5 Benefits of Mindfulness for Seniors
published October 1, 2023
photo by Christian Bowen on Unsplash
by Mia Barnes
Mindfulness can have life-changing benefits for physical and mental health. Here are five specific ways mindfulness can be particularly beneficial to older adults, as shown by recent research from around the world.
1. Reduces Stress
Mindfulness programs can help reduce stress, which is a major contributor to declining health. A 2023 study conducted on older adults living in a nursing home in Turkey found a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program reduced the perceived stress of the participants for at least a month after the conclusion of the program.
2. Lowers the Risk of Depression and Anxiety
According to the Centers for Disease Control’s State of Mental Health and Aging in America report 20% of people over 55 experience mental health issues, including depression and anxiety. Along with the declining physical abilities that occur with aging, these problems contribute to the high suicide rate in older men.
Care providers consider mindfulness as a supplementary intervention to decrease the incidence of mental health problems in older adults. A controlled trial proved the effectiveness of mindfulness-based elder care (MBEC) on seniors with disabilities residing in long-term care in Taiwan.
Seniors who participated in an eight-week MBEC program had significantly lower anxiety, fewer depressive symptoms and improved spiritual well-being compared with non-participants. The researchers concluded that mindfulness-based practice positively affects cognitive health among the older population.
3. Delays Cognitive Decline
Dementia cases are rising around the world. While there's no cure yet, experts recommend mindfulness practice to protect brain health and slow cognitive impairment.
One Canadian study on 261 older adults with a family history of Alzheimer's dementia (AD) found mindfulness was associated with less cognitive decline, and fewer amyloid and tau proteins in the brain — two markers of AD found in dementia-diagnosed patients.
Participants were asked to complete the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, which measures the five subset traits of mindfulness — observing, describing, acting with awareness, nonjudgment and nonreactivity. After five years, the results found participants with higher levels of mindful nonjudgment, describing and nonreactivity experienced less brain decline in global cognition, immediate and delayed memory, and attention.
Furthermore, high levels of nonjudgment and nonreactivity traits were associated with less amyloid in frontal brain areas. Additionally, higher levels of awareness, describing, nonjudgment and nonreactivity were linked with fewer tau in temporal brain regions. This shows that practicing mindfulness can support better cognitive functions and delay the emergence of AD markers.
4. Extends Attention Span
One aspect of mindfulness practice is training the mind to pay attention to a single point, which can gradually increase attention span.
Researchers in Singapore carried out a randomized controlled trial among older adults with mild cognitive impairment to assess the effectiveness of mindfulness in mental health and functions, including attention. After a nine-month mindfulness awareness program, participants improved their working memory span and their ability to pay attention to two tasks at once.
The brain scans also showed positive neuroplastic changes, specifically the increased cortical thickness in the right frontal pole, associated with better brain function. Researchers recommend a long-term mindfulness practice to sustain these benefits.
5. Increases Pain Tolerance
Many older adults experience chronic pain. Practicing mindfulness can help with pain tolerance.
One U.S. study delved into using mindfulness meditation to relieve pain in 40 participants who underwent four meditation sessions. Researchers combined functional magnetic resonance imaging and psychophysical pain testing to examine and measure the impact of mindfulness on pain.
Based on their findings, meditation weakens the link between various brain regions involved in sensing pain and areas producing the sense of self. Pain signals still travel from the body to the brain through nerve fibers. However, since some brain structures interpreting pain are disentangled — such as the thalamus and ventromedial prefrontal — participants didn’t feel as much discomfort. This study shows that mindfulness engages multiple mechanisms to reduce pain.
In another study, conducted in China, researchers measured the pain tolerance of mindfulness-practicing participants through a cold pressor test. This tool gauges each person's pain threshold, intensity, endurance and distress by placing a part of the body — a hand or a foot — in an ice bath. Their heart rate was monitored as they did this. The participants who accepted and mindfully felt the pain during the test had increased pain endurance and tolerance.
A Daily Mindfulness Practice Benefits Seniors
There are many different ways to practice, including breathing exercises and other types of meditation, as well as body-based practices like yoga and Qigong. You can even turn a simple household chore like washing dishes or pulling weeds in the garden into a mindful activity by doing it with intention. Any of these techniques can be beneficial to seniors.
In a nutshell, research shows that mindfulness can reduce stress and depression, delay cognitive impairment and promote a better life.
About the Author
Mia Barnes is a writer specializing in mental health and wellness. She is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Body+Mind Magazine and has also written about gaining clarity through mindfulness and meditation for The Mindful Word. She is a frequent contributor to Mindful Teachers.
Related Posts
There are many more resources on the benefits of mindfulness here at MindfulTeachers.org, including the following posts:
How Mindfulness Benefits Physical and Emotional Health (See Question #4 for information about older adults.)
Survey Says… Mindfulness Works! Quick and Easy Ways to Collect Data to Support Your Program
Three Challenging Questions About the Benefits of Mindfulness