Researchers at the U have discovered that being more mindful can lead to better living.
Being “mindful” means being aware and conscious of one’s surroundings and self. It can mean paying attention to one’s needs or just noticing how pleasant the weather is.
According to Holly Rau, a doctoral student who worked on the study, people who reported themselves as mindful also described themselves as having more control over their emotions, behaviors and reactions throughout the day.
The study showed mindfulness was linked with lower activation, which could lead to improved sleep quality, which in turn can improve stress management.
The three-day study involved 38 participants, including U undergraduate psychology students.
On day one of the study, participants came into the lab for an extensive assessment session. During the session, researchers measured participants’ personality factors with questionnaires. Many factors were measured, including mood awareness, cognitive functioning and resting physiology, also known as heart rate variability.
After the assessments, two days of experience sampling began. Each of the participants wore a heart monitor that tracked blood flow and answered questions about their mental and emotional state several times a day. Following each day, the subjects completed questionnaires regarding their capability to regulate their own behavior. In addition, participants assessed their rate of cognitive and physical alertness.
Paula Williams, associate professor of psychology, headed the research. The study and findings are a part of her larger study on stress in daily life. The interest in the mindfulness focus of the study came from Rau’s doctoral research.
“My graduate students and I are interested in examining individual differences in stress risk and resilience-factors that make people more vulnerable versus more resilient to stress. Dispositional mindfulness is considered a potential stress resilience factor,” Williams said in an email.
According to Williams, mindfulness can be learned over time or naturally occur differently person to person. In some people, it might be more of a trait, and in some, a disposition. Those that lack mindfulness can improve by practicing meditation and simply working on being more mindful.