Mindfulness Promotes a More Balanced Time Perspective: Correlational and Intervention-Based Evidence
Michael Rönnlund, Antonina Koudriavtseva, Linnea Germundsjö, Terese Eriksson, Elisabeth Åström, Maria Grazia Carelli
Mindfulness February 22, 2019 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-019-01113-x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study and intervention study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 212 |
| Population | Adults with little experience of mindfulness training |
| Interventions | mindfulness instructor course mindful self-compassion program |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Rumination Psychological intervention Worry Clinical psychology Perspective graphical Intervention counseling Self-compassion Developmental psychology Cognition |
| Citations | 53 |
| Key findings | Higher mindfulness is associated with a more balanced time perspective, and mindfulness-based interventions reduce deviations from balanced time perspective. |
Abstract
To investigate the relationship between mindfulness and aspects of time perspective (TP, i.e., habitual views of past, present, future). We examined cross-sectional associations between an established measure of mindfulness (FFMQ) and an extended version of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (Swedish ZTPI; S-ZTPI) in a sample with little experience of mindfulness training (n = 212). In addition, we evaluated the effects of two mindfulness-based interventions (a mindfulness instructor course involving 29 participants and a mindful self-compassion program, n = 40 for the intervention group, n = 41 for controls) on mindfulness and measures of TP including an aggregate measure of deviations from a proposed optimal, or balanced, time perspective (DBTP). Cross-sectional data were consistent with a model by which part of the relationship between mindfulness and perceived stress is mediated by reduced DBTP. Global mindfulness scores showed the strongest (negative) associations with the S-ZTPI scales Future Negative and Past Negative. Comparisons of pre/post-intervention data revealed significant mindfulness-based intervention-related reductions of DBTP (Cohen’s d = − 0.46), with lowered scores on Past Negative and Future Negative and a small increase on Past Positive. The results support the notion that a higher level of mindfulness promotes a more balanced time perspective, with a reduced focus on negative aspects of the past and negative anticipations of the future. Relations to repetitive negative thought processes (rumination, worry) and a potential bidirectional influence of mindfulness and aspects of time perspective are discussed.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Mindfulness-Based Programs Improve Psychological Flexibility, Mental Health, Well-Being, and Time Management in Academics European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education November 3, 2020
- The Associations Between Deviation From the Balanced Time Perspective and Depression and Anxiety: The Moderator Role of Mindfulness in a Two-Wave Study Psychological Reports May 19, 2025
- Impact of a time perspective and mindfulness-based intervention on emotional regulation in adolescents with special educational needs: A phenomenographic study Time & Society October 22, 2026
- Time perspective, mindfulness, and psychological symptoms: psychometric properties of the Turkish short Zimbardo time perspective inventory BMC Psychology December 15, 2025
- Loving-kindness and compassion meditations in the workplace: A meta-analysis and future prospects. Stress and Health February 1, 2024
and 1 more in the library
Cites 12
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- Women Benefit More Than Men in Response to College-based Meditation Training. Frontiers in Psychology 2017
and 7 more in the library