Mindfulness and mood stimulate each other in an upward spiral: a mindful walking intervention using experience sampling.
Rinske A. Gotink, Karlijn S F M Hermans, Nicole Geschwind, Reinier de Nooij, Wouter T De Groot, Anne E. M. Speckens
Mindfulness 2016 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-016-0550-8 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Feasibility study with experience sampling method Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 29 |
| Population | Adults who had completed an MBCT or MBSR course |
| Intervention | Mindful walking in nature |
| Duration | 1, 3, 6, or 10 days of mindful walking, with a control period of similar length one week before |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Exercise Experience sampling method Mood Nature |
| Key points | Mindful walking in nature significantly improved state mindfulness and positive affect, and state mindfulness and positive affect appeared to enhance each other in an upward spiral, while increased state mindfulness predicted less negative affect. Questionnaire results were in the same direction but non-significant because of the small sample. |
Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of mindful walking in nature as a possible means to maintain mindfulness skills after a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) or mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course. Mindful walking alongside the river Rhine took place for 1, 3, 6, or 10 days, with a control period of a similar number of days, 1 week before the mindful walking period. In 29 mindfulness participants, experience sampling method (ESM) was performed during the control and mindful walking period. Smartphones offered items on positive and negative affect and state mindfulness at random times during the day. Furthermore, self-report questionnaires were administered before and after the control and mindful walking period, assessing depression, anxiety, stress, brooding, and mindfulness skills. ESM data showed that walking resulted in a significant improvement of both mindfulness and positive affect, and that state mindfulness and positive affect prospectively enhanced each other in an upward spiral. The opposite pattern was observed with state mindfulness and negative affect, where increased state mindfulness predicted less negative affect. Exploratory questionnaire data indicated corresponding results, though non-significant due to the small sample size. This is the first time that ESM was used to assess interactions between state mindfulness and momentary affect during a mindfulness intervention of several consecutive days, showing an upward spiral effect. Mindful walking in nature may be an effective way to maintain mindfulness practice and further improve psychological functioning.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 27
- Brief mindfulness-based training and mindfulness trait attenuate psychological stress in university students: a randomized controlled trial BMC Psychology February 1, 2021
- Depression, Mindfulness, and Psilocybin: Possible Complementary Effects of Mindfulness Meditation and Psilocybin in the Treatment of Depression. A Review Frontiers in Psychiatry March 31, 2020
- Mindfulness Training for People With Dementia and Their Caregivers: Rationale, Current Research, and Future Directions Frontiers in Psychology June 13, 2018
- Depressive Symptoms and Emotional Eating: Mediated by Mindfulness? Mindfulness August 15, 2018
- Silent into Nature: Factors Enabling Improvement in a Mindful Walking Retreat in Nature of People with Psychological Symptoms Ecopsychology April 11, 2018
and 22 more in the library
Cites 7
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- The toronto mindfulness scale: Development and validation Journal of Clinical Psychology 2006
- Standardised Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Healthcare: An Overview of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of RCTs PLoS One April 16, 2015
- Mindfulness training increases momentary positive emotions and reward experience in adults vulnerable to depression: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology July 18, 2011
- Putting a Hold on the Downward Spiral of Paranoia in the Social World: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Individuals with a History of Depression. PLoS One June 10, 2016
and 2 more in the library