Mindfulness Helps Reduce Sadness

Sometimes, humans get swallowed up by negative emotions to a point that is unhelpful in letting us move forward with our lives, and which keeps us from feeling calm or joy. The study of emotion regulation investigates how we can best manage these negative emotions. One of the best strategies this field of study has found is called cognitive reappraisal. This strategy involves reinterpreting our situation as being more positive, when our natural inclination might be to make more negative evaluations. Recent research at Duke University compares mindfulness to reappraisal in terms of how well it helps people cope with sadness.

In this study a total of 129 participants were split into three groups and were given trainings in either mindfulness or reappraisal, or were given no training at all. They were then induced to feel sadness. Results indicate that both mindfulness and reappraisal equally helped people feel less sad, as compared to those who had received no training. Afterwards, participants were given cognitive tasks to measure if one method took more cognitive resources, or took more effort than the other. Because people in the mindfulness condition did better on the cognitive tasks, researchers concluded that mindfulness is less cognitively depleting than reappraisal.

Further, regardless of condition and before undergoing any training, all participants were measured based on how much they normally utilize the strategy of reappraisal and their trait level of mindfulness. Interestingly, those who were high in trait mindfulness, but not those who habitually practiced emotion regulation experienced greater reductions in sadness.

Mindfulness, Increased Attentional Control, and Decreased Anger

Mindfulness, as defined by Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, is "paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.” Thus, research has focused on how practicing mindfulness influences our attention and our emotional experiences. Recent research from Spain conducted on psychotherapists in training investigated just these two questions. Half the participants participated in an 8-week mindfulness training course. Results indicated that mindfulness training increased attentional control and decreased anger.

Keryn Breiterman-Loader

Mindfulness and Emotion Regulation

Experiencing the full spectrum of emotions means we’re a healthy human being, however we sometimes experience emotions (particularly negative ones) that seem to linger long past their time. Sometimes we get attached to an emotion and keep coming back to it over and over again. This can hinder us from moving forward with our lives, from focusing on other important things, or simply prevent us from feeling happy and peaceful. Thus, regulating our emotions can be useful. Research on emotion regulation has found that one of the most effective strategies for regulating our emotions is cognitive reappraisal, or reinterpreting our situation as being more positive when our habitual evaluation would be a negative one.

Mindfulness has long been associated with emotion regulation, however a recent study indicates mindfulness may facilitate emotion regulation by enhancing cognitive reappraisal. In their experiment, researchers had participants undergo one week of mindfulness training. When tested after the training, researchers found that the level of state mindfulness achieved during their mindfulness meditation was positively associated with greater cognitive reappraisal after the meditation, and over time. The greater the level of state mindfulness achieved, the greater their likelihood of utilizing cognitive reappraisal.

Keryn Breiterman-Loader

Mindfulness Helps Lower Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is one of the physical manifestations of stress in our bodies. One well studied benefit of practicing mindfulness is its effect on stress reduction. In fact, one of the most popular and well-researched mindfulness courses in the US is the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The course teaches mindfulness practices with a focus on how they might be used to help reduce stress.

In one study examining the effects of MBSR on stress, researchers put all participants in a stressful situation, during which they measured participants’ blood pressure. Then, half of the participants took the MBSR course, after which all participants again were put in a stressful situation and had their blood pressure measured. Results showed that participants who took the MBSR course had a decrease in blood pressure as compared to before they took MBSR. This suggests that MBSR may help reduce blood pressure levels and blood pressure reactivity to stress.

Keryn Breiterman-Loader