This issue, quite coincidentally, two of our columnists have written about mindfulness and the role it can play in improving not just our emotional well-being but our actual physical well-being too.
As Sarah Pearce notes, on page 20, research has found that in the longer term the regular practise of mindfulness produces permanent changes in the brain such as increased grey matter density, quicker action and better quality of neural connections. This can lead to improved memory, cognitive functions, innovative thinking and emotional balance, she says.
For IMNZ’s Jane McCarroll (page 14) on a personal level mindfulness is about reducing stress and improving her own resilience and ability to build genuine connections with people. It also helps create mental space around a difficult issue and influences the response to that issue.
I’m not a practitioner but I wonder if sometimes we are subconsciously practising mindfulness anyway. A walk on the beach before work does wonders for the soul, I find. And I have read about a new movement espousing a walk in the forest or ‘forest bathing’ which reportedly can strengthen immunity, lower blood pressure and increase your ability to focus.
On another note, this issue we also look into CV fraud, and how it can come about, even without any malicious forethought. But it does certainly seem to be far from uncommon, no matter what the intent. See page 6.
All the best,
Annie Gray
https://adrenalin.co.nz/store/management-august-2018
