Meditation as a tool for stress

“Every day brings a choice: to practice stress or to practice peace.”
— Joan Borysenko

Pursuing ambitious goals means stepping towards the edges of our comfort zone — and that often comes with some level of stress.

Stress is a natural response designed to mobilize our focus, energy, and cognitive abilities when we push our boundaries.

However, chronic or excessive stress can disrupt our natural balance, which – as we have seen before – can lead to cognitive fatigue, impaired decision-making, and long-term health consequences.

Today, we will explore if there is scientific reasoning to suggest that meditation could be used as a way handle stress more effectively.

Today’s insights is mainly drawn from the scientific article: 

“Mindfulness-Based Interventions and the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis: A Systematic Review”

Today's newsletter

• The study in a nutshell:

• Takeaways:

• Stress and the HPA axis:

• What the authors did and found out:

• MBIs and Stress:

• What can we learn from this study?

The study in a nutshell:

Today’s study is a systematic review investigating how meditation affects stress.

The authors analyzed how mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) affect cortisol levels which is a key stress marker regulated by the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis.

The study reviews 35 scientific articles published between 1990 and 2024, covering diverse populations, including PTSD patients, cancer survivors, and university students.

Cortisol was measured through saliva, blood, urine, and hair. Findings were mixed - some studies reported cortisol reductions after MBIs, while others found no significant changes.

Despite inconsistencies, MBIs show potential for influencing stress and cortisol levels.

Takeaways:

🧠 Mindfulness rewires stress circuits

MBIs may alter brain activity in the hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala — regions involved in stress response — potentially reducing cortisol and habitual rumination.

Stress and the HPA axis:

What the authors did and found out:

Databases of scientific articles were searched for relevant studies published between 1990 and 2024.

Studies were included in the review, if they involved MBI interventions with control groups and reported cortisol levels measuremented through saliva, blood, urine, or hair.

Evaluation of Cortisol Levels:

1.  Salivary Cortisol: Measured at specific times to assess circadian rhythm, cortisol awakening response (CAR), and diurnal slope.

2. Blood and Plasma Cortisol: Collected before and after interventions to detect acute changes.

3.  Urinary Cortisol: Measured over 24 hours to provide an integrated cortisol profile.

4. Hair Cortisol: Reflects long-term cortisol exposure over several months.

Results:

• Out of 35 studies, 25 reported significant cortisol reductions following MBIs, particularly in populations with PTSD, breast cancer, or obesity.

•  However, 10 studies found no significant changes in cortisol levels post-MBI, highlighting inconsistencies in findings.

• Variability in participant demographics, MBI duration, and cortisol measurement methods likely contributed to these mixed results

MBIs and Stress:

The review examines how mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) might regulate cortisol by targeting brain regions involved in stress responses, such as the hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala.

As we have seen in previous newsletters, meditation has the potential to rewire brain activity, supporting the hypothesis that MBIs may promote neuroplastic changes that reduce emotional reactivity and habitual rumination, potentially lowering cortisol levels.

👉 Learn more about how meditation might rewire the brain here.

Despite these proposed mechanisms, findings across the included studies are inconsistent.

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) appear more effective at reducing cortisol levels in individuals with high baseline stress—such as those with PTSD or chronic pain—whereas the effects in healthy populations are less pronounced.

Furthermore, the review includes studies with large variability in participant characteristics, intervention protocols, and cortisol-measurement methods, which likely plays a part in the inconsistency of the results.

What can we learn from this study?

This review highlights the potential of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) as a non-invasive strategy for managing stress and thereby sustaining mental energy by regulating cortisol levels.

However, the results across studies were mixed, which may be a result of the varied intervention duration, cortisol measurement methods, and the baseline stress levels of participants in the included studies.

Studies that we have previously discussed in OptiMindInsights have shown that meditation can alter brain activity, so it makes sense that meditation could potentially influence hormonal secretion, including cortisol, which is regulated by the hypothalamus at the top of the HPA axis.

Supporting this idea, a large randomized controlled trial involving 1,458 employees assessed the impact of an 8-week digital meditation program using the Headspace app on self-reported stress, job strain, and burnout (Radin et al., 2025).

Participants in the meditation group experienced significant reductions in stress and burnout, alongside improved mindfulness and work engagement, with effects maintained at 4 months.

These findings suggest that while meditation-based interventions can effectively reduce perceived stress and burnout, helping us sustain mental energy.

Translating these effects into measurable cortisol changes may be more complex and influenced by multiple factors, including individual stress levels, intervention consistency, and cortisol assessment methods.

When viewed collectively, I find these results encouraging.

It seems like mindfulness-based meditation is an effective tool to have in our tool belt as we go through stressful times in the pursuit of our ambitious goals.

When we bring in results from last week’s newsletter, showing that mindfulness meditation training can also enhance our ability to sustain focus in these stressful times, it seems like a daily meditation practice becomes non negational for managing stress and sustaining mental energy.

So let me hear;

_{Disclaimer: The above is mainly based on the article “Mindfulness-Based Interventions and the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis: A Systematic Review” by Hernando Vargas-Uricoechea, Alejandro Castellanos-Pinedo, Karen Urrego-Noguera, Hernando D.Vargas-Sierra, Maria V. Pinzon-Fernandez. Ernesto Barcelo-Martinez & Andres F. Ramirez-Giraldo and aims to provide key takeaways and a condensed overview of its content. While the essence is drawn from the original article, some parts have been simplified or rephrased to enhance understanding. Please note that we at, OptiMindInsights or any other potential writers or contributors to our summaries, do not accept responsibility for any consequences arising from the use of this summary. The information provided should not be considered a substitute for personal research or professional advice. Readers are encouraged to consult the original article for detailed insights and references. The summary does not include references, but they can typically be found within the original publication. Always exercise due diligence and consider your unique circumstances before applying any information in your personal or professional life. We refer to the creative commons for reproducibility rights.}