6. Practicing mindfulness minimizes the effects of chronic stress.
Chronic stress damages our bodies through the long-term effects from the stress hormone, cortisol. Practicing mindfulness can decrease the amount of cortisol in our bloodstream.[12] It also increases our brain density (gray matter) in areas involved in memory, learning, problem solving, conflict monitoring,[13] emotional self-awareness and self-regulation.[14] It can even help improve our sleep[15] which chronic stress often disrupts.
7. Practicing mindfulness improves the bio-markers of a healthy body.
One of the most exciting new neuroscience findings involves its effects on inflammation, now considered a key marker in many chronic diseases. In one study, participants who went through a three-day mindfulness retreat showed a decrease in a biomarker of inflammation compared to a control group.[16] Another study showed a direct link between this practice and reducing genetic markers associated with inflammation.[17]
Another exciting finding involves a key measure of health called heart rate variability (HRV). HRV measures the variation between each heartbeat. A higher HRV is considered a measure of good health. For those who struggle with anxiety, mindfulness is associated with a higher HRV.[18]
8. Practicing mindfulness may slow the aging process.
A mindful lifestyle may actually help us live longer by slowing the aging process.[19] At the end of our chromosomes lie protective caps, like plastic caps at the end of shoelaces. They’re called telomeres and are linked to longevity. The longer and healthier your telomeres, all else being equal, the longer you tend to live. Chronic stress apparently shortens them. Telomerase is an enzyme (a catalyst that brings about a chemical reaction) that slows the shortening of these telomeres. Some studies show that those who practice mindfulness have more telomerase, a good indicator of a longer life span.
9. Practicing mindfulness helps us control our negative emotions better.
In many ways mindfulness decreases the power negative emotions wield over our thinking and behavior.[20] The goal of the mindfulness is not to avoid feelings nor to detach ourselves from emotions, but to notice and respond to them in a God-honoring way. Mindfulness lowers anxiety and depression[21] and helps us reduce aggressiveness and anger.[22]
It can also help us get unstuck from the automatic responses to our emotions like reactivity, hopeless thinking, defensiveness and self-condemning thoughts including the misconception that good Christians don’t feel these kinds of emotions.
10. Practicing mindfulness helps us avoid common thinking traps.
God has given our minds an incredible ability to think about the past and imagine the future. Scripture tells us to reflect over God’s deeds in the past (Ps 77:11) and anticipate Jesus’ return in the future (Matt. 24:42). Unfortunately, as a result of the fall these mental abilities often don’t work well. We obsess about what’s wrong in the present. We anticipate the future, and worry about it, projecting worst-case scenarios into it.
Mindfulness can help you detach from wrong thinking in the same way that Teflon detaches from food. When you cook something in a Teflon-coated pan, food simply slides off because it doesn’t stick. When you detach from these thoughts, you don’t overly identify with them by getting hooked on your evaluations and judgments of them. You realize you are not those thoughts. Rather, you are a person that is aware of those thoughts. You are stepping back to gain a wide-angle perspective of the situation and the thoughts that resulted.
So, for the Christian, mindfulness offers many benefits.
Be sure to check out my newest book called Holy Noticing: The Bible, Your Brain, and the Mindful Space Between Moments, just released by Moody Press.
