Pathways to Emotional Self-Regulation through Mindfulness Meditation: A Mechanistic Study of Positive Psychology Interventions
Academic Journal of Management and Social Sciences November 26, 2024 Shuxiao Chen
An 8-week mindfulness meditation intervention improved emotional self-regulation in 200 participants. Those who practiced mindfulness showed a greater ability to positively reappraise situations and relied less on suppressing their emotions, with medium to large effects. Brain scans revealed increased prefrontal activity and decreased amygdala reactivity, suggesting enhanced cognitive control and reduced emotional reactivity. The study provides evidence for how mindfulness may work through cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression to foster resilience, with potential applications in clinical, educational, and workplace settings.