The 5 Biggest Myths of Mindfulness

Savvy Psychologist Dr. Ellen Hendriksen busts the 5 biggest myths of mindfulness

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

Mindfulness is everywhere these days. Mindfulness headlines like “Healthy Mind, Healthy Life” or “The Medicine of the Moment” are trumpeted from grocery store checkout stands, right next to celebrity gossip and thinner thighs. 

In many ways, this is a good thing: mindfulnessis improving lives the world over. Recent studies have found mindfulness benefits everyone from emergency room nurses to law students waiting for their bar exam results to pregnant women—to the extent that their babies later showed less negative social-emotional behavior than the babies of less mindful women.


On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.


But as the mindfulness movement gets bigger and more unwieldy, misconceptions sprout like mushrooms after the rain. Therefore, this week, we’ll tackle the five biggest myths of mindfulness.

The 5 Myths of Mindfulness

  1. Mindfulness is meditation.

  2. Mindfulness is about taking time out to rest and relax.

  3. Mindfulness is having no thoughts.

  4. The ultimate goal is to be mindful all the time.

  5. Mindfulness is bliss.

Let's explore each in more detail.

»Continue reading “The 5 Biggest Myths of Mindfulness” on QuickAndDirtyTips.com

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe