Thousands of studies have shown the benefits of mindfulness, so much so that it’s almost seen as a miracle cure. However, not all these studies are well-conducted enough to be taken seriously. Daniel Goleman, the author of “Emotional Intelligence,” and University of Wisconsin neuroscientist Richard Davidson reviewed these studies and found that only one percent meet the gold standards for medical research. Instead of being disheartened by the poor quality of the remaining studies, it’s more useful to focus on the four strongly confirmed benefits identified by Goleman and Davidson from the most rigorous research.
In an article in the Harvard Business Review, Goleman highlighted these benefits: stronger focus, staying calmer under stress, better memory, and kindness. Although Goleman discussed these mainly in the context of improving corporate efficiency, let’s explore how these benefits can enhance our lives on a personal and spiritual level.
People who practice mindfulness regularly find that they experience less mind-wandering and distractibility. Mindfulness helps us notice when our mind is drifting into unhelpful thoughts and brings our attention back to the present moment. Often, when our mind wanders, it’s caught up in negative states like craving, anger, worry, low energy, or doubt. These states lower our well-being and negatively impact our relationships and overall life.
Improved mindfulness also enhances executive function, or self-control. This happens because the brain’s prefrontal cortex learns to regulate and calm down the amygdala, which triggers disruptive emotions like anger or anxiety. When we are mindful, we find it easier to avoid addictive behaviors and unnecessary conflicts by recognizing their early signs and choosing healthier ways to respond.
Mindfulness reduces stress by helping the prefrontal cortex better manage the amygdala. This makes for better decision-making since a highly active amygdala can cloud our thinking and lead to poor choices. For example, if we panic about opening bills and hide them away, we only create more problems. Mindfulness allows us to approach such tasks with a clearer mind.
Our interpersonal relationships also benefit from mindfulness. An overactive amygdala makes us constantly lookout for possible threats, such as worrying about someone’s opinion of us. Instead of reacting to imagined threats, mindfulness helps us build genuine and supportive connections with others, leading to a strong support network that helps us handle other stresses.
Mindfulness also strengthens our short-term memory or working memory. College students trained in mindfulness saw a 16 percent increase in their graduate school entrance exam scores. Working memory helps us keep relevant information in mind while we need it. Without this capacity, even simple tasks like remembering a phone number long enough to dial it become difficult.
Better working memory has deeper implications. It enables us to keep ethical principles and long-term goals in mind while managing day-to-day tasks. Often, our intention to be kind or less reactive fades away during interactions because we can’t hold onto these long-term goals while dealing with immediate concerns. This is where “sampajañña,” or continuity of purpose, comes in. Consistent mindfulness makes long-term personal growth possible.
Mindfulness nurtures kindness and compassion, leading to more harmonious families and communities. It makes us more generous and more likely to help others in need, contributing to creating a better world – something that’s especially needed in today’s challenging times.
By understanding and embracing the real, personal benefits of mindfulness, we can go beyond corporate interests and work towards a more compassionate and balanced life.