According to a recent study carried out by a group of researchers, when the mind of a person frequently wanders, it can be seen as a sign of ageing.
A study conducted on 239 healthy, midlife women ranging in age from 50 to 65 years found that there is a direct link between the wandering of the mind and ageing. According to the study "Telomeres are the DNA-caps that protect the ends of chromosomes, preventing them from deteriorating or fusing with neighboring chromosomes."
Through the study it was found that the women who could hold her focus and keep their mind from wandering had longer telomeres that the women whose minds kept wandering. This suggested that a wandering mind could be a sign of ageing.
"Our attentional state-where our thoughts rest at any moment - turns out to be a fascinating window into our well-being. It may be affected by our emotional state as well as shape our emotional state," said Elissa Epel, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and lead author on the study in a report published in the Medical Xpress. "In our healthy sample, people who report being more engaged in their current activities tend to have longer telomeres. We don't yet know how generalizable or important this relationship is."
The study is the first of its kind which links the attention state of a person to telomere length and to control for stress and depression.
"This study was a first step and suggests it's worth delving into understanding the link between mind wandering and cell health to get a better understanding of whether there is causality and reversibility," said Epel. "For example, does reducing mind wandering promote better cell health? Or are these relationships just reflective of some underlying long-standing characteristics of a person?"
"Results suggest the possibility that the attitude of acceptance of negative experiences might be one of the factors that promotes greater ability to be more present - to be okay with one's current experience and not avoid the unpleasant aspects of everyday experiences," she said.
"A number of emotion theories suggest that greater attentional control leads to less suppression of negative emotions, and thus less of the rebound effect of unsuccessful suppression," said Wendy Berry Mendes, PhD, associate professor and Sarlo/Ekman Endowed Chair of Emotion at UCSF and co-author on this study. "Alternatively, attentional control may help us interpret emotions in a more constructive way, what we call 'positive reappraisals.' Such styles of thinking have been associated with healthy physiological states."
