Tag

Mindfulness

All articles tagged with #mindfulness

health20 days ago•13 min saved

Tiny 30-Second Habits to Boost Your Mood

A BBC health feature highlights 'micropractices'—30-second mood boosters like laughter yoga, mindful stretching, slow breathing, self-soothing touch and mindful living—that can lift mood, reduce stress and boost energy. Evidence suggests non-humorous laughter can cut depression and anxiety, mindful stretching every 15 minutes can raise productivity by about 15%, slow breaths calm the nervous system, and brief self-compassionate touch lowers cortisol; try the ones that fit your routine and build from there.

via BBC|

#health #mental-health #micropractice

health-and-medicine1 month ago•7 min saved

Eight-Week Mindfulness and Positive Psychology Interventions May Lower Blood Pressure

A review of 18 randomized trials finds that mindfulness, gratitude, and optimism training can improve blood pressure, inflammation, and other heart-health markers within eight to 12 weeks, with the strongest gains when daily practice is reinforced by weekly sessions. For example, eight-week mindfulness programs helped blood-pressure and inflammatory markers in hypertension and post–acute coronary syndrome patients, while a 12-week digital intervention reduced cuff systolic blood pressure by 7.6 points and central systolic pressure by 4.1 points. The most consistent benefits come from high-frequency, supportive programs that encourage healthier behaviors, suggesting mental-wellbeing interventions could become a component of cardiovascular care.

via Science Daily|

#blood-pressure #cardiovascular-health #health-and-medicine

health1 month ago•421 min saved

Calm cortisol with four expert-backed moves for stress relief

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.

via TODAY.com|

#cortisol #exercise #health

life1 month ago•43 min saved

Reclaiming Focus: Strategies to Repair a Broken Attention Span

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.

via vox.com|

#attention-span #life #mindfulness

science1 month ago•13 min saved

Seven Days of Silence Quieted the Brain's Inner Narrator, Study Finds

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.

via Space Daily|

#default-mode-network #meditation #mindfulness

health-and-wellness2 months ago•6 min saved

Four practical ways to pick hobbies that boost your health

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.

via The Guardian|

#health-and-wellness #hobbies #mental-health

entertainment2 months ago•18 min saved

Damon Family Dinners: A Non-Negotiable Pause for Presence

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.

via Page Six|

#empty-nest #entertainment #family-dinners

lifestyle4 months ago•17 min saved

Navy SEAL tactics reshape modern parenting

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.

via The Independent|

#discipline #lifestyle #mindfulness

technology4 months ago•3 min saved

Let Memory Do the Capturing: Put Down the Phone and Be Present

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.

via Axios|

#memory #mindfulness #photography

mental-health6 months ago•4 min saved

Therapists Share Practical, Science-Backed Ways to Ease Everyday Stress

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.

via USA Today|

#coping-skills #mental-health #mindfulness

lifestyle6 months ago•19 min saved

Silent mode users show focused, mindfulness-driven work style

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.

via Earth.com|

#distraction #focus #lifestyle

health6 months ago•4 min saved

Silent walking on TikTok linked to heart health benefits

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.

via New York Post|

#cardiovascular-health #health #heart-health

science7 months ago•6 min saved

Meditation’s hidden risk: over 10% report serious adverse effects

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.

via Boing Boing|

#adverse-effects #meditation #mental-health

science7 months ago•6 min saved

Mindfulness Has a Dark Side: Adverse Effects Are More Common Than We Realize

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.

via ScienceAlert|

#adverse-effects #meditation #mental-health

science7 months ago•6 min saved

Calm Over Catharsis: New Review Finds Venting Anger Isn’t Effective

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.

via ScienceAlert|

#anger #arousal #calming-techniques