Training your brain to focus on something simple, like breathing, can help reduce anxiety and stress, says a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

When not focused, the mind tends to wander and may gravitate toward negative subjects, adding to a person’s stress and anxiety levels, researchers say.

Brain scans of 24 people during meditation and non-meditation activities revealed less mind wandering among experienced meditators than novices -- even when they were not meditating.

Study findings suggest that the mindfulness training of meditation may help with depression, substance abuse, anxiety, and pain disorders.