Dr Manju Antil (Counselling Psychologist and Psychotherapist)

An ever-growing body of clinical studies and lab research demonstrates the efficacy of mindfulness in helping to treat, manage, or reduce symptoms of a multitude of health conditions, both mental and physical. Even more exciting, scientists and experts continue to uncover new ways to harness the power of mindfulness to improve our health and quality of life. The empirical evidence speaks for itself from boosting cognitive function to easing physical symptoms of Stress. Here, explore some of the most significant health benefits of mindfulness.

1 Reduces Stress

Making mindfulness meditation a habit for only a few days can reduce overall anxiety (and who could not benefit from less Stress?). In a 2015 study of 133 stressed, unemployed adults, published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, a three-day intensive mindfulness meditation training intervention showed reduced activity in participants’ amygdala. This brain region triggers the release of stress hormones.

2 Improves Cognition

Reaping the benefits of mindfulness meditation takes less time than you might expect. Practising mindfulness for just 20 minutes a day for four days significantly increased the cognitive efficiency

(i.e., the ability to think clearly) on tasks that required sustained attention in 63 college students who had never practised mindfulness previously, according to a 2010 study published in Consciousness and Cognition.

3 Boosts Immunity

While practising mindfulness isn’t a surefire way to prevent sickness, it may play a role in boosting brain and immune function, according to results of a 2003 clinical trial published in Psychosomatic Medicine. Scientists performed an eight-week study measuring brain electrical activity before and after mindfulness meditation training, with test and control groups receiving an influenza vaccine afterwards. They found significant increases in antibodies among those in the meditation group and higher activity in the logical left side of the brain.

4 Supports Working Memory

A 2010 clinical trial published in Emotion showed how mindfulness could increase our short-term memory capacity. Researchers examined two military groups in high-stress situations. The group participating in an eight-week mindfulness training course (and practising on their own after class) showed less degradation in working memory ability than the group that didn’t undergo mindfulness training.

5 Helps Manage Chronic Pain

A growing body of research suggests that mindfulness may make it easier to cope with chronic pain. John Kabat-Zinn, PhD, a pioneer in the field, conducted research in the 1980s on the effects of using mindfulness-based training to treat chronic pain. More recently, a 2017 study published in Annals of Behavioural Medicine showed that mindfulness meditation significantly decreased chronic pain in patients. More research and extensive studies are needed to confirm mindfulness meditation’s viability as a pain treatment.

6 Increases Empathy

Multiple studies have shown that mindfulness meditation increases overall empathy levels, including results of a 1998 clinical trial published in the Journal of Behavioural Medicine and a 2015 study published in Mindfulness. In the latter study, researchers investigated the effects of psychotherapists practising loving-kindness and compassion meditation, which helped them develop more empathy toward clients and reduced the adverse impact of heart pain.

7 May Help Lower Blood Pressure

A 2019 study published in PLOS One backed up what was previously largely anecdotal evidence that mindfulness can help to reduce hypertension (a high-risk factor for heart disease) in adults. The results of a trial of 48 participants—80 per cent of whom had hypertension—showed that practising mindfulness-based stress reduction could influence the behavioural underpinnings of this disease by improving participants’ self-regulation (i.e., the ability to avoid overeating) and enhancing their self-awareness and attention control. The results were long-lasting: An assessment one year later showed that participants’ blood pressure remained lower than the baseline taken at the start of the study.

8 Bolsters Cognitive Flexibility

Are you always multitasking? Mindfulness may help you shift your thinking among multiple concepts more quickly. A 2009 study in Consciousness and Cognition compared a group of Buddhists experienced in mindfulness meditation with non-meditators, finding that the first cohort performed significantly better on all measures of focused attention via timed written tests.

9 Improves Quality of Sleep

Waking up groggy after a night of tossing and turning can make it tough to function at your best. Practising mindfulness can help you to clock better Zzzs, however, according to results of a 2015 clinical trial published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The trial tested 49 older adults (with a mean age of 66.3 years) experiencing moderate to significant sleep disturbances (such as insomnia) before and after a structured mindfulness meditation program. Post-intervention, sleep quality was improved mainly, and sleep-related daytime impairment was reduced. Researchers noted that more research is needed to determine the longer-term effects of mindfulness on sleep.

10 Decreases Emotional Reactivity

If you make decisions based on emotions, practising mindfulness can help you disengage from emotionally upsetting situations and think more logically. A 2007 study published in Motivation and Emotion demonstrated that individuals engaging in mindfulness meditation had a weakened emotional response to unpleasant photos, allowing them to focus better on a cognitive task and increase well-being.

11 Improves Relationship Satisfaction

Improving your mindfulness skills can r satisfaction to your relationship. A 2007 study in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy suggests mindfulness leads to an increased capacity to handle relationship stress positively and plays a beneficial role in the health of romantic relationships.

12 Restores Child-Like Wonder

Children can be enamoured by an errant leaf, bug, or flower—things we often don’t pay attention to as adults. However, mindful awareness may help us see the world with fresher eyes. In a 2015 study published in PLOS One, practising mindfulness meditation was shown (in some cases) to weaken sensory habituation, our tendency not to notice things around us in our everyday environments.