{
  "id": 85033,
  "title": "Good things take time—but new research suggests mindfulness can make the wait easier",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/good-things-take-time-but-new-research-suggests-mindfulness-can-make",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-03T12:40:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-08-good-mindfulness-easier.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Recent research published in the International Journal of Research in Marketing indicates that mindfulness meditation may make waiting for future rewards easier. The study, titled \"Slowing time, shaping the future: The effect of mindfulness on intertemporal choice,\" delves into the concept of delayed gratification - the tendency to choose a larger reward later over a smaller one today. Traditionally, delayed gratification was viewed as a contest between our future selves and our present selves, with Stanford's marshmallow test often illustrating this idea. However, new evidence suggests that our perception of time itself plays a significant role.\n\nAccording to the research conducted by Amy Errmann et al., mindfulness meditation can alter our perception of time, making the future feel more expansive and waiting seem less costly. In their experiments, participants who engaged in mindfulness activities reported perceiving time as passing more slowly, which led them to choose larger, later rewards more frequently. For instance, in one study involving a choice between an immediate $5 gift card and a $10 gift card received a week later, 36% chose the latter option before the mindfulness class, compared to 69% afterward. This trend was also observed in a bakery setting where customers were shown either a short mindful-eating video or an ordinary food video before making a choice between smaller and larger coupons.\n\nThe researchers found that mindfulness had a significant impact on intertemporal choices, particularly for longer delays. However, it did not affect the perceived value of the reward itself. In other words, mindfulness changed people's sensitivity to time, but not to the size of the reward. This finding suggests that mindfulness influences time perception rather than reward valuation, potentially making it easier for individuals to wait for future rewards when they are reasonably secure. While waiting for benefits in today's fast-paced world can often feel like something has gone wrong, mindfulness could provide a helpful tool to counter this feeling of being perpetually time-poor, aiding in better decision-making regarding saving, long-term goals, and better deals.",
  "summary": "Ask someone if they'd rather take $5 today or $10 next week and they'll know which option is better.",
  "key_points": [
    "Mindfulness meditation alters perception of time, making future feel more expansive",
    "Participants chose larger, later rewards more frequently after mindfulness",
    "Mindfulness impacts time perception, not reward valuation"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Conversation AU",
        "title": "Good things take time – but new research suggests mindfulness can make the wait easier",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/02/good-things-take-time-but-new-research-suggests-mindfulness-can-make",
        "published": "2026-08-02T20:11:54.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}