Mindfulness helped boys put off homework and tests less, but not essays

Mixed
Boys who did mindfulness each week put off homework and test study less than the others, but not essays.
- Action: Practise mindfulnesstested
- Rule: Practise with a groupused
Small randomised trial of 30 sixth-grade boys at one Iranian school · vs boys who got nothing and kept usual routines · they rated themselves · ⚠ unclear how groups were picked; numbers unreliable

The study

Who took part

30 boys in sixth grade, aged about 12 to 13, at one school in Rasht, Iran. They had little drive to do well at school and put off schoolwork a lot. There were 15 in each group.

What they did

One group had eight weekly sessions of 90 minutes, over about two months. The researcher led meditation, body scans, short breathing breaks and mindful walking. The other group got nothing and kept its usual school routine.

What happened

At the end, the mindfulness group rated themselves as putting off homework and test study less than the others. There was no difference for written work. The two groups started at different levels and some numbers don't add up, so we can't give sizes. It's unclear whether boys were put into groups by chance, and nobody was checked again later.