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For Immediate Release:

March 30, 2020

Social distancing measures can have a negative impact on mental health, experts say, and Americans are now facing at least one more month of isolation.

As we get more anxious about our health and finances, mindfulness-based intervention expert says mindfulness can help us reduce stress and avoid getting on each other’s nerves. “There are numerous practices and activities for families that can be done together to beat stress, boost our brains, and move our bodies,” Dr. Razza said.

Dr. Razza is an associate professor in the Human Development and Family Science Department at ���ϲ�����’s . A certified mindfulness facilitator by Mindful Leader, Razza specializes in mindfulness-based intervention; development and benefits of self-regulation; and social and cognitive development in at-risk children and youth. Her most recent research examines mindfulness-based practice as a potential intervention strategy to enhance self-regulation and reduce the negative impact of trauma among children, youth and adults.

Dr. Razza is available for an interview to discuss mindfulness-based interventions and how they can help families while they are social distancing. For use in your stories, here’s what Dr. Razza says about mindfulness-based interventions:

“Being a parent is stressful enough without having to socially isolate. Currently, many of our stress management strategies, such as group exercise class or social activities with neighbors, are off limits. Fortunately, one strategy that is very effective for reducing stress and anxiety and can be done quite easily in isolation is mindfulness-based practice. Mindfulness involves paying attention to the present moment experience with openness and acceptance.

“A basic practice that we can do anytime involves breath awareness, where we simply stop what we are doing for a few minutes and bring our attention to the breath, noting its quality and where we feel it in our body. If you are new to the practice, there are numerous free online resources to help you get started, with expanded services given the pandemic. These include video/audio-guided practices through organizations such as the Greater Good Science Center and Mindful.org, or apps such as Healthy Minds or Sanvello. While parents may benefit from taking a few minutes a day to practice mindfulness alone, there are also numerous practices and activities for families that can be done together to beat stress, boost our brains, and move our bodies.”

Thank you for your consideration. To request an interview with Dr. Razza or for more information, please contact:

Matt Michael
Media Relations Specialist
T 315.443.2990   M 315.254.9037
mmicha04@syr.edu