Answer this question to the best of your ability:
Can mindfulness practices help us manage stress better?
Yes, mindfulness practices can potentially help us manage stress more effectively. Studies have shown that these practices dampen activity in our amygdala and increase the connections between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, which are both crucial parts of our brain involved in handling stress. This can lead to a better ability to recover from stress when we experience it. Long-term meditators, in particular, may see these changes as trait-like, meaning they persist even during the baseline state, suggesting that mindfulness could change our capacity to cope with stress in a more sustainable way over time.