The Trick to Change How Your Brain Reacts to Sadness

Lisa Franchi December 22, 2016

We all experience sadness at one point or another in our life, regardless of our achievements or successes. It’s a natural feeling. Most of the time, the sadness naturally goes away. But sometimes, it stays for such a long period of time that it starts to affect one’s daily life. Chronic sadness becomes a mental health condition which could lead to far worse outcomes, like depression.

While we can’t ever go away from being sad, did you know that there’s a psychological trick that changes how your brain reacts to sadness? It’s no other than meditation. In the past years, this ancient practice has been linked to numerous benefits. It has long been known that practising meditation can actually help us fight feelings of sadness, along with other negative emotions like anxiety. But as to how it does this surprising mechanism remained unclear until recently.

In a study published in the Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience journal, it was found that meditation goes as far as changing the way the brain reacts to sadness, which has tremendous benefits to a person’s mental health. Researchers from the University of Toronto have found that meditation leads to a decrease in the medial prefrontal cortex region of the brain which is associated it with analytical thinking and self-evaluation and an increase in the activity of the lateral prefrontal cortex, especially the insula region of the brain which is linked to direct, in-the-moment sensory experiences.

In short, being mindful prevents the brain from overthinking and over-reacting.

The researchers also found that practising mindfulness meditation makes the brain less likely to be caught up in sadness. It strengthens self-control and shift of attention, which is essential in fighting negative emotions.

Mindfulness Meditation for Better Mental Health

Meditation has become a popular trend in many countries. You can most likely find a meditation studio in your local area. But apart from practising meditation with the help of an instructor, you can also incorporate it in your daily life through simple ways.

1) Start the day with gratefulness. As you wake up and open your eyes, give yourself sometime to cherish the moment. Instead of rushing to do your morning routines, be still and focus on yourself. Be thankful of being able to rest and sleep. Feel the energy that your body has earned through the night. Be grateful for being so gloriously alive.

2) Incorporate breathing exercises. Whenever you feel like your mind is wandering away or when you are feeling distracted, practise mindful breathing. Focusing on your breathing is one easy way to shift your mind from rumination and gain control over your emotions. It’s a relatively easy yet powerful tool to fight sadness, anxiety, and other negative feelings.

3) Learn to meditate. It can be a great idea to work with a meditation teacher. Practising meditation can be intimidating and challenging at first, but once you get used to the practise, you will be able to do it practically anywhere, and even if there are plenty of distractions.

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