Are Formal and Informal Home Mindfulness Practice Quantities Associated With Outcomes? Results From a Pilot Study of a Four-Week Mindfulness Intervention for Chronic Pain Management.
Global advances in integrative medicine and health January 1, 2024 Carrie E Brintz, Geneva Polser, Rogelio A Coronado et al. 13 citations
In a four-week mindfulness-based intervention for chronic pain, informal home practice—such as brief breathing spaces and mindful daily activities—was linked to improvements in pain interference, physical function, sleep, anxiety, positive affect, and catastrophizing. Formal guided practices like breath meditation and body scans showed no significant association with any outcome. On average, participants completed informal practice on 3.5 days per week for 8.6 minutes per day, and formal practice on 4.3 days per week for 13.5 minutes per day. The findings suggest that for abbreviated mindfulness programs, the type of home practice matters more than the amount of time spent.