BDN speaks with MacAulay about mindfulness
The Bangor Daily News spoke with Rebecca MacAulay, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Maine, for an article about mindfulness. “Informal mindfulness walking entails noticing what is happening as you move from one place to another,” said MacAulay. “Our brains are constantly categorizing things, mindfulness stops the categorizing and helps us accept the moment for what it is. You’re not trying to change it, and you’re not trying to influence how you feel, you’re simply aware.” Practicing meditation on a regular basis, even briefly, can make people less likely to respond negatively to an unplanned change, the article states. “It’s removing reactivity. In clinical psychology, we work on pressing pause if someone is feeling strong emotions,” said MacAulay. “With mindfulness [practices], they’re all encouraging you to be aware and in the moment.” In the coming year, MacAulay said she and her Ph.D. students will focus their research on making sure marginalized communities in Maine have access to the skills needed to bring about more mindfulness. MacAulay acknowledged that mindfulness does not work for everyone, but encourages people to “just try it … it takes time, and it takes practice, so don’t get discouraged.”