What is mindfulness?
Scientists define mindfulness as the ability to focus attention and observe without judgment our inner and external experiences. Mindfulness requires two skill sets: cognitive skills to keep focused attention and emotional skills for nonjudgmental observation. You can further break down each of these skill sets: The cognitive skill of focused attention requires not only the ability to concentrate on one thing and ignore distractions, but also good working memories. Nonjudgmental observation is an emotional skill that requires good emotion regulation. This means you can change your emotions’ intensity and expression, and be present in the moment.
The conundrum of mindfulness and aging
Older adults learning mindfulness may find it easier and more challenging than for younger adults due to age-related factors. The good news is first. The good news is that mindfulness’s emotional side becomes easier as we age. Dr. Prakash, and Dr. Michele Tugade (professor of psychology at Vassar College), have both seen an increase in the ability of older adults to learn the emotional side of mindfulness.
Dr. Tugade noticed during her mindfulness retreats that “when I talk about mindfulness to middle aged and older adults in seminars they do seem to do better understanding the nonjudgmental aspect.” They were more comfortable with the open-focus aspect of mindfulness in the last retreat they co-led. Dr. Prakash’s research also showed that older adults are more comfortable with this part of mindfulness than younger adults.
Research has shown that emotion-related goals are more important as we get older and see the future as limited. This is because they can be achieved right now. Older adults experience higher emotional regulation and well-being, and this is explained by their higher priority of emotion-related goals. A 13-year-old study showed that stability and emotional well-being increased with age. Another study found that older adults had less negative affect in a stressful social setting than their younger counterparts. This was due to better emotion regulation strategies. Another finding is that older adults are better at solving marital conflicts than middle-aged couples. They also experience less negativity and more affection. Older adults can also use their emotions regulation skills by practicing mindfulness.
Some cognitive abilities are subject to decline with age. This is not a good thing. In our 40s and 50s we might notice subtle changes in how we retain short-term information. For example, it is possible to start noticing subtle changes in how we remember why we walked into the room or how difficult it is to disconnect from distractions (e.g. listening out for other people’s conversations when reading in a café). Focused attention is achieved by these two skills, working memory and attentional controls. It is more difficult to focus attention as we age. This extra effort seems to be worth it. Research shows that mindfulness practices can have cognitive benefits for older and middle-aged adults.
Mindfulness has cognitive benefits for older adults and middle-aged people
Let’s start with the long-term cognitive advantages. Research that compared the performance of experienced and younger practitioners of mindfulness (over 10 years) with those of non-meditators of similar age found that they performed better in tests of attention, processing speed and working memory than the non-meditators of the same age. Another study compared middle-aged expert meditators to age-matched nonmeditators. They completed MRI scans of their brains and cognitive tests. Researchers found that expert meditators performed better in executive function tests than the non-meditators and had stronger neural networks. The long-term practice mindfulness could help to maintain good cognitive function and better brain health later in life.
Don’t worry if you don’t practice mindfulness. Cognitive function improvements can occur after a simple eight-to-10-week mindfulness training program. These programs usually include weekly group sessions and daily home practice. Even a 10-minute mindfulness training for older adults can improve focus and attention.
