Too old to learn mindfulness?
Are you wondering if it's too late for you to learn mindfulness? I've been asked that many times during my years teaching MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction). Here's what I've seen.
Age is not an obstacle to mindfulness. In fact, some wise teachers say that happiness in ageing increases with mindfulness!
Curious? Please check out the video (4:40 min).
And see below a summary of research described in the video.
=================
“This article examines mental and physical conditions proven responsive to mindfulness, including cognitive function, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, loneliness, posttraumatic stress disorder, cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson's disease, urge urinary incontinence, and chronic pain.”
Mindfulness, Stress, and Aging
Katarina Friberg Felsted; Clin Geriatr Med, Nov 2020
=================
“Participants showed improvements in worry severity, increases in mindfulness, and improvements in memory as measured by paragraph learning and recall after a delay, all with a large effect size. Most participants continued to use MBSR techniques for six months post-instruction and found them helpful in stressful situations."
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for older adults with worry symptoms and co-occurring cognitive dysfunction
Eric J. Lenze, et al; International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, Oct 2014
=================
“Our findings suggest that participation in MBSR is associated with improved sleep quality for older adults with moderate to high levels of sleep disturbance…”
A Secondary Analysis of Sleep Quality Changes in Older Adults From a Randomized Trial of an MBSR Program
Autumn M. Gallegos, et al; J Appl Gerontology Nov 2018
=================
“In this population of older adults with stress disorders and neurocognitive difficulties, a mindfulness intervention improves clinical outcomes such as excessive worry and depression and may include some forms of immediate memory performance.“
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Older Adults With Stress Disorders and Neurocognitive Difficulties: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Julie Loebach Wetherell, et al; J Clin Psychiatry, July/August 2017
=================
“The results of this review provide evidence that the MBSR is more effective than wait-list-control group to reduce depression in older adults with clinically significant symptoms immediately following the intervention.”
The effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on depression, anxiety, and stress in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Simon Yat Ho Li, et al; Int J Ment Health Nurs, June 2019
===================
“This study demonstrated that the MBSR program could be a beneficial treatment for chronic insomnia in adults aged 75 years and older.”
Mindfulness-based stress reduction for chronic insomnia in adults older than 75 years: a randomized, controlled, single-blind clinical trial
Jia-Xu Zhang, et al; Explore (NY) 2015 May-Jun
=================
“Mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques aim to change reactions to stress by teaching purposeful awareness and acceptance of the present state. and includes techniques such as breathing, body scan, and walking meditations, and Hatha Yoga. These techniques have been effective in reducing insomnia in older adults.”
Insomnia in the Older Adult
Glenna Brewster, et al; Sleep Med Clin. 2018 March
=================
To your natural happiness!
Lucinda
