1. Better focus and concentration
Mindfulness meditation helps you focus on the present, which can improve your concentration on other tasks in daily life.
A 2011 study from the Harvard Medical School examined the effects of mindfulness meditation on the brain and found a connection between mindfulness and processing new information.
The researchers examined the brains of 17 people before and after participating in an eight-week meditation program. Brain scans showed an increase in gray matter in the parts of the brain responsible for learning, memory, and emotional regulation.
Additionally, a 2016 study from researchers at Carnegie Mellon University demonstrated how mindfulness meditation can improve concentration and decision-making.
The study consisted of 35 unemployed adults looking for work. One group participated in a three-day relaxation program without mindfulness meditation components, while the other group participated in three days of mindfulness meditation. Brain scans before and after showed an increase in connectivity among parts of the brain that control attention for the meditation group.
2. Improve self-esteem and self-awareness
Mindfulness meditation encourages you to slow down, allows for deeper self-reflection, and can help you discover positive attributes about yourself.
"Mindfulness helps increase self-awareness by increasing the ability to examine one's thoughts and feelings without judgment, which ends up improving self-esteem," says Brian Wind, PhD, Chief Clinical Officer at Journey Pure.
According to researchers at Stanford University, mindfulness meditation can especially help those with social anxiety. In a 2009 study published in the Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 14 participants with social anxiety disorder participated in two months of meditation training and reported decreased anxiety and improved self-esteem after completing the program.
3. Reduce stress
Mindfulness meditation can also lower the levels of cortisol — the stress hormone —which helps you feel more relaxed.
In a 2013 review, researchers analyzed more than 200 studies of mindfulness meditation among healthy people and found meditation to be an effective way to reduce stress.
Repeating a mantra — such as a word or phrase — during meditation can also have a calming effect, and by concentrating on your mantra, you're able to shift your focus away from distracting thoughts.
Transcendental meditation has a similar effect, in which you silently repeat a word or sound to keep yourself focused, and as a result you're able to reach a state of complete stillness and stability, says David Foley, founder of Unify Cosmos, a meditation center in Oklahoma.
For example, a 2019 study showed a reduction in psychological distress among teachers and support staff who participated in a transcendental meditation program.
Researchers used stress scales before and after the program to measure the participants' levels of burnout, depression, and stress. After receiving a seven-step transcendental meditation course, participants practiced meditation twice a day for 15 to 20 minutes over the course of four months and reported lower levels of stress and burnout than before learning the techniques.
4. Manage anxiety or depression
Mindfulness meditation helps train your mind to focus on the present, making you less likely to ruminate on anxious thoughts that can fuel depression.
A 2014 research analysis published in JANA Internal Medicine found that mindful meditation can help ease anxiety and depression, and could be part of a comprehensive mental health treatment plan.
Research has also supported the benefits of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) — a therapy program that incorporates mindfulness meditation. Studies have found that MBSR can help those with anxiety calm their minds and reduce symptoms of depression, including trouble sleeping, loss of appetite, and low mood
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