Mindfulness for MS (and other chronic illnesses) with Dr. Teri Hull
Living with multiple sclerosis can be stressful and anxiety-inducing, and taking care of our minds is just as important as taking care of our bodies.
I connected with Teri Hull, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist in Chicago, IL, to learn more about how the practice of mindfulness could be beneficial for those living with MS or other chronic illnesses. Here’s what she said:
KB: What is mindfulness?
Dr. Hull: The definition of mindfulness I reference most is from Jon Kabat-Zinn. Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.
KB: What are the benefits of practicing mindfulness for people with chronic illness?
Dr. Hull: While there are many, two benefits of mindfulness that seem most relevant for individuals with a chronic illness are:
- It helps to turn off the body’s stress response when it is not required (reducing over-activation)
- It helps to focus one’s attention on the situation at hand, in order for the person to respond most effectively. This is important as people with chronic illness are often responsible for managing their own health care.
KB: What is the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 grounding exercise?
Dr. Hull: 5431 Grounding is a self-guided mindfulness skill that helps you tune into your own senses in order to anchor to the present moment. You pause wherever you are and identify 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. It is simple and can be done anywhere.
KB: Can you share an example of how to put this into practice?
Dr. Hull: This 54321 grounding technique can be utilized when one notices an increase in an anxiety response, either physically or mentally (or both). It can be helpful to take a few deep breaths as you begin noticing the 5 things in your visual field, then proceed with the rest of the senses.
The goal is to anchor yourself to the present moment using your senses, which may alleviate some of the intensity of the anxiety sensations, but may not eliminate them altogether. This is completely fine, as the goal is to provide contact with the present moment in order to hopefully decrease one’s suffering.
KB: What is one small thing people with chronic illness can do to start practicing mindfulness?
Dr. Hull: I would suggest picking a daily routinized activity (brushing your teeth, folding laundry, tidying up the kitchen) and use your 5 senses to be fully present in the activity. Your attention will naturally wander (you may start conversing with someone out of habit, pick up your cell to check e-mail, daydream, etc.). This is normal and expected, and then you will continuously bring your attention back to the present moment over and over again as needed.
Thank you, Dr. Hull!
If you’re curious to learn more about the 54321 exercise, check out this article from Calm: https://www.calm.com/blog/5-4-3-2-1-a-simple-exercise-to-calm-the-mind
About Dr. Hull
Teri Hull, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist in Chicago, IL who has been in private practice for over 15 years. She is also an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Rush University Medical Center where she provides supervision and training to clinical psychology doctoral students. She was first introduced to mindfulness in 2008 while a postdoctoral fellow and appreciates the profound impact mindfulness has had in her own life as well as the individuals in her care.
(Full disclosure, Dr. Hull is my therapist)
