Mindfulness: The New Future of Mental Health?
Mindfulness can be described as a type of meditation that focuses on intentional awareness and sensations occuring in the moment. Mindfulness is not only a skill, but can also be a lifestyle. It is a way to live day-to-day with a non-judgemental attitude; learners are instructed to focus on feelings and sensations without interpreting or judging them. Many find this focus on “the now” important in unwinding from the hectic nature of life and in releasing negative emotions. Building upon past research studies that attempted to investigate the link between mindfulness and mental health, a large-scale study published in 2021 found that engaging in mindfulness meditation did lead to feelings of decreased stress and increased productivity amongst participants.
As part of the study, over 16,000 participants from 130 different countries enrolled in a 6-week online course that not only taught them how to practice mindfulness meditation, but also of the importance of cultivating a general sense of daily mindfulness. The course discussed mindfulness benefits such as reducing stress while increasing work and school performance, fostering healthy relationships, and strengthening other areas of daily life. Participants were guided through 5–10 minute mindfulness meditations on a weekly basis. Before and after completing the course, they took surveys to self-assess how they felt about their mindfulness, stress, and overall engagement with daily tasks. The study found that participation in the meditation course led to a significant decrease in participants’ feelings of stress, and a slight improvement in their perceived work engagement. The researchers hypothesized that mindfulness directly leads to increased work engagement, but also decreased feelings of perceived stress, which in turn indirectly increases work engagement.
As part of the study, over 16,000 participants from 130 different countries enrolled in a 6-week online course that not only taught them how to practice mindfulness meditation, but also of the importance of cultivating a general sense of daily mindfulness. The course discussed mindfulness benefits such as reducing stress while increasing work and school performance, fostering healthy relationships, and strengthening other areas of daily life. Participants were guided through 5–10 minute mindfulness meditations on a weekly basis. Before and after completing the course, they took surveys to self-assess how they felt about their mindfulness, stress, and overall engagement with daily tasks. The study found that participation in the meditation course led to a significant decrease in participants’ feelings of stress, and a slight improvement in their perceived work engagement. The researchers hypothesized that mindfulness directly leads to increased work engagement, but also decreased feelings of perceived stress, which in turn indirectly increases work engagement.
Researchers have found anatomical differences in the size and activity of certain brain regions between people who meditate regularly versus those who do not.
Image Source: MART PRODUCTION
On a biological level, the researchers’ believed that the participants’ reduction in stress occurred because the practice of mindfulness can actually reduce the activity of the amygdala, the brain’s control center for emotion processing. In turn, this may lead to decreased feelings of stress. Studies have also shown that individuals who regularly practice mindfulness have significantly smaller amygdalas, most likely because mindfulness can reduce the size of brain regions that process stress. Other studies have shown that mindfulness also causes the prefrontal cortex to inhibit activity in these types of brain regions, providing another mechanism for how mindfulness can decrease stress.
It is important to note that this particular mindfulness study did not have a control group of participants who were not meditating. However, past studies that were smaller in sample size did include this factor of control, and their findings were consistent with the results of the 2021 study. Additionally, this study did not take into account how well participants were adhering to the mindfulness meditation; this is something the researchers mentioned should be measured in future studies.
Regardless of these limitations, these findings are very promising for the future of mental health. The practice of mindfulness is free of cost and very accessible—it can be done practically anywhere and requires minimal background knowledge and experience. All one needs is an open mind.
It is important to note that this particular mindfulness study did not have a control group of participants who were not meditating. However, past studies that were smaller in sample size did include this factor of control, and their findings were consistent with the results of the 2021 study. Additionally, this study did not take into account how well participants were adhering to the mindfulness meditation; this is something the researchers mentioned should be measured in future studies.
Regardless of these limitations, these findings are very promising for the future of mental health. The practice of mindfulness is free of cost and very accessible—it can be done practically anywhere and requires minimal background knowledge and experience. All one needs is an open mind.
Featured Image Source: Elina Fairytale
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