There’s little doubt that meditation has tons of benefits for our health. In fact, science has shown that the practice can help reduce stress, depression, anxiety, and generally improves our ability to cope with uncomfortable experiences. But new research suggests that people who meditate could end up decreasing negative emotions not only in themselves but in their relationship partners as well.
The study ultimately involved 35 pairs of university students, who enrolled in the study along with a friend, romantic partner, roommate, coworker, or family member. None of these participants had previously maintained a regular meditation practice. Both members of each dyad completed daily surveys for 8 weeks that assessed mindfulness, mood, and interactions with their study partner. Meanwhile, one member of each dyad used a guided audio file to meditate for 15 minutes per day for two non-consecutive 2-week phases of the study.
The researchers found that participants tended to report fewer negative emotions after meditating. This appeared to extend to their study partners as well. Non-meditating participants also tended to report fewer negative emotions during periods when their partner meditated.
