8 Benefits of Practicing Mindfulness Meditation (According to Science)
Key takeaways:
Mindfulness can help you slow down, de-stress, and become more in touch with the present moment.
Research suggests mindfulness can decrease cortisol, the stress hormone. That may help improve mood, memory, sleep, relationships, and more.
You can learn mindfulness through in-person or online classes or with the help of apps and videos. The basic steps are easy to learn and use in your everyday life.
Mindfulness meditation is the process of slowing down and noticing your experience in the moment, without trying to change it. It may be one of the most available and effective tools to improve your overall health. Experts in many fields, from psychiatry to oncology, recommend it.
Here’s a look at some of the many benefits mindfulness can have for your health and well-being.
1. Lower stress
Do you find yourself in a cycle of stress? Mindfulness meditation may be the answer, since it can help lower stress.
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Research suggests mindfulness may help by lowering your cortisol levels. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone.
In turn, lowering cortisol levels may help with anxiety, depression, coping with unexpected events, immunity, and more.
2. Support emotional well-being
Sometimes, people try mindfulness in hopes that it will help with their emotional and mental challenges. In many cases, it works.
Participants typically report a boost in their emotional well-being. That may be because those who practice mindfulness often dwell less on negative thoughts and worries. And, when they do have strong emotions, they’re able to manage them more easily.
3. Help with pain management
Do you struggle with migraines or arthritis? Scientists aren’t entirely sure why, but mindfulness meditation also helps with chronic pain. Studies have looked at the benefits for lower back pain, migraines, fibromyalgia, and more.
Plus, the perks don’t just last during one session of mindfulness. The pain lessens in everyday life as well. Participants report lower pain scores, saying they feel better even years later.
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4. Manage physical illness
Dealing with a chronic illness can be stressful and overwhelming. Mindfulness can help people with chronic diagnoses, such as diabetes, HIV, or Parkinson’s disease. They often report a higher quality of life once they start the practice.
While mindfulness may not limit the symptoms themselves, people changed how they view their disease. And they’re better able to cope with stress and symptoms when they arise.
5. Promote productivity and lessen burnout
Your boss might benefit from encouraging you to practice mindfulness. In one study, people who learned mindfulness reported feeling more energy and interest in everyday work, responsibilities, and hobbies.
Experts hope that mindfulness may be able to help decrease burnout and raise workplace satisfaction.
6. Improve memory
Mindfulness may help with both short-term and long-term memory. Those who regularly practiced mindfulness sometimes experienced improved attention span and concentration.
So if your mind tends to wander and you can’t remember what just happened in your hour-long meeting, you may find that mindfulness makes the difference.
7. Strengthen relationships
Sometimes, relationships require patience, compromise, and even a little tolerance. You’re not alone if some days this leads to frustration with a partner, friend, or family member. Mindfulness may make it a little easier.
Researchers have studied the behaviors of those who use mindfulness in everyday life. Such people tended to be more accepting of their partner’s imperfections. This helped with overall patience and relationship satisfaction.
8. Boost your sleep
Do you have trouble falling asleep? Maybe, you wake up often or tend to toss and turn. Mindfulness may be a helpful alternative to other treatments.
One study showed that people with chronic insomnia experienced better sleep through meditation. Other research shows it may be particularly helpful for older adults.
How to get started practicing mindfulness meditation
Would you like to see if mindfulness meditation helps you? The best way is to try it. You can start very simply or go all in.
Here are some ideas to get going:
Take a few minutes to slow down and become aware of your breathing. Close your eyes if you like, and notice your breath going in and coming out. Practice this one or more times per day.
Pause throughout your day and notice your experiences. For example, if you’re doing laundry or walking the dog, tune into your senses. What do you smell, see, or feel?
Sign up for a beginner’s meditation class in your local area or online. The group leader will teach basic concepts and guide the group in mindfulness activities.
Look for mindfulness apps through your smart device. Many of them also teach quick lessons on mindfulness and offer guided meditations.
Talk to your therapist or other healthcare provider about mindfulness. They may be able to recommend strategies or local resources.
The bottom line
Mindfulness meditation is practiced all over the world for its health and wellness benefits. Hundreds of studies have shown that it helps with stress, sleep, physical health, quality of life, and more. You can begin mindfulness through simple activities like mindful breathing, and expand your practice with structured apps, classes, or therapeutic programs.
Why trust our experts?
References
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Mindfulness.
American Psychological Association. (2019). Mindfulness meditation: A research-proven way to reduce stress.
Bartlett, L., et al. (2021). Mindfulness is associated with lower stress and higher work engagement in a large sample of MOOC participants. Frontiers in Psychology.
Black, D. S., et al. (2015). Mindfulness meditation and improvement in sleep quality and daytime impairment among older adults with sleep disturbances. JAMA Internal Medicine.
Brown, K. W., et al. (2016). Mindfulness enhances episodic memory performance: Evidence from a multimethod investigation. PLoS One.
Greeson, J. M., et al. (2019). Mindfulness and physical disease: A concise review. Current Opinion in Psychology.
Kappen, G., et al. (2018). On the association between mindfulness and romantic relationship satisfaction: The role of partner acceptance. Mindfulness.
Keng, S-L., et al. (2011). Effects of mindfulness of psychological health: A review of empirical studies. Clinical Psychology Review.
Kersemaekers, W., et al. (2018). A workplace mindfulness intervention may be associated with improving psychological well-being and productivity. A preliminary field study in a company setting. Frontiers in Psychology.
Koncz, A., et al. (2019). Meditation interventions efficiently reduce cortisol levels of at-risk samples: A meta-analysis. Health Psychology Review.
Ong, J. C., et al. (2014). A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation for chronic insomnia. Sleep.
Zeidan, F., et al. (2016). Mindfulness meditation-based pain relief: A mechanistic account. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
For additional resources or to connect with mental health services in your area, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357. For immediate assistance, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, or text HOME to 741-741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.
