All articles tagged with #mindfulness
A TODAY Expert Tip with Dr. Natalie Azar explains that while high cortisol is uncommon, managing stress is beneficial. She outlines four evidence-informed approaches to keep cortisol in check: mindfulness or meditation, breathing/relaxation techniques, regular moderate aerobic activity, and HIIT together with resistance or endurance training. Adopting these can support better sleep, blood pressure, and mood.
Vox argues that attention is a limited, trainable resource. To rebuild it, be mindful of where you direct your attention, give your brain steady rests (nature’s soft fascinations help) and practice monotasking with constraints like the Pomodoro technique to reduce distractions and prevent cognitive fatigue.
A seven-day residential silent retreat sharply reduced connectivity in the brain's default mode network—the self-talk hub—and boosted mystical experiences to levels usually associated with psilocybin, all without any drugs. The finding comes from an observational study and cannot prove causation or medical treatment claims, but suggests that simply removing external inputs and extending quiet can rewire self-talk networks.
Social prescribing connects people to non-medical activities—like sea swimming, art, or nature—to support health. The piece uses Amanda’s story to show how to pick health-promoting hobbies: align the activity with your symptoms (exercise and nature boost mood; mindfulness aids focus); cultivate intrinsic motivation and, with the help of link workers, explore meaningful pursuits; and try childhood joys or new activities with a ready-to-say 'yes.' When pursued with meaning and enjoyment, such hobbies can reduce depression, lessen loneliness, and improve overall wellbeing.
Matt Damon says he and wife Luciana maintain a nightly, non-negotiable family dinner with their four daughters to protect quality time as they brace for an empty nest, focusing on presence and being in the moment while acknowledging the challenge of staying off phones; Damon also notes Hollywood’s ruthless pace has pulled him away from his kids at times.
Former Navy SEAL sniper instructor Brandon Webb applies four sniper mental-management tools—visualization, a positive outlook, self‑image management and positive verbal cues—to parenting. He argues that calm, compassionate guidance shapes a child’s inner voice, encourages resilience, and counters overprotective tendencies. Webb promotes letting kids stumble (like “puddle jumping”), teaching them to handle hardship, and prioritizing present, quality time and disciplined, loving guidance, as outlined in his book Puddle Jumpers.
An essay urging readers to put away their phones during milestone moments so memories form in the mind rather than in digital archives. The author recalls moments from a sabbatical and family life—such as a daughter’s home run—illustrating that some experiences aren’t recoverable or deletable and are best preserved as lived memory rather than captured footage.
Stress is the body’s natural fight-or-flight response and can become damaging when chronic; common triggers include work, finances, sleep, and technology. Evidence-based relief includes regular exercise, solid sleep, balanced nutrition, mindfulness practices (yoga, journaling, meditation), focused breathing, time outdoors, boundaries around devices, social support, and professional help like CBT or medications when stress disrupts health or relationships.
In a randomized eight‑week trial at Kyung Hee University with 114 office workers, researchers found that using a four‑week mobile mindfulness app (InMind) reduced stress and boosted focus and work engagement. Benefits were strongest when participants also silenced their phones, which cut interruptions, reclaimed cognitive capacity, improved sleep, and supported a flow state and present communication. The study, published in Computers in Human Behavior, reinforces how deliberate digital boundaries—like a silent phone—can foster attention and workplace well‑being.
Experts say the TikTok trend of silent walking—about 20–30 minutes of walking without music or podcasts—may benefit heart health by lowering blood pressure and stress hormones, boosting mood, and encouraging mindfulness. While the practice can be sustainable and restorative, researchers note that balance with music or motivation can help some people stay active.
A 2022 US study found that more than 10% of regular meditators report significant adverse effects—such as anxiety, depersonalization, or psychosis—that can disrupt daily functioning for a month or more. The findings echo long-standing warnings in Buddhist texts and contrast with the mindfulness industry’s promotion of benefits, as some research shows no mental-health gains or even harm for vulnerable groups.
New research shows mindfulness and meditation can trigger adverse effects such as anxiety, depression, psychotic symptoms, and dissociation, even in people without prior mental-health issues, with a major UK study finding no mental-wellbeing benefit for at‑risk youths. The piece calls for ethical warnings, safer practice guidelines, and greater awareness of potential harm in the mindfulness industry.
A meta-analysis of 154 studies (10,189 participants) finds venting anger does not reliably reduce anger and may even increase it; the key to taming anger is lowering physiological arousal through calming activities such as slow-flow yoga, mindfulness, diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or taking a timeout. Reflection on underlying causes and, when helpful, CBT can aid some, but arousal-reducing strategies generally beat venting—even vigorous exercise like jogging can backfire. The findings, published in Clinical Psychology Review, challenge the catharsis myth and support calming techniques as the best option.
A small MEG study of 12 Theravada monk meditators finds two meditation methods shape brain activity differently: Samatha yields a stable, focused state, while Vipassana nudges the brain toward 'criticality'—an optimal balance between chaos and order that may enhance information processing and learning. Experienced meditators show brain activity closer to resting patterns, gamma oscillations can decrease (suggesting less external processing), and some practitioners report anxiety or other drawbacks. The findings contribute to understanding how meditation reshapes neural dynamics and were published in Neuroscience of Consciousness (2025).
Dr. Adam Perlman, a functional medicine doctor, has methodically tweaked his daily routine to support metabolic health. His three focus areas are: 1) a protein-forward, plant-rich diet with a wide variety of foods and fermented items, while avoiding ultra-processed foods; 2) optimized sleep (blackout shades, a noise machine, and a cooler bedroom) and clear boundaries around bedtime; and 3) morning mindfulness through a brief meditation routine. He also maintains regular strength training and Krav Maga, and he views meals as a balance of protein and vegetables to support fat loss and hormonal health, drawing on recent gut microbiome research to guide his choices.