Upgrade #3 - Mindfulness Practice with Less Instruction
Welcome to The Flight Shrink newsletter! This is Dr. Kevin Heacock.
With it being the weekend after Thanksgiving I didn’t really have time to write a technical newsletter this week. So here’s another mindfulness exercise you can utilize to work through any stressors left over from Thanksgiving or to prepare for the upcoming holidays.
The last mindfulness practice I shared had a lot of instruction. Just like when you’re learning to fly it can be helpful for beginners to have someone guiding them regularly throughout the session. Mindfulness can be even more powerful with less guidance so you can really watch what your mind does and practice refocusing over and over without judgement.
The “without judgement” is the hard part for me. But it’s important to recognize the catching yourself not focusing is the goal of mindfulness. So each time you find yourself refocusing it’s important to not judge yourself for failing to stay focused, but rather look at this positively for having become mindful again.
Mindfulness is not just something you do when you’re feeling stressed. If anything, it is more valuable as a preventative practice you do regularly to prepare your mind to deal with stressors when they arise.
I often use a sports analogy to describe this. You wouldn’t want to step up to the plate and face a pitcher throwing a 90mph fast ball without ever practicing hitting a ball off the tee over and over again for several years. No, it is better to work up to that 90mph fastball by hitting balls off the tee in a controlled setting so that when that 90mph fastball comes, you have a technique you can call upon to face it.
An aviation analogy to this might be, you wouldn’t want to face a stall without putting yourself in this situation on purpose with an instructor to guide you through it. And that’s what today’s practice will be. I will be your guide and allow you to find yourself in a stall of being able to focus your attention on the breath. And I will guide you through this. With this practice, the hope is that when you find yourself in the real world, stalling, or not focusing on what you intend to be doing, you’ll be able to recognize it, without judgement, and just begin again, recovering your lift and flying on with what you intended.
As a reminder here are some tips for how to listen:
If you usually listen at faster than 1X speed, reset the playback to 1X. You don’t want to rush through this.
If you normally listen while driving or working out, this is may be one you want to just sit and listen to.
I hope this mindfulness practice helps you work through any potential stressors and that you find value and peace in it.
For now, sit back and enjoy the flight…
Play the VoiceOver at the top of the Email or Webpage.
Seeking Aeromedical Guidance
I’m certified by the FAA as an AME and as a HIMS Psychiatrist. So I would be happy to consult with you confidentially on any mental health related aeromedical questions. I have looked up other services like this on the internet and they can charge as much as $90 per question. So for my newsletter subscribers and podcast listeners I figure you deserve at least 50% off that. And so, if you have a mental health related aeromedical question you’d like me to address confidentially, just email me at kevinheacockmd@flightshrink.com and for just $45 I’ll address your question.
It can be about any mental health related questions you need help with. Whether that be questions about a mental health condition and how it might affect your medical certificate, how antidepressants might impact your career, or what evaluations the FAA will want if you’re trying to get a special issuance for your mental health condition. Whatever it is, email me at kevinheacockmd@flightshrink.com and for just $45 you’ll get your answer from an FAA certified AME and HIMS Psychiatrist with over 17 years of aeromedical experience.
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Let's soar to new heights while prioritizing our mental health.
I love hearing from readers and listeners, so feel free to Email me at kevinheacockmd@flightshrink.com. Also, you can connect with me on Instagram, X (formally Twitter), Facebook, and Threads with the handle @flightshrink. I also have been more active on LinkedIn recently and you can find me there as Kevin Heacock. And feel free to visit The Flight Shrink substack for archived posts covering a wide range of mental health topics. Until next time...
I'm Dr. Kevin Heacock, The Flight Shrink... Keep on flyin'!