When you're stressed, it's easy to get stuck in endless cycles of worry and overthinking, where even small things start to feel like too much. Modern life piles on the pressure—always pushing us to do more, work harder, and somehow be better. It's no wonder so many of us feel stretched to breaking point.

According to research, 79% of UK adults feel stressed at least once a month and 1 in 9 adults feel stressed daily. Finding tools that help us is more important than ever. Mindfulness offers a way out, helping us break free from those cycles and better cope with the stresses of daily life.

How does mindfulness help with stress & anxiety?

Breaking the cycle of overthinking

Our minds easily get stuck in negative thinking patterns–an endless spiral of 'what ifs" and worries about matters outside of our control. Mindfulness can help us recognise that we don't need to be ruled by every thought that comes in our head, and brings us back to what's actually happening, right now.

Ability to choose

Mindfulness helps us catch our emotional reactions before they take over. For example, in a heated argument with family, mindfulness gives us a chance to pause and choose a more considered response, to prevent things escalating. In time, we can build our emotional resilience, which can buffer us from the negative effects of unpleasant situations.

Balance our nervous system

In today's society, it can feel like we are always on the go. With stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol flowing through us constantly, it can be hard to stop until we 'crash' at the end of the day. Mindfulness can help us step off life's hamster wheel more regularly throughout the day, allowing our nervous system a chance to move from the fight or flight mode to rest and relaxation. This causes our stress hormones to lower, calming our nervous system and promoting psychological well-being. (Turakitwanakan and colleagues, 2013).

Does mindfulness really work for stress & anxiety?

The evidence suggests yes! A growing body of research supports the effectiveness of mindfulness for reducing stress. Mindfulness has become so widely accepted for stress management that it is now part of The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) 2022 guidelines for workplace wellbeing.

Key research findings include:

• Increased resilience: Mindfulness programmes such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) found participants had significant improvements in their ability to handle stress (Zinn, 1990), with mindfulness interventions found to provide similar reductions in anxiety levels as recognised therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) (Fumero et al., 2020).
• Lowered cortisol: A recent Meta analysis showed that mindfulness is one of the most effective interventions in lowering cortisol levels (a stress hormone) (Rogerson et al, 2024). The American Psychological Association state when overexposed to stress hormones, there is an increased the risk of anxiety, depression, heart disease, sleep issues, and memory problems​
• Brain changes: Mindfulness produces beneficial changes in brain structure, particularly in areas related to emotion regulation, self-awareness, and self-regulation (Hölzel et al., 2011) to produce effects which are positive for our psychological health (Wheeler et al., 2017). A growing body of evidence suggests mindfulness may be as effective as some antidepressants, offering an alternative treatment for those unable to tolerate medication (Hoge et al., 2023)​.
• Lasting changes: A large study confirmed that mindfulness can reduce stress over long periods and is particularly effective for at-risk groups like those facing chronic stress (Koncz et al., 2020).

Why choose the Breathworks approach to stress management

The Breathworks Mindfulness for Stress course is specifically designed to help people manage anxiety, low mood and the everyday stress that can leave us feeling drained.

The course is an adaptation of traditional MBSR, designed to be more accessible through shorter meditations and simple daily life practices that fit into busy lives. We teach a secular mindfulness approach with an emphasis on compassion and kindness, and provide you with a toolkit of skills that can be used right away, and returned to as often as needed.

Why not give one of our short guided meditations a go?

3-Minute Breathing Space

An evidence-based approach

Participants consistently share how the course helps them manage stress, find greater relaxation, and respond to challenges more adaptively.

Between 2017 and 2021, we invited over 120 Mindfulness for Stress course participants to complete a series of validated questionnaires. 79% of participants with anxiety and 87% with depression reported improved scores after completing the Breathworks Mindfulness for Stress course. Self-compassion also increased for 73% of participants—a trait linked to better mental and physical health and healthier habits (Phillips & Hine, 2021; Macbeth & Gumley, 2012).

Read the full Impact Report here.

As well as our internal evaluations, the Breathworks Mindfulness for Stress course is backed by academic research. Published studies show it reduces stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, fosters self-compassion, and helps participants respond to challenges more mindfully. For example, healthcare professionals reported greater reductions in depression and psychiatric symptoms compared to relaxation techniques (Pizutti and colleagues, 2019). Explore the full catalogue of published papers on Breathworks courses here.