Think better -- feel better - Military Health, military health and wellness, military physical fitness - Military Times

Think better -- feel better

You don’t have to be a Jedi to know that your brain is your most powerful weapon. Whether you’re trying to defeat the Dark Side of the Force or just get through your day, developing your ability to think about what you’re thinking can boost your brainpower in surprising ways, say experts in the growing field of “mindfulness” training.

A few tricks to try for yourself:

Boost energy

“There is a commotion machine at work in our heads that creates tension in our bodies, usually without us even realizing it,” says psychiatrist Dr. Stanley Block, who is co-author of the “The Mind-Body Workbook for PTSD” and works regularly with active-duty troops and veterans.

You’ll never disconnect the machine entirely, but you can learn how to switch it off. When that happens, energy levels rise.

Here’s how: Pick one of your senses and focus it on something specific. “You can do this anywhere,” Block says. “If you’re driving, focus on how the steering wheel feels in your hand or the vibrations coming up from the road. Even if you’re scrubbing a toilet, you can focus on what the brush feels like.”

Other thoughts will come, he says. That’s OK. Notice them, label them positive or negative or just a passing thought, and then shift your focus back. It’s the act of focusing on the moment that will boost your batteries.

Sleep better

Whether it’s because you’re worried or excited, exhausted or pumped up, if you’re having trouble sleeping, it’s usually because you can’t stop thinking about the past or the future.

Even the noise of a snoring roommate — or artillery fire outside — keeps you awake more because of your internal chatter about it than the noise itself, Block says.

To quiet your brain and get some rest, Block recommends focusing on a sound, ideally something continuous like a fan or other white noise.

When mind chatter or other noises start to distract you, “just notice those thoughts and then bring yourself back to focusing.”

Rubbing your sheet with your finger or toe can also work, he says.

Zap stress

You may not ever be able to tame the chaos of life, but you can tune your mind to better handle it. “With breathing, you can bring the mind and body under better control and balance,” says Sarah Ernst, a co-founder of San Diego-based Warrior Mind Training who has been teaching mind control techniques to troops across the country since 2005. Her advice to zap stress in three minutes or less:

1. Find a quiet spot. Sit down with your spine straight and close your eyes.

2. Breathing in through your nose, follow each inhale and each exhale with your mind. Begin to slow your breathing down by extending your inhales all the way down to your belly.

3. Notice places where you are holding tension. Is your neck cramped? Are your shoulders tense? Relax those muscles.

4. When thoughts arise, ignore them by simply staying focused on the air entering and leaving your body.

5. Inhale to a count of four and exhale to a count of six or eight. With each in-breath, imagine the feeling of well-being pervading your body and mind. With each out-breath, imagine all the stress, worry and anxiety leaving.

6. Continue until the stress subsides. Remind yourself to focus on the present moment.

Improve focus

Research confirms diaphragmatic — or belly — breathing, can help focus the mind, not to mention improve health and well-being.

With the help of retired Lt. Col. Dave Grossman and his book “On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace,” Army researchers released an iPhone app dubbed the Tactical Breathing Trainer.

“Through repetitive practice and training, anyone can learn to gain control of your heart rate, emotions, concentration, and other physiological and psychological responses to your body during stressful situations,” according to officials with the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health.