For the last decade or so, mindfulness as been increasingly labeled as a panacea for all life’s problems. It is not, but that does not mean it is not one important tool in your toolbox toward overall wellness. In the same way we benefit from building habits like regular walks after meals or regular check-ins with our friends and loved ones, mindfulness helps to build toward a more calm and centered daily experience. But what is the evidence behind this?
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor at Harvard Women’s Health Watch, and Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor at Harvard Health Publishing recently published an article looking at the evidence base for mindfulness’ influence on our wellness, and what we can do to improve our mindfulness practice. You can read the entire article on the Harvard Health Publishing website, and a summary of the evidence and recommendations are below:
- In one study, MRI scans examining the amygdala (the neural home of fear and other emotions) showed that an eight-week regimen of MBSR lead to a decrease in the denticity of participants amygdalae, and these brain changes correlated to lower reported stress levels.
- In additional study took the same approach with participants diagnosed with GAD and provided evidence that MBSR aided this individuals in having more subdued reactions to provocative stimuli.
- A significant amount of extant literature suggests that these approaches can be generalized to the public and positively impact all, not just those with diagnosed psychological conditions.
If you are ready to try, start with small habits and build on them!
- Start with as brief as a 3 minute meditation, then try adding minutes, just as you might for exercise
- Try meditating outdoors, by which the authors mean pause for 1-2 minutes to simply observe the outdoor surroundings through all of your sense
- Pause to notice how you feel after you meditate, this is a form of meditation unto itself and increases the likelihood you will do it again!