Mindfulness allows you to live in the moment, to accept it without judgment and to draw attention to your situation. You become more aware of your body, your thoughts, and the world around you. It is a simple technique with a big impact on your health and well-being.

A Lifestyle Change with Big Impact

Mindfulness meditation improves sleep quality.

Diagnosis Life summary:
Before you turn to medication to get a good night’s sleep (this should be a last resort!), you might want to think about meditation. A meta-analysis and systematic review in Annals of the New York Academy of Science (https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13996) included 18 randomized-control trials involving more than 1,650 people. Those trials looked at the effect of meditation and mindfulness-based stress reduction on sleep quality. The researchers then compared them to evidence-based sleep treatments. Meditation and mindfulness were comparable to sleep medication. Simply put, you can get the same benefits without putting chemicals into your body! Whether you take a class or meditate at home, incorporating these techniques into your routine may help you get your zzzz’s.

Mindfulness techniques may improve diabetes outcomes.

Diagnosis Life summary:
People who have diabetes can develop complications if their blood sugar is not in good control. They could have psychological distress worrying about their condition too. A meta-analysis in Diabetic Medicine (https://doi.org/10.1111/dme.14525) looked at 9 randomized control trials involving 801 people with uncontrolled diabetes (HbA1C > 7). People who underwent mindfulness interventions had greater reductions in HbA1C than those treated with usual care (education and medications). Incorporating mindfulness into your routine could help you better manage your diabetes.

Mindfulness training can help treat anxiety disorders.

Diagnosis Life summary:
Anxiety disorders are common. A study in JAMA Psychiatry (https;//doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.1862) assigned participants to cognitive based therapy, a mindfulness-based interventions, or a control group over 12 weeks to treat social anxiety disorder in particular. Both treatments were found to be effective, decreasing negative self talk and negative emotions. Those benefits were long-lasting despite the short treatment course. Researchers found they continued at the one-year follow-up.