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5 Science Backed circumstances To Make Finding Serenity A Top Priority

Improve your overall well being

By Kennedy JonesPublished 4 years ago 5 min read
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Dictionary.com defines serenity as the state of being calm, quiet, or tranquil. In these tumultuous and doubtful times, serenity sounds like the furthest thing from reality. Serenity isn’t an emotion that we feel based on our reasons.

Rather, serenity is a state of being we must be intentional about pursuing and developing for ourselves it doesn't matter what our reasons might be. Finding serenity might seem like an insignificant quest, but there are many science backed circumstances why finding serenity should be a top priority.

Improved Mental Health

A meta-analysis of 6 random controlled clinical trials was analyzed to see if mindfulness combined with cognitive-behavioral techniques such as positive thinking were efficient at obstructing depression.

The findings of this meta-analysis revealed that in up to 44% of patients experiencing depression those formulas reduced the relapse of depression, mirroring the affects of antidepressants (Piet & Hougaard, 2011). A separate meta-analysis of 47 clinical trials found out that meditation was able to reduce psychological pressure, which could include anxiety, depression, and even pain (Goyal, et. al. 2014).

Stronger Immune System

Systematic reviews of a numerous controlled trials showed that mindfulness and the pursuit of serenity has a meaningful positive affect on the immune system. The review highlighted the going after positive immunological advantages related to the pursuit of serenity: reduce levels of inflammatory markers, increased amounts of the immune systems CD4 “helper cells,” and preservation of telomeres, among many others (Black & Slavich, 2016).

Enhanced Memory & Focus

Psychological scientist Michael Mrazek of the University of California and colleagues examined the affect mindfulness and the pursuit of serenity could have on memory and focus. The study involved 48 students who were randomly assigned either a mindfulness class or a nutrition class.

After a period of 4 weeks, students were given assessments that tested their memory and focus The test results showed that those in the mindfulness class got better test scores in definitely unrelated topics and improved their memory retention.

It appeared that those students who practiced mindfulness for 45 minutes, 4 times per week, for a period of 4 weeks were far more focused than their peers who participated in the nutrition class based on the scores. Mrazek particularly noted, “what we found, came down mind-wandering in every way we measured it and improved performance on both reading comprehension and working memory capacity” (Association for Psychological Science, n.d.).

Increased Intelligence

Science shows that the pursuit of serenity has the potential to absolutely grow the brain. A study conducted at Harvard University found out that individuals who practiced mindfulness meditation as a means of pursuing peace increased the thickness of their prefrontal cortex, the component of the brain responsible for choice making, emotional regulation, preparing, and regulation of social habit.

The study showed that just 8 weeks of practice of mindfulness meditation showed an expand in gray matter in MRI scans (Lazar et. al., 2005). This seemed to show that searching peace assisted participants gain bigger mental and emotional intelligence and a stronger, healthier brain overall.

Other analysis supports the idea that a brain that pursues peace is one that holds on sharp and intact even as we age. A 2015 study published in the journal Mindfulness showed that as just ten minutes of mindfulness meditation a day resulted in a meaningful slowing of age-related cognitive decline. The study went on to show that the practice of mindfulness meditation assisted to grow areas of the brain that tend to decline in productiveness with age (Malinowski, Moore, Mead, & Gruber, 2015).

More Happiness

The pursuit of serenity has, in addition, been shown to help the improvement in overall happiness. Another study conducted, challenged participants to focus on 3 things day after day they were grateful for through an generalized period of time. The study found out that participants who did so reported bigger happiness and overall satisfaction in their lives (Villarica, 2012). mainly, the practice of every day gratitude fostered a sense of every day peace and serenity that led to common feelings of satisfaction with life and self.

The pursuit of serenity is one that will yield favorable results for all who elect to start off on that journey. The physical, mental, and emotional health implications of pursuing serenity recommend that if we make finding and maintaining peace a priority in our lives, we will experience enhanced joy, increased intellect, increased memory, and improved health.

Thus, we should strive to find ways such as mindfulness meditation to execute peace searching practices in our lives on a regular basis so that we can stay in a state of serenity, and thus stay in a state of balance.

See more articles , books and reports like this at http://www.dearself.info

References:

Association for Psychological Science. (n.d.). Brief Mindfulness Training May expand Test Scores, Working Memory. Retrieved from https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/brief-mindfulness-training-may-boost-test-scores-working-memory.html

Black, D. S., & Slavich, G. M. (2016). Mindfulness meditation and the immune system: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1373(1), 13-24. doi:10.1111/nyas.12998

Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E., Gould, N., Rowland-Seymour, A., Sharma, R., … Cramer, H. (2014). Meditation Programs for Psychological pressure and Well-being: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Deutsche Zeitschrift für Akupunktur, 57(3), 26-27. doi:10.1016/j.dza.2014.07.007

Lazar, S. W., Kerr, C. E., Wasserman, R. H., Gray, J. R., Greve, D. N., Treadway, M. T., … Fischl, B. (2005). Meditation experience is consorted with increased cortical thickness. NeuroReport, 16(17), 1893-1897. doi:10.1097/01.wnr.0000186598.66243.19

Malinowski, P., Moore, A. W., Mead, B. R., & Gruber, T. (2015). Mindful Aging: The Effects of Regular Brief Mindfulness Practice on Electrophysiological Markers of Cognitive and Affective Processing in Older Adults. Mindfulness, 8(1), 78-94. doi:10.1007/s12671-015-0482-8

Piet, J., & Hougaard, E. (2011). The final result of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for prevention of relapse in recurrent radical depressive pathology: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 31(6), 1032-1040. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2011.05.002

Villarica, H. (2012, April 23). How the Power of Positive Thinking Won Scientific Credibility. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/04/how-the-power-of-positive-thinking-won-scientific-credibility/256223/

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About the Creator

Kennedy Jones

the creator, Owner, researcher & Publisher of Southern Red Press, a Lifestyles research & publishing firm ,based in Oklahoma, I’m an 8 time Stroke survivor, now with limited use of my left arm & leg, - https://www.kennedyjones.works

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