Want to protect your brain as you age? Mindfulness may help
Trauma affects the whole body, disrupting stress responses, but lifestyle habits and biology offer pathways to healing.
Key Points
Mindfulness is a form of attention training that may help strengthen brain networks involved in focus, memory and emotional regulation.
Research suggests mindfulness may support healthy brain ageing, with studies linking it to improved attention and slower age-related brain changes.
Even a few minutes of mindful breathing each day may help reduce stress and support wellbeing.
Keeping our brains healthy, sharp, and resilient becomes increasingly important as we age.
We know that physical activity, good nutrition and social connection all play a role, but growing research suggests another simple practice may also support brain health: mindfulness.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is often misjudged as something for meditation retreats or spiritual gurus. In reality, it is the practice of paying attention to what's happening right now with openness and without judgement, rather than becoming caught up in worries about the future or regrets from the past.
Why does this matter? Research suggests our minds spend a significant portion of the day wandering. When they do, we often drift towards worries, rumination, or distraction. Mindfulness encourages us to gently return our attention to the present moment.
Training the brain's attention system
From a neuroscience perspective, mindfulness can be thought of as a form of ‘attention training’. Just as regular exercise strengthens muscles, mindfulness appears to strengthen brain networks involved in attention, emotional regulation and self-awareness.
Mindfulness involves noticing when your attention drifts and gently bringing it back to a chosen focus, such as your breath. Over time, this process may help improve concentration and reduce habitual distraction.
The benefits don’t stop there. Mindfulness also encourages us to observe our thoughts and emotions with curiosity and acceptance, rather than becoming caught up in judgement or self-criticism. Research shows this approach can help calm the brain's stress response, reduce feelings of anxiety, and help us navigate life's challenges with greater resilience.
In today's world of constant notifications and competing demands, the ability to focus and maintain calm may be more valuable than ever for wellbeing and cognitive health.
Can mindfulness help reduce the effects of ageing?
One of the most promising areas of mindfulness research relates to healthy brain ageing.
As part of normal ageing, some regions of the brain gradually lose volume over time. Early research suggests mindfulness may help slow some of these changes by supporting areas involved in memory, learning, attention, and emotional regulation. Researchers have also observed changes in brain connectivity that may improve focus and reduce mind wandering.
One study found that the brains of long-term meditators appeared, on average, about 7.5 years younger than those of non-meditators when measured using age-related brain volume markers. While this does not prove cause and effect, it offers encouraging evidence that mindfulness may contribute to maintaining brain health later in life.
Benefits beyond brain health
The potential benefits of mindfulness extend beyond brain health.
Research has linked mindfulness with improved emotional wellbeing and better sleep quality. It also helps people develop greater self-compassion, fostering a kinder and more accepting attitude towards themselves.
For older Australians, this can be especially valuable. Life transitions such as retirement, caring responsibilities, health concerns or the loss of loved ones can create emotional challenges. Mindfulness may provide a practical way to navigate these experiences with greater calm and resilience.
Small steps can make a difference
The good news is that mindfulness does not require hours of meditation.
While some research studies have involved structured programs with 20 to 30 minutes of daily practice, other studies have reported benefits from sessions as short as 10 minutes a day.
Even everyday activities can become mindful moments. Savouring the aroma of a morning coffee, paying attention while walking in nature, listening fully during a conversation, or simply focusing on the sensation of breathing for a minute or two are all ways of practising mindfulness.
Experts recommend starting small and being consistent.
Try this simple mindfulness practice
Sit comfortably with your feet on the floor and your back relaxed but upright.
Focus on the natural rhythm of your breathing, noticing the gentle rise and fall of your abdomen. There's no need to change your breath. Simply observe it.
When thoughts or distractions arise, acknowledge them without judgement and gently return your attention to your breathing. If your mind wanders, that's normal. The goal isn't to stop thinking, but to notice when your attention has drifted and bring it back to the present moment.
Build duration and regularity over time.
Done consistently, this simple exercise can strengthen the brain networks involved in attention and emotional regulation.
A simple habit for a healthier future
While research into mindfulness is still evolving, the evidence to date is encouraging. Alongside regular exercise, a healthy diet, quality sleep, and social connection, mindfulness may become another valuable tool for supporting a healthier, more resilient brain as we age.
Best of all, mindfulness is free, can be practised almost anywhere, and may help us stay mentally engaged with the people and experiences that matter most.
Register for UniSC’s free Healthy Brains for Life webinar presented by Associate Professor Sophie Andrews. Midday, 23 September. Register here.
Related reading: Healthy brains for life – three lifestyle habits that put brain health back in your hands
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