Impact of a Momentary Mindfulness Intervention on Rumination, Negative Affect, and their Dynamics in Daily Life.
Affective science June 1, 2025 Teresa Bolzenkötter, Andreas B Neubauer, Peter Koval 9 citations
Practicing brief mindfulness exercises in daily life reduces momentary rumination and negative affect, but does not alter how these two experiences dynamically reinforce each other over time. In a 10-day smartphone study with 91 participants prompted eight times per day, those randomly assigned to a short mindfulness intervention reported lower rumination and negative affect immediately afterward compared to an active-control task. However, the mindfulness exercises did not reliably change the reciprocal relationship between rumination and negative affect. Cultivating mindfulness may help decrease these negative states in the moment without disrupting their underlying dynamic cycle.