Page 18 - Buzz Magazine - Issue No 2 Winter 2021 | University of Rochester

F OR Y O UR HE ALTH

WHY

MINDFULNESS

WORKS

TRAINING Y OUR BRAIN
in uncertain times

by MARGARET BOGUMIL ʼ00

he ups and downs of the past two years WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE MINDFUL?
T have left many feeling unbalanced and You have to train your attention first. It’s
questioning what’s important in life. Some are like sitting in a chair and training yourself to
rethinking their jobs, relationships, personal understand what your sensory experience is—
priorities, and more. what does it feel like to sit in that chair?
What does the air feel like? What is the story
In this time of perpetual uncertainty, how can you tell yourself about this experience?
we clear our heads and stay mindful and
focused on what’s most important? To truly be mindful, you then need
Autumn Gallegos Greenwich, PhD, to move from attention to
licensed clinical psychologist, acceptance. That’s allowing our
assistant professor of psychiatry experience to be what it is,
at the University of Rochester allowing our body to feel
Medical Center, and an expert on just as it does. And that becomes
mind-body interventions related the ability to direct our attention:
to pay more attention to what we
to stress and trauma, shares her AUTUMN GALLEGOS
GREENWICH, PHD
value and care about. This moves
thoughts on mindfulness, gratitude, Assistant Professor
us towards prosocial behaviors—
and the science behind it all. of Psychiatry

17 | UNIVERSITY OF ROCHES TER BUZZ MA G AZINE