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Dr. R. Murali Krishna, M.D.

Enjoying the Moment

President and COO, INTEGRIS Mental Health and James L. Hall, Jr. Center for Mind, Body and Spirit

Let It Be -- Getting More Out of Right Now

Workers and professionals in the United States take fewer vacations than our counterparts in any other nation. And that includes the industrious Japanese.

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We’re living in the most fast-paced and frenetic society on earth, and the workplace is perhaps the best example of this mindset.

American professionals and workers share a common bond, whether they live in Schnectady, New York or Silicon Valley.

Enjoying the Moment

We are restless, we are on the go and we want to go faster. We spend the shortest amount of time possible in any given situation. Our attention spans grow shorter each day. We seem to always be running after something, yet not quite knowing what we are trying to reach.

By preoccupying ourselves with the past, we essentially kill the present.The present moment becomes bogged down in thoughts about the past.We lose attention, concentration and the full utilization of our energy and enthusiasm.

Most of us – without even being aware of it – are preoccupied by what’s going to happen in the future or by what happened to us in the past. But this keeps us from savoring the present moment. This moment is the only moment we can control. The past is history. The future is yet to come.

We can learn from the past, but we shouldn’t live in it.

American culture generally breeds the opposite problem. We’re always living in the future.

The human mind reacts to what it perceives will happen in the future. So we tend to look for clues as to what the future holds. And we react to the present moment as if we are reacting for the future. But by doing this we raise our anxiety, tension and fear levels.

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The solution is deceptively simple, but difficult for most Americans to achieve: live in the present moment. Enjoy it.

It’s an important idea that’s only now coming under closer scrutiny by medical scientists.

Scientists have studied the benefits of “mindful” practices like meditation at least as far back as 25 years ago, beginning with groundbreaking research by Herbert Benson, M.D. at Harvard Medical School in the mid-’70s.

Buddhism refers to this awake and alive state of attention as “mindfulness.” Other religious traditions – including Christianity – also put great emphasis on the importance of being aware of the present moment.

This research shows a “relaxation response,” leading to decreased blood pressure and heart rate, along with a positive effect on the immune system and state of mind.

There’s even a study beginning at the Medical University of South Carolina that will explore the experience of managing cancer using mindfulness meditation. The study will use cancer patients to identify whether this kind of meditation helps patients cope and even heal.

Mindfulness

Workers and professionals in the United States take fewer vacations than our counterparts in any other nation. And that includes the industrious Japanese.

From a scientific standpoint, numerous studies have been conducted into the area of what psychiatrists and psychologists refer to as “cognitive restructuring.”

This concept refers to consciously restructuring our thought patterns to change the way we feel right now.

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I hear a repeated complaint from overworked professionals: “I don’t have time to focus on enjoying the moment. I’m simply too busy.”

If you feel you don’t have time to practice enjoying the moment, you might consider three simple exercises to teach yourself the habit of engaging with the present, rather than focusing on the past or the future:

Despite the growing popularity of such methods, and the media attention they receive, I hear a repeated complaint from overworked professionals: “I don’t have time to focus on enjoying the moment. I’m simply too busy.”

But having time is the whole point. You always have enough time to enjoy the moment you are in. It’s your choice.

Close your eyes. Breathe. Feel the sensation of your breath fill your lungs and expand your ribcage.

Counting Breath

Now, simply count your breaths, inhale … exhale count one, inhale … exhale count two, and so on. Concentrate on the sensation of breath traveling through your body.

When you reach 5, begin again. Do this for a few moments from time to time throughout the day.

Simple Steps

Take a leisurely, measured walk in a nearby park or along your neighborhood streets.

Walking Awareness

If you’re at work, you can even practice this as you walk down a hallway. Walk slowly, no need to rush.

Focus your attention on your movements as you walk: the position of your feet as they progress along the ground, the bend of your knees, the swaying of your arms.

Notice your body and its movements. Relax. Breathe.

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By constantly feeding ourselves a media diet, we are not giving ourselves the chance to evolve into emotionally and spiritually healthy beings.

Simple Steps

I also suggest from time to time that you disengage from various kinds of media.

Media Blackout

Don’t log onto the Internet for a day, turn off the TV in the evening, or sit in silence as you commute to work in your car.

Certainly you must be an informed citizen. But these artificial stimulants often create a fog through which we have a difficult time perceiving our true emotions, thoughts and hopes.

Observe your own habits and the habits of others. Most of us turn on the radio in the car while we’re driving.

We need to read something or watch something while we eat.

Genuine life experiences have a difficult time penetrating this haze of media bombardment, because our senses are preoccupied.

By constantly feeding ourselves a media diet, we are not giving ourselves the chance to evolve into emotionally and spiritually healthy beings.

I lost perspective on what I wanted to achieve as a physician.

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Until just a few years ago, I was caught up in the classic American dream of material success and of feeling important.

Once I realized what really mattered in my work – healing others – I began to make changes in my life.

Enjoying the Moment

I learned to zoom in on the moment.

Once you’ve experienced the sense of peace that living in the present can bring, you’ll be ready to expand this habit into your daily life and into your work. Something magical happens when we immerse ourselves in what we are doing and thinking right now.

Visualize that someone’s life is improving because of what you do.You’ll begin to enjoy all aspects of life more, including your work.

Wake up. You are alive.

Many people are frustrated with their jobs, whether they’re lawyers, doctors or secretaries. But most of these people make the mistake of focusing on what’s wrong with their job, instead of enjoying the positive aspects – and positive moments – any job can bring. Learning to enjoy the moment isn’t about giving up on your goals or aspirations. Neither is it avoiding the truth about changes you’d like to see in your job.

Once I realized what really mattered in my work – healing others – I began to make changes in my life.

Almost every occupation and career is in some way a service to humanity. Begin to view yourself as an instrument of a higher power.

One way of thinking about your job in a positive light is to try to view your work as a service to God.

About the AuthorR. Murali Krishna, MD, DLFAPA is a psychiatric expert and pioneer in mind, body, spirit connection. His study of the brain has given him insight to the why of mental health and the how of living a healthy, vibrant life. Dr. Krishna’s mental health knowledge and experience is valuable and unique not only because of his extensive study and research of brain function, but also

because of his true empathy. He has recently published his first book, VIBRANT: To Heal and Be Whole From India to Oklahoma City which he coauthored with Kelly Dyer Fry, president of news at OPUBCO.

R. Murali Krishna, MD, DLFAPA

Co-Founder & President, James L. Hall, Jr Center for Mind, Body and Spirit

President & COO, INTEGRIS Mental Health

President, Oklahoma State Board of Health

Founding President, Health Alliance for the Uninsured

Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Univ. of OK Health Sciences Center

About the BookDr. Krishna has recently published his first book, VIBRANT: To Heal and Be Whole From India to Oklahoma City which he coauthored with Kelly Dyer Fry, president of news at OPUBCO.

Dr. Krishna, an inspiring and engaging speaker, educates his audiences on the latest science in mental health and the healing power of the mind, body, spirit medicine connection. He is often interviewed by television and print news organizations for his expert opinion on mental and emotional health issues. For more information visit www.drkrishna.com

AnxietyTraumaSleep dysfunctionStressObesityEmotional dysfunctionDepressionAddiction

In this book Dr. Krishna reveals the secrets to living a vibrant life while overcoming:

Substance abuseLossAngerUnresolved issuesRelationship stressMental illnessAlcoholism

In this book, Dr. Krishna shares his insights on human resilience and the power of living a vibrant life. He draws upon his own childhood experiences in India; coming to Oklahoma, his passion for helping people understand the importance of a mind, body, spirit connection; and his efforts to help people move forward following the tragic 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

www.drkrishna.com