Going by the findings of a new study – published both in journal ‘Emotion;’ and the ‘Joint Force Quarterly,’ which is a review journal for the Joint Chiefs of Staff - mindfulness training (MT) can bring about a notable improvement in an individual’s mood and working memory.

For the study, the University of Pennsylvania researchers observed daily exercises of ‘mindfulness’ – that is, being alert and attentive of the present moment, sans emotional reactivity or volatility – being undertaken by two high-stress US military cohorts comprising 48 male participants, averaging 25 years of age, readying for deployment to Iraq.

The MT was provided by cognitive neuroscientist Amishi Jha of the Department of Psychology and Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Penn; and Elizabeth Stanley of Georgetown University.

The researchers found that the more time the military groups - recruited from a detachment of Marine reservists during the high-stress pre-deployment period – devoted to daily mindfulness exercises, the better was their mood and working memory, which includes problem-solving ability, complex thought, and cognitive control of emotions.

Commenting on the benefits that MT has on the psychological health of individuals set to experience extreme stress, Jha said that “engaging in mindfulness exercises on a regular basis may improve mind-fitness. Building mind-fitness with mindfulness training may help anyone who must maintain peak performance in the face of extremely stressful circumstances.”