Happy Bodies, Happy Minds
Being a student, an employee, or both demands continuous focus and motivation, but that also brings stress and exhaustion. Stress and anxiety can affect one’s mood and performance. During hectic days, as people try to check off their to-do lists, they can tend to overlook practicing self care and taking time to calm themselves. In fact, meditating multiple times throughout the day can reduce stress and help the mind process information more efficiently. Instead of ignoring one’s physical needs, noticing his or her emotional state and surroundings can help one focus on the present moment and be more sensitive to the surroundings.
Western psychology has incorporated the basis of mindfulness practices into stress reduction and cognitive therapy to help patients with mental problems. However, how reliable are these practices in promoting health and well-being? Furthermore, why is it helpful to take breaks to meditate throughout the day? Junny Gu et. al were interested in answering these questions, and through their clinical psychology review, they were able to pinpoint the fundamental mechanisms that make meditation very effective in meditation-based stress reduction and meditation-based cognitive therapy.
Mindfulness was found to be one of the mechanisms underlying the effective results of meditation in improving health and well-being. Mindfulness training is based on the non-judgmental acceptance of any experience. Participants started with taking a couple of deep breaths and would next name all the emotions they were experiencing without describing them as positive or negative. After, participants would scan their bodies thinking about the areas they experienced tenseness. By noticing their thoughts, emotions, and body, participants were found to be more engaged in their experiences, and their minds were more willing to accept and process new information. According to an interview conducted with Ellen Langer by the Harvard Business Review, there were many other advantages to mindfulness. It would be easier to pay attention, remember more of what one’s done, become more creative, and take advantage of opportunities when they presented themselves.
Western psychology has incorporated the basis of mindfulness practices into stress reduction and cognitive therapy to help patients with mental problems. However, how reliable are these practices in promoting health and well-being? Furthermore, why is it helpful to take breaks to meditate throughout the day? Junny Gu et. al were interested in answering these questions, and through their clinical psychology review, they were able to pinpoint the fundamental mechanisms that make meditation very effective in meditation-based stress reduction and meditation-based cognitive therapy.
Mindfulness was found to be one of the mechanisms underlying the effective results of meditation in improving health and well-being. Mindfulness training is based on the non-judgmental acceptance of any experience. Participants started with taking a couple of deep breaths and would next name all the emotions they were experiencing without describing them as positive or negative. After, participants would scan their bodies thinking about the areas they experienced tenseness. By noticing their thoughts, emotions, and body, participants were found to be more engaged in their experiences, and their minds were more willing to accept and process new information. According to an interview conducted with Ellen Langer by the Harvard Business Review, there were many other advantages to mindfulness. It would be easier to pay attention, remember more of what one’s done, become more creative, and take advantage of opportunities when they presented themselves.
Image Source: felixhug
The second mechanism of meditation was found to be emotional reactivity, which is experiencing without reacting to any emotions or thoughts that arise. During stressful times, one may tend to run away from any distressing thoughts or emotions to avoid additional worries. In reality, painful experiences are more likely to intensify negative effects on health. When people meditate, they tend to become more engaged in their experiences. This mind-body practice can produce positive psychology that enables them to perform their daily tasks in a more joyful manner. Shawn Achor, who spent 12 years studying happiness at Harvard University, found that meditation results in happiness, and happiness fuels successful lives.
This clinical review not only provided well-supported evidence for the mechanisms that underlie successful meditation practices to improve the quality of life for many people but also contributed evidence for the positive effects of meditation on increasing happiness and joy.
This clinical review not only provided well-supported evidence for the mechanisms that underlie successful meditation practices to improve the quality of life for many people but also contributed evidence for the positive effects of meditation on increasing happiness and joy.
Featured Image Source: jill111
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