking meditation starts with you feeling your standing posture. Breathe slowly and deeply, stand up straight and feel your feet, legs, back, upper body, neck and head. As you do this, find a comfortable spot to look at. Usually people look downward to focus on their body sensations. Once you spread awareness to your entire body, make your first step. Feel how your foot moves; how it touches and lands on the floor, then how your body weight sits on your feet. Similarly, pay attention to the other foot moving forward. Repeat this process, and remember to pay attention to your body.
Remember - be sure to choose a safe time and place for walking meditation.

Benefits of practicing mindfulness

Completing a self-studied programme is a journey. You may encounter emotional problems during your exam week, a group project or throughout your assignments. The mindfulness exercises I have described here can be done relatively easily and only take up to 15 minutes of your day. Practicing mindfulness can help you re-focus on the task in hand and will benefit you tremendously. The key is consistency [ 3]. Like playing the piano, if you practice every day, you will harvest great rewards.

Interested to learn more about mindfulness and CBT?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is among one of the most, well-researched, psycho-therapeutic interventions around the world. CBT has seen a significant increase in popularity and has become a trend within practices and training development. As a result, we developed the BSc in Cognitive Behavioural Therapeutic Approaches Top-Up course which introduces the latest literature and therapeutic approaches in this field, including Compassion Focused Therapy, using materials developed by Professor Paul Gilbert.

This programme is ideal for counsellors, as well as other health and social care professionals who want to incorporate counselling skills into their practice.

The course is available to study part-time, 100% online and starts in May, September and February.

Yasuhiro Kotera is Academic Lead in Counselling, Psychotherapy and Psychology at the University of Derby Online Learning (UDOL).

At the University of Derby Online Learning you can choose from a wide range of online courses and degrees at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

For more details about online learning visit www.derby.ac.uk or call us on +44 (0)1332 594000. You can also email on OnlineAdmissions@derby.ac.uk.

References

1. Kabat-Zinn, J. (2012). Mindfulness for beginners: Reclaiming the present moment-and your life. Boulder, CO: Sounds True.
2. Matsumura, K. (2015). Nihonichi wakariyasui mindfulness meisou [Mindfulness meditation explained best in Japan]. Tokyo: BAB Japan.
3. http://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/you-can-practice-mindfulness-in-as-little-as-15-minutes-a-day
Learn more about University of Derby Online Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
3 Simple Mindfulness Exercises to Help Maximise Your Studies - StudyLink

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By Yasuhiro Kotera, Academic Lead in Counselling, Psychotherapy and Psychology at the University of Derby Online Learning (UDOL). Taking the next step and searching for a programme to study can leave you feeling tired, but the excitement and eagerness to start makes taking the next step worth it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Insight Timer - #1 Free Meditation App for Sleep, Relax & More

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The best meditation app with the world’s largest FREE library of more than 190k guided meditations, 17k teachers & the world’s most loved meditation Timer.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Unlock hundreds of mood-boosting meditations, relaxing sleep exercises, focus music, and more with our biggest offer of the year.

It's the healthiest, happiest deal you'll find this Black Friday, and it won't last long.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Meditation and Sleep Made Simple - Headspace

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Live a healthier, happier, more well-rested life in just a few minutes a day with the Headspace app.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
6 Mindfulness Exercises You Can Try Today

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you feel stressed today, like you haven’t had a moment to yourself, try these 6 mindfulness exercises & find sanctuary for a few moments.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
1 Select three things that stress you out.

2 How does stress affect you?

3 When I want to chill, I like to be with:

4 Pick your favorite relaxing activity.

5 What are the most important things in your life?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
1 Select three things that stress you out. 2 How does stress affect you? 3 When I want to chill, I like to be with: 4 Pick your favorite relaxing activity. 5 What are the most important things in your life?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Yoga For The Classroom - Yoga With Adriene

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
White Noise: Mindfulness Meditations (Loopable)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.title
White Noise: Mindfulness Meditations (Loopable)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Getting Started with Mindfulness You have questions about mindfulness and meditation.Mindful has the answers. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Calm is the #1 app for sleep and meditation. Join the millions experiencing better sleep, lower stress, and less anxiety.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Mindfulness Transforms Us | Jo Pang | TEDxGatewayArchSalon