by Sandra Davis | Nov 6, 2025 | News, Spotlight Fox Hill VIllage, Uncategorized
Life can get stressful if you let it control your thoughts. Who hasn’t spent hours awake at night with their mind racing or struggled to stay calm in a difficult situation? How you react to stressful situations can either make matters worse or put them in perspective. That’s where mindfulness can help.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is about paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally. It’s the opposite of taking life for granted. It’s about stepping back and observing with kindness what’s happening in your mind and heart so you can respond thoughtfully instead of reacting automatically.
The health benefits of mindfulness.
Studies suggest that mindfulness practices may help people manage stress and navigate life’s ups and downs with resilience. Mindfulness has also been shown to produce measurable changes in the brain regions involved in memory, learning, and emotion, improving cognitive function.
Here are some of the ways mindfulness supports your brain and body:
- Lowers blood pressure. Calms the nervous system and reduces stress hormones that strain the heart and immune system.
- Reduces chronic pain. Helps shift the brain’s response to discomfort, making pain feel less overwhelming.
- Improves sleep quality. Promotes relaxation and eases racing thoughts, allowing for a deeper rest.
- Increases emotional resilience. By practicing awareness without judgment, we build the ability to bounce back more quickly from stress or setbacks.
- Enhances mood stability. Helps regulate emotions, leading to steadier moods and fewer extreme highs and lows.
- Fosters greater compassion. Helps you slow down, notice your own struggles with kindness, and extend that same understanding to others.
Putting mindfulness into practice.
Practicing mindfulness can be as simple as tuning into your breathing — the feeling of your breath coming into your body and the feeling of your breath leaving your body. When your mind wanders, keep returning to the breath. That’s all there is to it.
For more ways to cultivate mindfulness, try these tips:
- Mindful Walking – Move slowly while noticing each step and how your feet connect with the ground. Perfect for hallways, walking in place, or enjoying nature outdoors.
- Mindful Eating – Be aware of taste, textures, and flavors in each bite. Listen to when your body is hungry and when it is full.
- Body Scan – Mentally notice each part of the body without trying to change anything. Helps pain reduction and sleep.
- Three Good Things – Reflect on three positive things at the start or end of each day. Improves mood and sleep quality.
- Simple Stretching with Breath – Try gentle neck rolls, shoulder shrugs, or ankle circles while breathing deeply. Supports mobility and relaxation.
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation – Tense and release muscle groups one at a time, starting with hands and moving upward. Reduces body tension and aids sleep.
- Loving-Kindness Reflection – Think of loved ones and silently wish them well. Boosts positive emotions and reduces loneliness.
Meditation class at Fox Hill Village.
Guided meditation is a popular class at Fox Hill Village. An experienced instructor leads participants in developing mindfulness, balance, and a sense of calm. It’s often combined with gentle yoga exercises for even more holistic benefits.
Meditation classes are part of the Fox Hill 360º initiative that empowers residents to embrace well-being in every area of their lives. To learn more about our whole-person approach to wellness, visit our Living Well page.
by Sandra Davis | Jun 27, 2025 | News, Spotlight Fox Hill VIllage, Spotlight Residents
Fox Hill’s resident board of directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Bob Bettachi as the board’s new president.
Bob moved to Fox Hill Village in 2022, having previously lived on Nantucket Island and in Lexington, MA. Originally from the Philadelphia area, Bob received his degree in chemical engineering from Villanova University. He then enjoyed a nearly 40-year career at W.R. Grace — a chemicals business — during which he held many roles in sales, marketing, and research and development. Bob led the growth of different divisions through strategic planning, restructuring, eliminating outmoded products, and developing new products. He was serving as senior vice president when he retired in 2006. Following his retirement from W.R. Grace, Bob consulted with private equity and corporate clients, providing pre-acquisition strategy and post-acquisition management coaching.
After his wife, Karen, died in 2017, Bob moved from Lexington to his summer home in Nantucket. He has served on the Boards of St. Francis House in Boston, the Cambridge Trust Company, the Alzheimer’s Association, and the Associated Industries of MA. He also has served on the Fox Hill Village Finance and Strategic Planning Committees. The Fox Hill Village Board of Directors is comprised of Fox Hill residents and is solely focused on the needs and preferences of the people who live in our community. We are thrilled to have such a broad pool of talented and experienced residents to serve on our board and committees and look forward to exciting things to come under Bob’s leadership.
by Sandra Davis | Jun 16, 2025 | News, Spotlight Fox Hill VIllage, Uncategorized
Remember the last time you went for a walk in the woods or got your hands dirty gardening? How did it make you feel? Intuitively, we know it’s good for us. Research studies also confirm that spending time in nature positively affects our physical, emotional and cognitive well-being.
Nature improves cognitive function.
As far back as the 1970s, a U.S. Forest Service study suggested that contact with nature can help us recover from mental fatigue and restore attention. If you’re feeling the mind-numbing effects of digital overload — that constant stream of news, ads and people clamoring for attention — put down your iPad and go for a walk in the park.
Henry David Thoreau was famous for his daily walks. In a speech at Thoreau’s funeral, Ralph Waldo Emerson described how the length of Thoreau’s walk reflected the length of his writing. If shut up in the house, he didn’t write at all. Einstein was another devoted walker. He used to take daily walks in the woods on the Princeton campus and his cognitive function was among the best of anyone who ever lived.
Since the original Forest Service study, researchers have found that a “nature break” also helps restore the brain’s ability to process information. In a 2008 study in Ann Arbor, Michigan, participants were given a tough memory test, then assigned to take a 50-minute walk through either the Ann Arbor Arboretum or downtown Ann Arbor. When the participants returned to the lab and took the test again, the arboretum group scored significantly higher. So, if you’re struggling to stay focused on a task or simply stuck on a crossword, head outside. The fresh air and sunshine may be all you need to solve what’s puzzling you.
Nature reduces stress and boosts immunity.
In the 1980s, the technological revolution was in full swing in Japan. While the adoption of robotics and semiconductors energized the economy, it left Japanese workers stressed and burned out. Not surprisingly, the concept of “forest bathing” emerged in Japan at the same time. The Japanese government began encouraging shinrin-roku — taking in the forest air — to help workers de-stress.
A study of 260 people at 24 sites across Japan found that people who gazed on forest scenery for 20 minutes experienced a 13.4 percent reduction in salivary cortisol, a stress hormone, compared to people in urban settings. And physically getting out in nature works even better to lower stress and boost immunity.
Plants emit airborne chemicals called phytoncides to protect them from rotting and insects. Interestingly, these chemicals also help protect humans by lowering cortisol, pulse rate and blood pressure. In fact, studies suggest these chemicals help fight viruses and cancer by increasing the number and activity of immune cells called natural killer (NK) cells. In a 2007 study in Japan, men who took two-hour walks in a forest over two days had a 50 percent spike in levels of NK cells
But don’t feel like you have to go for a two-hour walk in the woods to benefit from nature. Consider joining an outdoor exercise class. Play golf. Or grab a book and find a shady tree to sit under. Any time spent outdoors where you have access to green space is good for your health.
Nature nurtures well-being in the garden.
Scientists have long known that a little dirt can be good for you. In the 1970s, scientists identified mycobacterium vaccae, a bacterium in garden soil that has an anti-inflammatory effect on our brains, lowering stress and improving immune response. It may explain why people who grow up on farms have lower rates of Crohn’s disease, asthma and allergies.
Gardening also exposes your body to sunlight, which benefits your immune system, helps build strong bones and improves quality of sleep. Gardening may even lower your risk of dementia. A 16-year study of older adults in Australia showed that daily gardening reduced the risk of developing dementia by 36 percent.
See how our garden grows.
The resident gardens at Fox Hill Village are a great place to dig in the dirt and lift your mood. Raised beds make gardening easier and fellow gardeners are happy to help if needed. Colorful flowers, fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables are nourishment for body and soul.
Get into outdoor living at Fox Hill Village.
Getting into nature is as easy as stepping outside at Fox Hill Village. Our 110-acre campus includes paved walking paths that immerse you in serene woodlands and landscaped gardens — ideal for walks with your two- and four-legged friends. For longer hikes, you can explore the adjacent Lowell Woods Trail that takes you into a protected forest. It’s great for birdwatching or a rejuvenating “forest bath.”
When the weather’s nice, we also enjoy gathering on our patio for barbecues or an al fresco lunch. Fresh air, beautiful scenery and good company never fail to enhance the experience.
To learn more about outdoor living at Fox Hill Village, visit the outdoor living page on this website. Better yet, schedule a personal tour and see for yourself. Simply call us at 781.329.4433 or use our contact form.
