Less “mistakes” in 20 minutes? (Study)
Head in the clouds…
Cobwebs in the attic…
Senior “moments” …
These are all tongue-and-cheek phrases we sometimes associate with mental sharpness—or lack thereof!
The reality is, these moments happen to everyone.
But research has found that carving out just 20 minutes to perform this simple move… can help SHARPEN your brain…
Leading to less mistakes!
A research study out of Michigan State University found that engaging in 20 minutes of MEDITATION can help you become LESS prone to errors.
The study, published in the journal Brain Sciences, tested how open monitoring meditation (meditation that focuses awareness on your feelings, thoughts or sensations as they unfold in your mind and body) altered brain activity.
Researchers discovered that just 20 minutes of meditation led to BETTER scores on computerized ‘distraction’ tests—which helps analyze a person’s ability to recognize mistakes before they happen.
In other words, the soothing act of meditation can help your brain better recognize – and prevent—mistakes and errors that you face throughout the day.
But simply 20 minutes of meditation—whenever you can—can put your mind in a heightened state of awareness.
The more you can slow your mind, the better. But if you’re struggling to set some time aside to meditate, there are other ways you can take advantage.
Simply turning off distractions like your phone, TV, or the radio (ideally for 20 minutes) and engaging in some deep-breathing is a great way to calm your mind and your body.
There are also easy-to-use (and free) meditation tools like Calm—which is a popular app designed to teach you how to reduce anxiety and stress, sleep better, and check in with your emotions.
For full disclosure, I have no affiliation with Calm or it’s developers. It’s a tool that anyone can use to help get started with meditation.
To a sharper mind,
Sarah Reagan
Sources:
ScienceDaily. “How meditation can help you make fewer mistakes.” https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191111124637.htm
