Scientific study on mindfulness in stress-reduction and improved mood
Hello everyone! I have always been a huge fan of mindfulness meditation, and recently I've been looking into some of the research that backs it up. I found this really great article, that I summarize here, that talks about a technique that has proven helpful, and also seems to not require a lot of time. I hope you enjoy it. 
Traditionally studied meditation training programs, such as Transcendental Meditation and The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program, can be very costly in terms of both time and money. Lane et al. (2007) wanted to test whether a shorter meditation training program would be effective in improving participants perceived stress and negative mood, and whether practicing more frequently resulted in more improvement.
In an effort to measure the potential benefits of this brief training, the researchers administered several stress and mood related tests prior to training, and after training, during monthly follow-up sessions that lasted for a total of 3 months. The training included four 1-hour sessions where the participants learned one mantra meditation technique. They were instructed to practice this technique twice a day. The participants selected a sound, word, or phrase that would serve as their mantra. The training required participants to sit with their eyes closed, to engage in abdominal breathing for ~1 minute, to repeat their mantra at a pace that felt natural to them for 15-20 minutes, and to then sit in quiet rest for several minutes. During the course of practicing, participants were instructed to direct their thoughts back to the mantra when intrusive thoughts or feelings came into their consciousness.
The researchers found that this brief meditation program significantly improved participants perceived stress, and negative mood. Participants reported improvements after a month of training and a persistence in this improvement during subsequent follow-up sessions. They also found that the participants who practiced more frequently, at least once per day, demonstrated better outcomes those who practice less frequently. In summary, this study demonstrates that even brief periods of this type of meditation training can be beneficial to those who would like to try it in an effort to reduce their stress and improve their mood.
If you would like to check out the study, and the details I might have left out, you can find the link to the study below.
(http://managestressnow.com/pubarticles/Brief%20Meditation%20Lane%20and%20Seskevich.pdf
To all the wonderful people out there, let's turn this awesome topic into several threads where we discuss our experiences and possible benefits that can result from practicing meditation/mindfulness.
I want to start this awesome discussion by encouraging all of you to tell us about some techniques that you use to help with stress, or what has helped you when you were feeling low.
@SimpleOwl
I'm a big fan of mindfulness, it's amazing how much it helps me to maintain focus and relieve my anxiety throughout the day. Thanks for sharing, SimpleOwl! :D
@Probius
Thanks for checking it out Probius! I love meditation also... I especially love guided meditations <3
@SimpleOwl thank you for sharing that information. I also like guided meditations and use them to host the mindfulness sessions. Some of the ones available in video are here
Thanks for sharing this study, @SimpleOwl. Like @Probius, I love mindfulness practice. I do the breathing meditations, guided meditations, and chants. I probably should do chants more because that seems to help keep me better focused. I use apps, YouTube, and CDs that I have here at home. I love mindfulness because I really can take it anywhere and do it almost anywhere.
@BridgetAileen
I'm so happy to hear that you too find it helpful! I have always been so curious about chants, I want to give some a try. Do you have a favorite that you can recommend?
@SimpleOwl, I don't really have a favorite. I go to YouTube and search for Ohm or Aum and listen to those. Sometime other suggestions pop up on the right that I check out. I saw a TedTalk "All About Om" by Kurshed Batliwala that was really good and explained how because of where the sounds resonate that the "ah" begins lower (in the chest area), the "oo" a bit higher, and the "mm" in your head that it moves energy up through your body. It really feels different to me now that I know that. There's a chant to Saraswati (Saraswati Mantra for Concentration in Studies) that I sometimes do while I'm writing in my journal, drawing, or coloring. That one helps me get immersed in what I'm doing. I often just search around for a title that seems like it would fit what I want to focus on.
@SimpleOwl
When my stress causes an anxiety attack I do a grounding exercise where I start naming objects I see around me to help draw my focus outside of my own head. This helps to not compound the anxiety by being anxious about my body's anxious reactions. It also reminds me that my surroundings are safe and allows me to feel connected with the environment I'm in instead of feeling lost in my thoughts.
@CoinFountain
Thank you for sharing this technique with us :)
@SimpleOwl
You're very welcome! :)
Mindful writing.
That works for me.
@AlanRY
That sounds so interesting. I've don't think I've ever tried it :P
@SimpleOwl It is!
I sit down with pen and paper, then ask myself: What's on my mind. And I basically just pour out any thought that crosses my mind. A typical response may be: "I'm hungry. call hotel to get a venue quote. Dad, I miss dad. My knee is sore. I'm worried about it. Will it something serious? Maybe I'm just overweight. I'm thirsty. What time is it?"
Once I feel I've poured out as much as I needed: I stop.
If in my writing I see that most of it is about my worries, I'd explore them. I'd explore any intense emotion I'd write about. It's usually just one or two that are on the forefront. I'd feel them, name them. And then choose what to do about it. And then I'd go and do it.
I check in with myself. That's what I do with Mindful Writing.
In the end, I usually extract from it all what I need or want to do. I make a list. And work with that.
Sometimes, I draw instead a circle. Out of it I write what I don't want. Then inside the circle I turn around what I wrote, and write what I do want. Then take it from there.
To me mindful writing is about listening to myself, accounting for what I need or want, and then helping me meet that need or get what I want.
Three days ago I did something similar in a session with a client. I got her to pour out her mind. And once that all was out of her mind and her mind was clear and empty, I asked her what she wanted. She pretty much wrote it all down from her spirit, so raw and genuine! I love it how this enables me to connect with myself and reengage life creatively!
@AlanRY This is a terrific idea, Alan. Keeping a journal has been very helpful for me, and I'm going to include this. Thanks. :)
@AlanRY
Great techniques! I want to try these suggestions. Thanks for sharing them.
@AlanRY
Wow, AlanRY, this sounds like free-writing taken to a completely different level- I love it. I will definitely try this. Thank you so much for sharing this with us (and in such a thoughtful way) :)
@AlanRY
This sounds really great, what an awesome way to work through thoughts and emotions, I'm going to try it today
Thank you guys!
I'm launching this #MindfulWriting idea in my upcoming December workshop as one of my breakthrough strategies for personal growth!
I'm finally giving birth to my personal development program! This week I'm launching a 14 day conversation in spanish around personal change, I'm very excited!!