Contemplative Practices Special Interest Group
About
Welcome to the ACMHN Contemplative Practices Special Interest Group (ConSIG) which is focused on the development of contemplative practices, firstly to support mental health nurses' wellbeing and secondly, as a set of transferable skills which can be put into practice by people who experience mental health conditions to reduce their own suffering, support recovery and improve wellbeing. Contemplative practices include but are not limited to mindfulness, meditation, journaling, storytelling, deep listening, yoga, tai chi, personal spaces, sitting spots, walking meditation, arts, music and singing, visualisation, loving-kindness meditation, gratitude practice, silence, and centering. A fast-growing body of evidence supports the utility of contemplative practices within treatment and recovery for mental health challenges.
The ConSIG invites you to join the movement to incorporate use of contemplative methods which have been shown to significantly reduce perceived stress, reduce emotional exhaustion and burnout, improve sleep quality, reduce symptoms of anxiety, build capacity to work with stressful events, increase resilience and self-awareness and reduce the symptoms of trauma.
To support this, the ConSIG is offering monthly Zoom webinars for MHNs to explore evidence and practice together. An annual weekend conference and retreat will be held to provide an opportunity to get together in person, to hear from expert presenters, explore the latest evidence, engage in deep practice and network for mutual support.