Research indicates that mind wandering occurs 47% of the time, leading to decreased happiness and increased anxiety compared to being present. Studies, including a mindfulness training program for golfers and university students, demonstrate that mindfulness enhances happiness, reduces stress, and improves cognitive performance. The growing evidence supports mindfulness practices, with many UK doctors endorsing its benefits for patients.

1. 47%
of the time we are
thinking about
something other than
what we are doing.
How much your mind wanders depends on what you're doing
65% 57%
Happy when
Mind Wandering
ANXIETY 58%
57%
Research shows that
people are substantially
less happy when their mind
is wandering than when
they are paying attention
to what they are doing. Happy when
Present focussed
65%
DEPRESSION
...and used a control group
that didn’t take the course.
(6/6) (2/6)
whereas only 2/6 of the control group
did.
If you are stuck in a traffic jam...
you will still be
happier paying
attention to your
experience...
...than if your
mind is wandering
Scientists put one group of
golfers on a mindfulness
course...
They found that that the golfers who
had learned to be more present all
improved their national ranking,
In 2012, researchers at the University of California had 48 undergraduate
students take either a mindfulness class or a nutrition class.
460 2wee ks 520
(+13% improvement)
Being
present
makes you
happier...
Our minds wander...a lot
Brushing Teeth
Working
Conversation
Having Sex
Concentrating on
what you’re doing
will make you
happier than
daydreaming,
even if you
daydream about
something
pleasant
it also reduces your stress, improves your memory
and sporting performance, increases your
concentration, and even helps you sleep!
A study published by Oxford
University in 2013 looked at 273
participants and concluded that
taking a 4-week, 10-session online
mindfulness course reduced…
Not mind wandering
Mind wandering pleasant thoughts
Mind wandering neutral
Mind wandering negative
[% happy]
66%
58%
43%
STRESS
40%
Scientific evidence supporting
the power of mindfulness (being
present) is now so strong that UK
doctors support it...
68%
of GPs surveyed in 2010 thought it would be helpful
or very helpful for all of their patients to learn
mindfulness meditation skills.
There was no
improvement in GRE
(Graduate Record
Exam) scores
for the nutrition
group but for the
mindfulness group
their average GRE
scores went from...
They also improved in tests on working memory and focus.
Mindfulness-Based Stress
Reduction (MBSR) was found to
be as effective as pharmaceutical
drugs in treating insomnia in an
8-week randomized control trial
conducted at a health centre in
the USA.
Sources:
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/does_mind_wandering_make_you_unhappy]
Matt Killingsworth and Trackyourhappiness.org
http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/3/11/e003498.full
The Halliwell Report – 2010 – 250 GPs surveyed in June 2009
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/05/study-meditation-improves-memory-attention/275564/
http://pss.sagepub.com/content/24/5/776
http://www.academia.edu/712338/Mindfulness_and_acceptance_approaches_in_sport_performance
http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00116/full
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21397868
65%
50%
32%
10%
Being present makes you happier...
BE HERE
NOW
There are hundreds of ways to be more present
in your everyday life. Try these...
When you notice your mind is wandering, feel the sensations
in your body instead. Switch off the television when you’re
eating, slow down and really taste your food, smell the air
as you walk down the street, feel your feet on the ground
as you walk, notice your breathing as you sit in your office
chair, or make eye contact with yourself as you brush your
teeth in the morning.
Bring a little more Presence into your day and be happier.
www.presencetraining.co.uk