Loyola Marymount University psychological science Professor Máire Ford co-authored a paper that presents the findings of a large study aimed at understanding the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions on stress reduction. The study involved 32 research labs, 61 researchers from the U.S., U.K., Europe, and Australia, and 2,239 participants. The article was published in Nature Human Behavior, a highly respected and frequently cited scientific journal.
In recent years, mindfulness meditation has gone mainstream. According to the national bestseller “Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life,” mindfulness meditation is paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally. Mounting research evidence suggests that regular practice can lead to a reduction in stress levels. However, the efficacy of practicing mindfulness anytime and anywhere has been a subject of debate. This study employed a rigorous methodology to address this question and to address gaps identified in a previous study on self-administered mindfulness interventions.
Various activities and tools are available for practicing mindfulness. To select the self-administered mindfulness exercises for the study, researchers first consulted mindfulness practitioners who were asked to recommend the most widely used exercises in their practice. This process led to the inclusion of four exercises: mindful breathing, body scan, mindful walking, and loving-kindness. Each exercise was recorded by a certified meditation trainer and lasted 15 minutes, ensuring a standardized and controlled environment for the participants.
Participants who engaged in these mindfulness exercises experienced a significant reduction in self-reported stress levels compared to those in the control group, who listened to a story. Among the mindfulness exercises tested, the body scan, which involves paying attention to parts of the body and its sensations, appeared to be the most effective.
For many, a regular mindfulness practice, especially one guided by a professional, may be impractical due to time or resource constraints. This study, however, offers a promising alternative. It suggests that even brief, self-administered mindfulness exercises can lead to significant reductions in stress levels. Importantly, the findings indicate that a single mindfulness exercise, even without regular practice, can provide short-term stress reduction benefits. This is a significant finding that can potentially make mindfulness more accessible and attractive to a wider audience.
“I always tell people that mindfulness is meant to be practiced regularly to maximize results for stress reduction,” said Ford. “Although I still believe that to be true, these findings suggest that even short mindfulness exercises can be valuable tools in situations where one might need a quick fix for high-stress levels, such as calming oneself when running late or reducing stress in the midst of an exam.”
Ford, who has taught at LMU since 2006 and is associate vice provost of faculty development, is an expert in close relationships. Her research, which has been funded by the National Science Foundation, focuses on (1) the influence of social stressors, such as rejection, on health and well-being; (2) social perception processes in positive and negative interpersonal interaction; and (3) social support processes, such as support-seeking and caregiving. Ford earned a B.S. in psychology and a minor in biology from Santa Clara University, and a M.A. and Ph.D. in psychology from UC Santa Barbara.
