Dr Julie Smith@drjulieTikTok

👉 Life-changing question: Where has your mind been living today? Let me know in the …more

original sound — @drjulie

what it claims

Consciously bringing one's attention back to the present moment, rather than letting the mind drift toward the future (a source of anxiety) or the past (a source of rumination), is the most accessible way to calm the mind and protect one's mental balance.

holds up

The idea that attentional drift is detrimental to emotional well-being is strongly supported by science.

noli's read

The idea that attentional drift is detrimental to emotional well-being is strongly supported by science. A famous observational study by Killingsworth and Gilbert (2010), published in the journal Science, demonstrates that a mind that is distracted and wandering away from the present is directly correlated with lower levels of happiness. Regarding the past, research on rumination by the researcher Susan Nolen-Hoeksema (via longitudinal observational studies) confirms that rehashing painful memories sustains and worsens negative states of mind. As for the future, a meta-analysis by Goyal et al. (2014) in JAMA Internal Medicine, which analyzed randomized clinical trials (RCTs), proves that present-moment attentional training (mindfulness) significantly reduces stress and anxiety. While calling the present the "most powerful" therapeutic tool is a marketing phrase specific to the wellness world, the effectiveness of this mental hygiene is indisputable.

the sources

1Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EMS, et al. 2014

Claimed by Dr Julie Smith. Noli grades the claim, never the person.

Decoded by Noli · July 14, 2026 · the original post

What the graded evidence says

Evidence: B

Effect: mindfulness meditation vs active control on anxiety, depression, pain, and attention (meta-analysis of RCTs) — anxiety effect size 0.38 (95% CI 0.12-0.64) at 8 weeks; depression 0.30 (0.00-0.59); pain 0.33 (0.03-0.62); low/insufficient evidence for effects on attention
Measured on: diverse adult clinical populations

Effects on stress and mood are small-to-moderate; the evidence that meditation improves attention or concentration specifically is weak. It was not better than other active treatments like exercise or therapy.

Dr Julie Smith in the Register111 claims graded · solidity 99/100See their record →