Mindfulness benefits

While medication is often used to treat ADHD, its effects are usually short-term. The medicine also has side effects.

In a randomised controlled trial, researchers found that mindfulness instruction is a good choice for young people with ADHD. The study is focused on measu...

The term "mindfulness" is about focusing on the moment. It is about embracing every moment of the day.

While being in the moment can be transformative, scientists still don't fully understand what happens in the brain when we practice mindfulness. What i...

Many studies have been done on mindfulness. The most widely recognised are:

• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). This program is designed to assist people with pain and a range of conditions that may be difficult to treat in a hospital setting.

• Research done on mindfulness parenting can be helpful with persons with autism, where parents apply the skills of mindfulness to the child-parent interaction, including attentive listening, non-judgmental acceptance of the self and the child, and se...

Neuroplasticity means the brain is malleable and able to restructure itself by forming new neural connections.

• Meditation might slow down or prevent forgetfulness related to age. Research found people who meditated in their 40s and 50's had the same amount of grey matter

One meta-analysis found 8 unique regions of the brain consistently changed in people experienced in meditation. These are:

• Rostrolateral prefrontal cortex
• Sensory cortices
• Insular cortex
• Hippocampus
• Anterior cingulate cortex

Some studies compared mindfulness therapies to medication.

• One study found no difference between participants of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and anti-depressant medication. This suggests that MBCT is a reasonable alternative to standard medicine.
• Research also...