You probably already know that mindfulness meditation can calm us down when we are stressed. What may be new to you though, is that doing some meditation before a stressful event can markedly reduce your cortisol levels during the stressful event to follow.
A study in 2011, involving 32 healthy adult male students who had never meditated before, revealed fascinating insights. These men were asked to engage in 20 minutes of guided meditation, followed by playing a stressful computer game. The effects of meditation were measured using various parameters, including galvanic skin response (GSR), heart rate (HR), electromyography (EMG), and cortisol levels.
Key Findings
The results were telling: the computer game, as expected, induced significant stress, evidenced by increased physiological and psychological markers. However, the group that meditated before the game showed a notable decrease in these stress indicators. Their memory quotient improved, and cortisol levels, often referred to as the ‘stress hormone,’ decreased.
Stress and Longevity
Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress. Elevated cortisol levels over prolonged periods can lead to weakened immune function and increased risk of chronic diseases. At the cellular level, one of the critical impacts of stress and high cortisol is the acceleration of telomere shortening. Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that naturally shorten with age, but stress and cortisol can hasten this process. Shortened telomeres are a biomarker of cellular aging and are associated with a higher risk of age-related diseases and reduced lifespan.
You don't need to be great at it
The other encouraging finding from this study is that the participants had not meditated before, yet they still benefited. So meditating effectively doesn't require years of practice. Also, while the men in the study spent 20 minutes, if time is short for a situation you need to prepare for, a few minutes meditating is still worthwhile.
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