Virtually all manuals on happiness (whether self-help books or the long lists of tips that we find on the internet) highlight the numerous benefits of meditation and mindfulness: Being aware of the present moment and having an attitude of calm and tranquility is the key to having a more satisfying and fulfilling life.
Before seeing the study that concluded that mindfulness changes the way our brain reacts to sadness, I invite you to see this video in which an expert in mindfulness explains what this special type of meditation consists of.
In this video they explain to us how we can start practicing mindfulness in our daily activities. A very useful video that may change your life:
[You may be interested in "6 Mindfulness Exercises or Mindfulness"]
Science is also showing that this awareness of now changes the way our brain reacts to certain emotions, especially sadness.
Research on mindfulness training
In a recent study, led by Norman Farb et al., the participants had to answer a series of questions about their personality: if they considered themselves intelligent, responsible, naive, trusting ...
As they answered, everything was being scanned through an MRI machine. What the researchers discovered with this interrogation is that, depending on the type of questions they were asking, different brain modes were activated in the participants: the narrative / analytical mode was activated when the questions were of the type “is this good or is it bad?”, “what does this reveal about my personality?”; and the concrete / experiential mode was put into operation when faced with questions such as “what is happening right now? What am I being aware of?
After these results, The researchers wanted to know how mindfulness training would affect each of these brain modes.
To do this, they divided the participants into two groups: one of them did the MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) program and the other group, the control group, did not do any training. The results they got were amazing.
Mindfulness training produces increased activity in the lateral prefrontal cortex
In the group that carried out the training, a decrease in the activity of the medial area of the prefrontal cortex was observed; an area associated with analytical thinking and self-assessment.
On the other hand, an increase in activity was also recorded in the lateral area of the prefontal cortex, especially in the insula, a region related to the sensory experiences of the moment.
In other words, being aware of the now, of the present moment, prevents us from thinking too much about something (for example, a situation that annoyed us) and, therefore, also prevents us from having exaggerated and disproportionate reactions.
Instead of spending time blaming yourself or others for something, you learn to focus on the present moment and make the most of it.
The effect of mindfulness on sadness
In the next phase of the investigation, Farb et al. Played film clips (sad and neutral) for the two groups of participants.
Again, the results were similar: sad fragments produced, in both groups, greater activation of the medial prefrontal cortex and the regions linked to self-assessment. In addition, they also produced a decrease in activity in the regions associated with present-moment awareness.
However, what was most interesting was that in those participants who had received mindfulness training, greater activity was observed in the lateral prefrontal cortex. Namely, these participants were less likely to be "kidnapped" by sadness than the control group.
Once again, being aware of the now allows greater self-control and focus on what is really important, avoiding drowning in emotions.
How to practice mindfulness in your daily life
1. Pay attention to when you wake up: Sit in silence, enjoy the present moment and be grateful to be alive. Remember: don't let your phone or other noises distract you from this moment.
2. Begin by practicing for short periods of time: 5 minutes at first, then it increases to 10, then to 20… and so on.
3. Use prompts to remind you of mindfulness practice. For example, your morning coffee, a certain activity that you do regularly, a reminder on the phone, or even a particular symbol. Anything that reminds you of mindfulness practice throughout the day.
If you have the possibility of going to a mindfulness course, I encourage you to try it; but if that is not possible ... do not be discouraged. Start incorporating these habits into your daily routine and simply see how your life changes for the better.