Meditation: the best antidote to overthinking and anxiety

Meditation is scientifically proven to increase our sense of well-being by creating structural changes in the brain, lowering stress hormone levels, and improving emotional regulation. Overthinking—what psychology calls rumination—does almost the exact opposite. Rumination means endlessly chewing on negative thoughts, and it, too, can cause structural changes in the brain. It raises stress hormone levels and pulls us into a negative emotional state. In other words, both meditation and overthinking shape the brain—just in completely different directions.

So what does science actually say about meditation?

Neurological research shows that regular meditation increases gray matter density in areas responsible for emotional regulation, memory, and empathy. It has been shown to strengthen the left prefrontal cortex, which plays a key role in positive emotions and psychological resilience. Meditation also effectively lowers cortisol, the main stress hormone, and slows down heart rate and breathing. In the short term, this brings immediate calm; over time, it can lead to a more stable sense of inner peace. One of its most important effects, though, is on constant mental chatter. Meditation helps interrupt rumination—the negative thought loops that keep spinning in the background—and by doing so, it directly reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression.

When it comes to stress hormones and so-called “happiness hormones,” meditation is often described in a misleading way. You’ll hear things like “it boosts serotonin” or “it produces dopamine,” but that’s not quite how it works. It’s not that you sit still for twenty minutes, think about nothing, and your brain suddenly starts pumping out hormones like a biochemical factory. The real effect lies in spending time without stress, anxiety, or negative thought patterns—and in repeating this experience day after day. Over time, the brain learns how to calm itself. That basic feeling of “everything is okay” becomes more familiar and more accessible.

Take serotonin, for example. It’s not responsible for happiness itself, but for inner stability. When someone is under constant stress, the brain operates in survival mode. Cortisol levels rise to ensure fast reactions, as if you were crouching in a bush surrounded by lions. In that state, serotonin takes a back seat. One of meditation’s most important effects is that it turns down this chronic state of alert. As the nervous system shifts into a parasympathetic mode, a basic sense of safety appears: “nothing is wrong right now.” This isn’t euphoria—it’s a quieter, more organized inner space, something many people describe simply as feeling like things are back in their place. And this state is closely linked to healthy serotonin functioning.

Dopamine is even more misunderstood. It’s not a reward hormone, but a system tied to motivation and meaning. In today’s overstimulated world, this system often gets exhausted—we need constant input just to feel interested in anything. Meditation quiets the nonstop external and internal noise, which allows the dopamine system to become more sensitive again. Smaller things start to feel engaging and meaningful. That’s why people who meditate regularly often feel more focused and motivated, while experiencing less craving and mental scatter. Meditation doesn’t hand you happiness directly. What it offers is calm—and with that calm comes the space for anxiety driven by overthinking or performance pressure to ease, making room for a more balanced state of mind, one that’s capable of enjoying even the smaller things and feeling genuinely satisfied.