Emily Lindsay, PhD, is lead author of an uber-important scientific paper on how to mitigate loneliness through mindfulness and acceptance training.
Lindsay is a research scientist in the Psychology Department at University of Pittsburgh who studies how mind-body practices like mindfulness and meditation affect our physiology and ultimate health outcomes. It's an important field of study, because negative mental and emotional states can be terrible for our health.
It turns out, for example, that loneliness and social isolation may be as bad for your health as smoking, or eating a crappy diet.
Which is precisely the condition that Lindsay and her team sought to address in a recent study.
They got a bunch of folks and gave some of them a 14-day smartphone app that guided them to practice mindfulness and acceptance, and compared the results with an active control group, and another group that was guided to practice mindfulness but not acceptance.
“Acceptance,” by the way, means being OK with whatever happens during the mindfulness practice – their own thoughts and emotions and physical sensations, chief among the phenomenon to practice equanimity about.
One of the techniques that they taught, that I'm immediately incorporating into my life, is to say “Yes” to these phenomena as they arise.
An ache in my back as I meditate? “Yes.”
An anxious thought about some web copy I'm supposed to get to John by 4:30 this afternoon? “Yes.”
An angry feeling toward a driver who just cut me off by running a stop sign? “Yes.”
Without needing to DO anything about the sensations, thoughts, and feelings.
Lindsay's team found that 20 minutes per day of mindful acceptance practice for 14 days significantly decreased subjective feelings of loneliness, and increased self-reported social interactions for the three days following the end of the intervention.
While three days isn't a long time, I surmised on the podcast that the change might well lead to a positive feedback loop that improved social engagement even more as time passed.
We'll definitely be exploring this technique in WellStart Health programs as a convenient and evidence-based approach to one of the pillars of lifestyle medicine: social connection.
In the meantime, I'm thrilled to be able to share this important and beautiful work with you.
Enjoy, add your voice to the conversation via the comment box or audio recording box below, and please share – that's how we spread our message and spread our roots.
Links
NY Times article about Dr Lindsay's research: “Loneliness is Bad for Your Health. An App Might Help”
The Study Abstract: “Mindfulness training reduces loneliness and increases social contact in a randomized controlled trial”
Emily Lindsay's Google Scholar page
Shinzen.org – originator of the mindfulness app used in the intervention
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Tip Jar
This podcast is not underwritten by advertising, so I can experience complete editorial autonomy without worrying about pissing off the person paying the bills. Instead, I pay the bills, with your help. It's free for those who can't afford to pay, and supported by those who can. You can contribute to the growth and improvement of the podcast by clicking the “Support on Patreon” or “Donate” buttons on the right to help out.
Music
The Plant Yourself Podcast theme music, “Dance of Peace (Sabali Don),” is generously provided by Will Ridenour, a kora player from North Carolina who has trained with top Senegalese musicians.
It can be found on his first CD, titled Will Ridenour.
You can learn about Will, listen to more tracks, and buy music on his website, WillRidenour.com.
Gratitudes
Thanks to Plant Yourself podcast patrons – Kim Harrison – Lynn McLellan – Brittany Porter – Dominic Marro – Barbara Whitney – Tammy Black – Amy Good – Amanda Hatherly – Mary Jane Wheeler – Ellen Kennelly – Melissa Cobb – Rachel Behrens – Tina Scharf – Tina Ahern – Jen Vilkinofsky – David Byczek – Michele X – Elspeth Feldman – Leah Stolar – Allan Kristensen – Colleen Peck – Michele Landry – Jozina – Sara Durkacs – Kelly Cameron – Janet Selby – Claire Adams – Tom Fronczak – Jeannette Benham – Gila Lacerte – David Donohue – Blair Seibert – Doron Avizov – Gio and Carolyn Argentati – Jodi Friesner – Mischa Rosen – Michael Worobiec – AvIvA Lael – Alicia Lemus – Val Linnemann – Nick Harper – Bandana Chawla – Molly Levine – The Inscrutable Harry R – Susan Laverty the Panda Vegan – Craig Covic – Adam Scharf – Karen Bury – Heather Morgan – Nigel Davies – Marian Blum – Teresa Kopel – Julian Watkins – Brid O'Connell – Shannon Herschman – Linda Ayotte – Holm Hedegaard – Isa Tousignant – Connie Haneline – Erin Greer – Alicia Davis – Heather O'Connor – Carollynne Jensen – Sheri Orlekoski of Plant Powered for Health – Karen Smith – Scott Mirani – Karen and Joe Crabtree – Kirby Burton – Theresa Carrell – Kevin Macaulay – Elizabeth Rothschild – Ann Jesse – Sheryl Dwyer – Jenny Hazelton – Peter W Evans – Dennis Bird – Darby Kelly – Lori Fanney – Linnea Lundquist – Emily Iaconelli – Levi Wallach – Rosamonde McAtee – Dan Pokorney – Stephen Leinin – Patty DeMartino – Mike and Donna Kartz – Deanne Bishop – Bilberry Elf – Marjorie Lewis – Tricia Adams – Nancy Sheldon – Lindsey Bashore – Gunn Marit Hagen – Tracey Gulledge – Lara Hedin – Meg from Mamasezz – Stacey Stokes – Ben Savage – Michael K – David Hughes -Coni Rodgers – Claire England – Sally Robertson – Parham Ganchi – Amy Dailey – Brian Tourville – Mark Jeffrey Johnson – Josie Dempsey – Caryn Schmitt – Pamela Hayden – Emily Perryman – Allison Corbett – Richard Stone – Lauren Vaught of Edible Musings – Erin Hastey – Sean Owens – Sagar Naik – Erika Piedra – Danielle Roberts – Michael Leuchten – Sarah Johnson – Katharine Floyd – Meryl Fury – for your generous support of the podcast.
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