“Nothing is worth more than this day. You cannot relive yesterday. Tomorrow is still beyond your reach.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Introduction | Immune Function | Depression & Anxiety | Happiness | Stress Reduction | Memory | Sleep | Blood Pressure | Final Thoughts | References | Disclaimer
Introduction
The purpose of mindful living is to live in the present moment with awareness. Such awareness helps us manage the decision-making process, behavior, actions, and words we speak. It also profoundly impacts the functioning of our immune system, memory, feelings of happiness, blood pressure, and mental health. Having a keen awareness of what is happening right now enables us to live through current events and experiences in the present. For most of us, in our daily routine, we experience only brief moments of mindful awareness. We tend to go through our day racing through our thoughts, reacting to life as it takes place. Breaking away from these habits takes practice, and mindfulness can be trained in multiple ways. The most popular method is mindfulness meditation. It is also the one that appears most frequently in scientific papers researching the effects of mindfulness on various aspects of human health and life. However, simple daily activities can also serve as a means of implementing mindfulness into our daily routine. Eating, cooking, walking, and engaging in conversation are just a few examples of bringing attention to the present activity and present moment.
Mindfulness can help improve immune function
There has been a growing body of research on how mindfulness practices affect the immune system. Scientists observed some of the most profound changes in how our bodies can handle illness in people who regularly perform mindfulness meditation.
A randomized controlled trial conducted by Barrett et al.[1] investigated the impact of mindfulness meditation and moderate exercise on the incidence, duration, and severity of acute respiratory infection [ARI] illness. The researchers recruited 149 participants and divided them into three groups: a mindfulness meditation group, an exercise group, and a control group. They followed them through the period of several months. According to the results of the study, both mindfulness meditation and exercise subjects experienced a reduction in global severity of symptoms [meditation: P =.004, exercise: P = 0.16], with mindfulness meditation subjects scoring significantly lower. In addition, both intervention groups scored better on duration measures [mindfulness meditation: P =.034, and exercise group: P =.032] than controls. As a result, it was reported that meditation group participants missed 16 days of work due to illness, whereas the exercise group missed 32 and the control group missed 67. To conclude, the study authors observed a significant impact of mindfulness meditation and exercise on the reduction of ARI among participants.
Another randomized controlled trial, designed by Creswell et al.[2], looked at the influence of an 8-week-long mindfulness meditation program [8-week MBSR] on CD4+ T lymphocyte counts in HIV patients. The results of the intervention group were compared with the outcomes of another group that received a 1-day seminar training in mindfulness meditation [1-day MBSR]. The levels of CD4+ T lymphocytes were measured at baseline and post-intervention in both groups. Study results revealed much slower declines in CD4+ T lymphocytes with the 8-week MBSR than with the 1-day MBSR.
This led to the conclusion that "mindfulness meditation training can buffer CD4+ T lymphocyte declines in HIV-1 infected adults."
Mindfulness practice for depression and anxiety
Mindfulness meditation can be an effective tool when dealing with depression and anxiety. Research looking at the efficacy of mindfulness-based treatments comes back with similar results, which include reduced symptoms, improved mood, and less worry and tension.
A review of scientific data compiled by Hofmann and Gomez[3] summarized the findings of researchers who investigated the impact of mindfulness-based therapies [such as MBSR and MBCT] on depression and anxiety. The authors of this review observed that MBSR [mindfulness-based stress reduction] therapy was moderately to largely effective at improving the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Additionally, it achieved better scores than other traditionally used approaches such as supportive therapy, relaxation training, and suppression techniques. MBCT [mindfulness-based cognitive therapy], on the other hand, achieved comparable results to standard CBT [cognitive-behavioral therapy], making them equally successful in reducing the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
A study designed by Evans et al.[4] looked at the effectiveness of MBCT [mindfulness-based cognitive therapy] for generalized anxiety disorder [GAD]. They followed 11 participants subjected to the MBCT program for 8 weeks and assessed their progress. The results revealed a reduction in anxiety, worry, tension, and depressive symptoms in all study participants. The trial authors concluded that MBCT is an effective tool in the treatment of GAD.
Mindfulness makes you feel happier
The mindfulness practice has been linked to higher happiness levels in many research studies. Researchers found evidence supporting the hypothesis that mindfulness impacts our overall happiness. In addition, factors such as resilience and stress can either further enhance or weaken that connection.
A study designed by Crego et al.[5] assessed the impact of mindfulness on the feeling of happiness in 1267 women. Researchers asked participants to complete a detailed questionnaire and evaluated the data. They found a strong positive correlation between mindfulness and happiness scores. The study established that mindfulness has a positive impact on overall happiness and can reduce anxiety and depression.
Another study carried out by Bajaj, Khoury, and Sengupta[6] investigated the relationship between mindfulness and happiness as mediated by two factors: resilience and stress. The scientists established that there is a positive relationship between mindfulness practice, resilience, and happiness. Moreover, they observed that resilience strengthens the link between mindfulness and happiness. On the other hand, stress was found to negatively impact the mindfulness-happiness connection.
Stress reduction and mindfulness
Stress has a debilitating effect on many aspects of our lives. Mindfulness was found to be successful in helping people manage and reduce work-related stress.
A randomized controlled trial, carried out by Chin et al.[7], looked at the impact of mindfulness training on work-related stress. The scientists recruited 58 participants, who were divided into two groups: a high-dose mindfulness training [HDMT] group and a low-dose mindfulness training [LDMT] group. They assessed subjects' perceived stress at baseline and post-intervention. The results of the study revealed a decrease in overall perceived stress and momentary stress in the HDMT group post-intervention. However, the LDMT group's overall perceived stress did not change from baseline, and momentary stress increased post-intervention. These findings suggest that regular mindfulness training can reduce work-related stress perception.
Another randomized controlled trial, designed by Yang, Tang, and Zhou[8], assessed the impact of mindfulness-based stress therapy [MBST] on work stress in psychiatric nurses. The researchers randomized 95 psychiatric nurses and measured their stress levels pre- and post-intervention using the Nursing Stress Scale. The results of the tests revealed a significant decrease [p<0.001] in working stress among the intervention group participants. The scientists concluded that MBST is an effective program that helps reduce work-related stress among nursing staff.
Mindfulness practice impacts memory
Mindfulness is beneficial for enhancing memory. Various studies have linked the practice of mindfulness to improved episodic and short-term memory in research participants.
A study conducted by Brown et al.[9] looked at the impact of mindful attention on episodic memory. They recruited a group of 143 participants who were subjected to various memory tests, including R-K recognition performance tasks and reading task-based free recall performance. Analysis of the data revealed an improvement in both performance measures in the intervention group. These findings led to the conclusion that mindful attention enhances episodic memory.
The study by Youngs et al.[10] evaluated the effect of mindfulness meditation on visual short-term memory. They selected 90 participants and divided them into three groups: a meditation, an audiobook, and a control group. After completing the face memory test, the scientists analyzed the data and observed significant differences between the mindfulness meditation group and the audiobook and control groups. They concluded that the mindfulness group showed a significant improvement in visual short-term memory in comparison to the other groups, which did not demonstrate any improvement.
Sleep and mindfulness
Sleep disturbances and insomnia are responsible for insufficient rest at night and impact daily functioning. Researchers investigated the potential positive effects of mindfulness-based therapies on sleep and found that such strategies yield significant effects on improving chronic insomnia and low sleep quality.
A clinical trial, conducted by Ong et al.[11], assessed the influence of mindfulness meditation on chronic insomnia. The researchers enrolled 54 participants, who were divided into three study groups: the MBTI [mindfulness-based therapy for insomnia] group, the MBSR [mindfulness-based stress reduction] group, and the SM [self-monitoring] group. They measured subjects' sleep parameters at baseline and after 3 and 6 months. The study findings revealed that meditation-based therapies [MBSR and MBTI] helped to reduce the total wake time from baseline to the 6-month follow-up by 49.63 minutes. Additionally, MBTI demonstrated a better result in reducing insomnia severity. These results led to the conclusion that mindfulness-based therapies help improve chronic insomnia symptoms.
The next randomized clinical trial by Black et al.[12] examined the effect of mindfulness meditation on sleep disturbances. The scientists selected 49 subjects and randomized them into two groups: a standardized mindful awareness practices (MAPs) intervention group and a sleep hygiene education (SHE) intervention group. Sleep parameters were assessed using the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index [primary outcomes] and multiple tests measuring insomnia, depression, anxiety, stress, and fatigue [secondary outcomes]. The results of this study demonstrated an overall large improvement in sleep scores in the MAPs group in comparison to the SHE group [effect size of 0.89]. Additionally, mindfulness meditation helped combat depression and fatigue in study participants.
Mindfulness for elevated blood pressure
The most common treatment methods for hypertension are medication and lifestyle changes. The search for alternative methods of hypertension management has led scientists to examine the influence of mindfulness on blood pressure. Mindfulness-based interventions were found to reduce both diastolic and systolic blood pressure in study participants.
A clinical trial, carried out by Loucks et al.[13], looked at the impact of mindfulness-based interventions on blood pressure. The scientists enrolled 48 participants and measured their blood pressure outcomes at baseline and after 3, 6, and 12 months. The results revealed a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure [139.3 at baseline to 133.2 mmHg at 12 months]. Furthermore, study participants whose diastolic blood pressure measured ≥90 mmHg at baseline experienced a decrease of 7.5 mmHg at 12 months. The researchers also observed an overall reduction of 1.1 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure scores among all participants.
A review of scientific research, conducted by Intarakamhang, Macaskill, and Prasittichok[14], examined the relationship between mindfulness-based interventions and blood pressure. The authors identified 14 research papers and evaluated the data they presented. They found that the most investigated intervention for blood pressure was mindfulness-based stress reduction [MBSR]. It also showed the highest results in reducing both diastolic and systolic blood pressure. Another successful mindfulness-based intervention was breathing awareness meditation [BAM], which also showed a significant impact on decreasing systolic blood pressure. On the other hand, mindfulness meditation [MM] achieved more significant results in reducing diastolic blood pressure than BAM but had the least impact on systolic BP.
Final Thoughts
Mindfulness is a practice that has many health benefits and can improve our overall life satisfaction. A mindful way of living is beneficial for our mental health and has positive effects on depression, anxiety, stress, sleep, and general happiness. Furthermore, it helps our bodies function better by boosting our immune systems, improving memory, and controlling blood pressure. Mindfulness lets us experience every moment of our lives and brings our focus to the present moment. Being present makes us more accepting of our circumstances, teaches us about the importance of the choices we make, and leaves us feeling at peace.
References
This article contains 14 citations:
Disclaimer
Read carefully: