Want to feel more Calm, get some Headspace, and practice Mindfulness Daily?

This study was the first to show that a brief two-week mindfulness training app can change a person’s biological response to stress,” says lead author Emily K. Lindsay, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pittsburgh.
When we learn acceptance, she and her colleagues explain, we may be better able to acknowledge but disengage from difficult experiences—like cringe-worthy judgment from others. This study suggests that the benefits of mindfulness aren’t just from improved attention, but from the gentle, nurturing attitude we cultivate toward ourselves.
Mindfulness apps under the microscope
Less stress isn’t the only outcome we can hope to achieve through our digital contemplative practice.
In 2017, researchers conducted one of the only studies that compared a mindfulness app with a traditional, in-person mindfulness class. Here, nurses in residency listened to Headspace meditations or attended a class once a week for four weeks. Ultimately, the app users improved their mindfulness skills—in particular, their ability to act with awareness and not overreact to their thoughts and feelings. They also felt less fatigue and burnout in their caregiving role, compared to class attendees.
Several studies have compared participants who used Headspace to those who used another beneficial app, like the brain-training app Lumosity, the organizational app Catch Notes, or a web app with logic problems. After training for 10–20 minutes a day for 10–30 days, Headspace users...

Source: SharpBrains - June 25, 2018 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Greater Good Magazine Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Education & Lifelong Learning Health & Wellness Peak Performance Technology brain-training-app Calm digital Headspace Lumosity meditation mindfulness mindfulness apps Mindfulness Daily mindfulness-based Source Type: blogs