Why people who meditate often make fewer mistakes, and how to get started with meditation and mindfulness practice

We all make mistakes – so the adage goes – but research suggests that those who meditate regularly may make fewer than the rest of us. The study, published by Michigan State University in the United States, found that meditation could help a person to become less prone to making errors. Jeff Lin, who co-authored the study, says that psychologists have been interested in studying error monitoring for decades. “There is a lot of research linking mindfulness meditation with improved attentional capacities,” he says, referring to the ability to selectively choose what we pay attention to. The main finding of his study showed meditators had an increase in the “error positivity” brain signal, which reflects the ability to pay attention to errors. Meditation has been shown to have a slew of benefits – not just in error mitigation. Cortland Dahl is a scientist and chief contemplative officer at the Centre for Healthy Minds at the University of Madison Wisconsin in the US, which studies ways to cultivate well-being and relieve suffering through a scientific understanding of the mind. How meditation can make Hong Kong healthier Dahl points to research that suggests that meditation helps us stay calm, which in turn decreases stress and anxiety while improving our sense of connection with other people and our overall well-being. He says to think of meditation as a workout for the brain. It helps us train the mind and brain in the same way physical exercise trains our bodies. While it might not be a physical workout, meditation “even seems to bolster our physical health, including strengthening our immune system and slowing the body’s ageing process”, Dahl says. Lin’s long-term goal is similar to that of the Centre for Healthy Minds: to develop an interdisciplinary research programme that intersects the arts, sciences and philosophy to advance understanding and treat human suffering. Mindfulness meditation involves deep breathing and awareness of mind and body. A person can “be mindful” at any time during daily activities, though it may be more challenging without sufficient practice. Lin stresses an important point in his study: meditators demonstrated a “stronger error positivity signal” that is, greater error awareness. So, he says, “with sustained practice, meditation could help people attend to and subsequently adjust to their errors, thereby reducing the number of future mistakes”. After all, you can’t avoid mistakes if you aren’t aware of the potential to make them. There are many different forms of meditation, says Dahl, and in the same way that different forms of exercise affect the body in different ways, so the many forms of meditation affect the body, mind, and brain differently. “One of the most common forms of meditation – mindfulness meditation as described by Lin – strengthens our ability to keep our minds focused and undistracted,” he says. The key is to “consciously direct our attention to a specific element of experience, such as our breath or a sound. When the mind wanders into distraction, as it inevitably will, we simply bring it back to the present moment and begin again.” Meditation: a Silicon Valley executive’s secret to success These short moments of noticing distraction and redirecting our attention help to strengthen networks in the brain that in turn help us to be more focused and less distracted. “Over time, periods of distraction decrease and our ability to remain focused and attentive improves, which benefits our ability to be a good listener in relationships, to be focused at work, and to manage our thoughts, emotions and impulses in a healthy way,” says Lin. If you’re never too old to make mistakes, are you ever too old to practice meditation? Not at all, says Dahl, who spent eight years living in Tibetan refugee settlements in India and Nepal and published 12 books of translations of ancient Tibetan meditation manuals. “Neuroscientific research shows that the brain has the capacity to learn and grow across the entire lifespan. There are windows when this capacity for transformation – ‘neuroplasticity’ – is stronger, such as periods in childhood. But anyone can learn to meditate and experience the benefits of training the mind.” Meditation is broadly good for the brain, says Dahl, because it trains the mind and rewires the brain to operate in a healthy way. “When we meditate, we activate brain networks that help us to manage our attention and emotions. At first, this can be quite challenging, in the same way that going to the gym and working out can be really tiring when we begin.” How the brain works and how to keep it healthier for longer The best way to start meditation is to focus on what works for you. The length of the session is less important than consistency, so even five minutes a day is enough if it helps you get started. Scientific research on building new habits suggests that “anchoring” your daily meditation on another daily routine can be effective. Pick a consistent daily routine, such as having your morning cup of coffee, and meditate right afterwards. You need to observe a similar discipline and commitment but, “over time, these brain networks strengthen”, just as abdominal muscles do when you plank regularly. Dahl adds that with practice, meditation gets easier – “to the point where we can bring a calm, focused mind into our daily life”. The best meditation practice, rather like the best keep-fit practice, says Dahl, “is the one you actually do”. To help people get started, the Centre for Healthy Minds developed the Healthy Minds Program, an app-based tool. It is a combination of podcast-style lessons and seated and active meditations. Dahl says users should see the benefits of regular meditation in 30 to 60 days. Well-being and happiness can be learned – here’s how With time and practice and a distilling of that attention with mindful focus, you might find yourself making fewer mistakes in that time, too. Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.