There is currently considerable interest in telehealth addiction care. Allina Health began offering it in February 2019 to address geographic voids in greater Minnesota. We were thus well-positioned for virtual care when the Covid-19 pandemic occurred about a year later.
Jeff Wagner interviewed me on WCCO Television on September 12th about our work at Allina. Please see here and here for previous media appearances.
Stress, anxiety, depression and substance use have increased during the Covid-19 pandemic. This has a lot people thinking about better self-care.
I’m helping one of my employers with a four-week “meditation challenge.” It grew out of a recent lunch and learn for employees that included some material on mindfulness. The more the merrier, so I’m sharing this with my entire social network.
Here’s the challenge: Meditate three times per day, generally in the morning when you wake up; sometime in the afternoon; and again in the evening right before you go to bed. Start with 5-minute sessions, increasing the duration week-by-week as follows:
Week 1: 5 minutes, 3 times per day
Week 2: 10 minutes, 3 times per day
Week 3: 15 minutes, 3 times per day
Week 4: 20 minutes, 3 times per day
In terms of technique:
Assume any comfortable position. I personally like a semi-supine position (see below)
Set a timer (e.g., on your phone) with a soft alarm
Close your eyes
Direct your attention to your breath. This might be your nose, chest or belly
Follow your breath in and out. Some people use simple mental mantras for each in-breath and out-breath. Examples are: in-out, deep-slow and calm-ease
Internal and external distractions will occur. Just let thoughts, emotions and sensations pass without judgment. Return to your breath, using a mantra, if needed. On the flip side, don’t worry if you feel sleepy or even doze off. Allow that to pass without judgment, too.
And that’s it!
Please let me know how you feel during and after the challenge.
— I’ve greatly benefited from Alexander Technique lessons. One tip/trick is something called constructive rest, which involves the semi-supine position depicted below.
1. Head slightly supported by a softcover book (or two) 2. Arms slightly away from body (abducted), palms down (pronated) 3. Shoes off; feet about hip-width apart — Photo: Ayden Frenz
I’m also a fan of Muse, the brain-sensing headband, but that’s a post for another day. ✸
I was recently recognized in Minnesota Monthly as a “Top Doctor” in the specialty of Addiction Medicine. The listing appears in the September–October print issue and online. ✸
Linda Picone, the editor of Minnesota Medicine, tapped me for its “Joy of Medicine” feature. The extended interview appears in the September–October issue.
Minnesota Medicine
I’ll let Linda’s work speak for itself—it’s an absolute gem—but offer the following references for those who might want to go deeper:
I appeared on WCCO Television this morning to discuss some new alcohol drinking limits. The context was a Lancet study that will likely be incorporated into the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s updated Dietary Guidelines
WCCO Television
Consistent with the Lancet study and traditional binge drinking definitions, my current advice regarding consumption is:
Men: Up to 7 drinks per week; no more than 4 drinks per occasion/sitting
Women: Up to 7 drinks per week; no more than 3 drinks per occasion/sitting
Key caveat: These recommendations are for people without a history of addiction. Those with a history of addiction should abstain from alcohol.
