In a new study published in the British Journal of Health Psychology, researchers from the Universities of Bath and Southampton have found that just 10 minutes of daily mindfulness practice can significantly enhance mental well-being. This brief daily practice, facilitated through a free mobile app called Medito, was found to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, boost overall well-being, and even motivate healthier lifestyle choices.
The study’s findings are particularly noteworthy because they demonstrate that these benefits can be achieved through a simple, widely accessible digital intervention. By delivering mindfulness training via a mobile app, the researchers have shown that substantial mental health improvements are possible without the need for intensive, in-person programs.
The researchers were motivated by the growing evidence that mindfulness-based interventions can significantly improve mental health. However, while traditional mindfulness programs typically require significant time and effort—often involving eight-week courses with in-person sessions—the researchers wanted to explore whether similar benefits could be achieved through a more accessible, digital approach.
To explore this, the researchers conducted a large-scale, randomized controlled trial involving 1,247 adults from 91 countries. The participants were recruited through social media and the Medito app itself, with the study running remotely to maximize accessibility and reach. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the mindfulness intervention group or an active control group.
The mindfulness group was instructed to engage in a daily 10-minute mindfulness practice using the Medito app’s “30-Day Challenge” course, designed for beginners. This course included a variety of mindfulness exercises, such as body scans and focused breathing, aimed at fostering present-moment awareness and reducing stress. The control group, on the other hand, listened to 10-minute audiobook excerpts from “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass,” which were chosen to match the mindfulness practice in terms of time and attention required, but without the active mindfulness component.
Throughout the study, participants completed a series of questionnaires designed to assess their mental health, well-being, and health-related behaviors. These assessments were conducted at three key points: before the intervention (baseline), immediately after the 30-day practice period, and two months later (follow-up). The researchers analyzed the data to compare changes in mental health and lifestyle behaviors between the two groups.
The study revealed that participants who practiced mindfulness daily experienced significant improvements in their mental health compared to those in the control group. Specifically, the mindfulness group reported higher levels of psychological well-being, as measured by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale. They also showed a marked reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety, as assessed by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale.
“This study highlights that even short, daily practices of mindfulness can offer benefits, making it a simple yet powerful tool for enhancing mental health,” said study author Masha Remskar of the University of Bath.
“The research underscores how digital technology – in this case, a freely available app – can help people integrate behavioural and psychological techniques into their lives, in a way that suits them,” added co-author Ben Ainsworth, who leads the Digital Intervention Group at the University of Southampton.
Interestingly, these mental health benefits were not only evident immediately after the 30-day mindfulness practice but were also sustained two months later. This suggests that the positive effects of mindfulness practice can have a lasting impact, even after the formal training period has ended.
In addition to these mental health improvements, the mindfulness group also demonstrated healthier lifestyle behaviors. They reported better sleep quality and showed greater motivation to engage in health-promoting activities, such as regular exercise and healthy eating. These findings suggest that mindfulness practice may help individuals develop the psychological skills needed to adopt and maintain healthier habits.
“It is exciting to see that such a light-touch, affordable, intervention that has the potential to reach a large global audience can have an impact on healthy lifestyle behaviours. It is even more encouraging that these benefits were sustained after the mindfulness course ended, suggesting this practice can help build sustainable habits,” said co-author Max Western from the University of Bath.
While the study’s findings are promising, there are several limitations to consider. First, the study relied on self-reported measures of mental health and behavior, which can be subject to bias. For example, participants may have been more likely to report improvements due to their awareness of being part of a mindfulness study. Additionally, the high attrition rate—only about 24% of participants completed the study—could have introduced bias, as those who dropped out may have had different experiences than those who remained.
Another limitation is the lack of objective measures of health behaviors. While the study focused on health-related cognitions, such as attitudes and intentions, it did not directly measure whether participants actually engaged in healthier behaviors, like exercising more or eating better. Future research could address this gap by including objective measures, such as physical activity trackers or dietary logs, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how mindfulness practice influences behavior.
Despite these limitations, the study opens up exciting avenues for future research. The researchers suggest that further studies could explore how mindfulness influences specific health behaviors, such as physical activity or smoking cessation, by targeting these behaviors directly in the intervention. Additionally, investigating the long-term effects of digital mindfulness interventions on mental health and lifestyle behaviors could provide valuable insights into how these practices can be integrated into public health strategies.
The study, “Mindfulness improves psychological health and supports health behaviour cognitions: Evidence from a pragmatic RCT of a digital mindfulness-based intervention,” was authored by Masha Remskar, Max J. Western, and Ben Ainsworth.