Abstract
Anxiety and stress are felt by millions of people in the United States, and when experienced at high levels they can leave a debilitating impact, including both physical and mental health concerns. The purpose of this research project was to explore the impact of a mindfulness course, specifically Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, on voluntary participants’ reported symptoms of anxiety and stress levels. The 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course took place in a mid-sized Midwestern city. Using quantitative methods the 10 voluntary participants were given a pre- and post-test survey where the participants reported their anxiety, stress, and mindfulness levels before and after the 8-week course. The researcher then compared the anxiety, stress, and mindfulness scores from pre-test to post-test survey administration. The findings indicated that the participants’ reported levels of anxiety and stress both significantly decreased at the time of the post-test compared to the pre-test administration. Also, participants reported a significant increase in their mindfulness awareness at the time of the post-test compared to the pre-test administration. These findings suggest that a mindfulness practice may be a successful intervention for mental health practitioners to use with clients in alleviating symptoms of anxiety and stress.