10期 15分钟的正念练习真的会减压吗？

Can 15 Minutes of Mindfulness Really Reduce Stress?

Hello everyone, welcome to today’s episode. We often feel that life moves too fast, and stress is like a shadow that is everywhere. The nervousness before an exam, the anxiety at work, or even just the frustration during a commute can make the heart beat faster and the breath quicken. In such moments, we often hear the advice: “Why not try mindfulness meditation?” But the question is, can a short fifteen-minute self-practice really work?


Recently, a large-scale study provided us with the answer. This study covered 37 sites, with more than two thousand participants, average age 22, most of them students. The researchers selected four of the most common mindfulness practices: **body scan, mindful breathing, loving-kindness, and mindful walking**. Each practice was guided by audio and lasted about fifteen minutes. The researchers then measured the participants’ stress levels to see whether these short practices were truly effective.


The results were very clear. All four practices significantly reduced stress levels, with the **body scan having the strongest effect**. In this practice, participants slowly placed their attention on different parts of the body, noticing the tension or relaxation of the present moment. Mindful breathing and loving-kindness followed closely. Breathing emphasized focusing on each inhale and exhale in the present, while loving-kindness relieved inner tension and unease by sending goodwill and blessings to oneself and to others. Mindful walking also had an effect, but overall it was somewhat weaker than the first three.


What is more interesting is that the researchers also examined two potential factors: neuroticism in personality, and language background. The results showed that neither had a significant effect. In other words, whether you are someone who is naturally prone to anxiety, or whether English is your native language or not, as long as you engage in these mindfulness practices, you can almost always obtain similar stress-reducing effects. This shows that the power of mindfulness may be more universal and easier to access than we imagine.


So, what does this mean for our daily life? The conclusion of this study is important: **even a single, self-guided short mindfulness practice can effectively reduce stress in the short term**. It is like a portable “psychological toolbox.” In the ten minutes before an exam, you can use a body scan to settle your mind; before a meeting, a few minutes of breathing practice can help you ease tension; when you feel filled with hostility or pressure, loving-kindness can help you regain gentleness and goodwill. Even if you are just walking on the street, putting your attention on the contact between your feet and the ground can, through mindful walking, slow your mind down.


Of course, the effect of these short practices is mainly immediate. They cannot cure long-term stress or change personality traits. But the study reminds us that even just a few minutes of mindfulness can help us quickly adjust at key moments and restore calm. In the long run, if these methods are integrated into daily life, they may become an important supplement for coping with stress.


So next time you feel stress coming, pause, find a quiet corner, put on your headphones, and spend fifteen minutes doing a body scan or a breathing practice.