454 CHAPTER 11
Applying Psychology to Everyday Life
Coping with Stress Through Mindfulness
Meditation
11.14 Define mindfulness meditation and describe its use in coping with
the effects of stress.
As mentioned in the discussion of meditation, there is a form of concentrative medita-
tion called mindfulness meditation, based in Buddhist philosophy and sometimes
called shamatha meditation. In this form of meditation, people deliberately and purpose-
fully pay attention to the moment-by-moment “unfolding” of experience without judging
or evaluating that experience (Hozel et al., 2011; Simkin & Black, 2014). Meditation in
general and mindfulness meditation particularly has been found to help reduce stress,
increase a sense of well-being, and improve emotional health (Creswell et al., 2014;
Ta n g e t a l. , 2 0 1 5 ).
Some people think that meditation is nothing more than sitting around doing nothing,
or even just another form of sleep. But learning to “sit around and do nothing” actually
takes some practice—it’s not as easy as you might think to be in your own head without
thinking of dozens of other things.
Mindfulness meditation usually begins with the person sitting on a cushion with legs
crossed or on a chair with the back straight. (The focus on a straight posture comes from
the Buddhist idea that your energy “flows” better when you are sitting straight.) You should
try to find a place that has a positive feeling for you, is quiet, and where you are not likely
to be disturbed. Eyes are closed or focused down at a spot just a few inches from the
end of your nose (this reduces distractions). Your attention should be focused on a bodily
function such as the movement of the abdomen in and out as you breathe or on the sound
and awareness of your breath as it moves through your nose. Your mind is probably going
to try to wander at first, but that’s okay—no judgment, remember? You just go back tomindfulness meditation
A form of concentrative meditation in
which the person purposefully pays
attention to the present moment,
without judgment or evaluation.
These people are practicing meditation.
Meditation increases relaxation and helps
lower blood pressure and muscle tension.
Practice Quiz How much do you remember?
Pick the best answer.
- Wanda explains that she ignores her problems when she feels she
cannot control them or when she worries about them to the point of
causing problems elsewhere in her life. What does the research say
about using such an approach?
a. This method can be somewhat harmful even if used only
occasionally.
b. This method is helpful only if you are a Type B personality.
c. This method is fine when the stressor cannot be eliminated or
worrying about the stressor causes problems.
d. This method is dangerous, since a stressor really must be dealt
with so as to feel better. - What does the research tell us about the effects of laughter on alle-
viating stress?
a. Laughter can alleviate immediate stress, but the effects last only
a few minutes.
b. Laughter has been shown to help the immune system.
c. Laughter in reality has little to no effect on one’s overall
stress level.
d. Laughter can actually have a negative effect on the body.
3. Simply put, what type of stress reduction is tai chi, the focusing of
the mind on specific movements of the body?
a. optimism
b. meditation
c. personality type
d. progressive muscle relaxation
4. Meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided visualization
are __ coping strategies for stress.
a. very effective
b. basically ineffective
c. emotion-focused
d. problem-focused
5. What effect, if any, does religion have on one’s stress?
a. Religion has not been shown to effect one’s stress.
b. Religion can actually increase one’s stress.
c. Religion can help alleviate stress in young people but not in
senior citizens.
d. Religion can help people effectively cope with stress in multiple
ways.