Can mindfulness be harmful?

Mindfulness, like anything else, can be harmful under certain conditions and for certain people. There is always too much of a good thing, even when it comes to practices meant to be helpful. While much of the research available for mindfulness shows its immense helpfulness to issues like chronic stress, anxiety, and depression, other studies demonstrate that it isn’t helpful for some.

There is no such thing as a universally helpful practice or anyone therapy-related practice that is right for everyone. If a panacea for life’s stresses, anxiety, and other issues exist, rest assured everyone would know about it and be doing it. Humans are strongly motivated by feeling good. In fact, research shows that even with positive action, such as mindfulness, most positive benefits tend to follow a trajectory where ultimately their positive effects become negative.

One way that mindfulness may take a negative turn is in the misunderstanding and misinformation about it. Popular media portrayals do paint it as a one size fits all fix for difficult and complex issues. Mindfulness may also be oversimplified. Mindfulness involves awareness and acceptance. While this sounds simple enough, it can be challenging for many people to avoid judgment, and judgment that occurs alongside examining or being mindful with experiences may worsen depression, anxiety, and emotional instability. Cultivating awareness without the ability to accept or without acceptance may cause more problems than it helps.

Mindfulness may also exacerbate existing mental health problems, depending on the person, the mindfulness method being used, and the support a person has while building a mindfulness practice. Lower motivation may result from mindfulness in some instances. Decreased willingness to accept responsibility for wrongdoings or to accept accountability was found in one study on mindfulness.

For most people, and in most cases, mindfulness is a helpful way to cultivate wellbeing and improve overall wellness, but nothing is flawless. Mindfulness should not be approached lightly or without proper research or guidance. If you are interested in beginning or trying mindfulness practice, talk with a therapist trained in mindfulness, find a legitimate mindfulness teacher or course, and approach it while also monitoring how you’re feeling.