Loving-kindness meditation: what the research says

Small studies suggest it may build kindness towards yourself and others. For stress, anxiety and low mood, results are limited or mixed.

What a session is

A guided meditation in which you silently repeat kind wishes, such as “may you be well”, first for yourself and then for others. It aims to build warmth and compassion; no experience is needed.

What the research says

• Kindness to yourself and others: Reviews found people felt more compassion for themselves and others, and more positive feelings, than people who did no practice. Studies are small. Some evidence it may help · Clinical Psychology Review, 2024 · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2014
• Low mood: Small studies found less low mood than doing nothing, but no clear benefit over other approaches. Results are mixed; more research is needed. Limited evidence · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2014 · Clinical Psychology Review, 2024
• Worry and anxiety: Results for anxiety are mixed. Reviews found some benefit compared with doing nothing, but studies are small and of low to moderate quality. Limited evidence · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2014 · Clinical Psychology Review, 2024
• Stress: A few small studies looked at stress, with mixed results. More and better studies are needed. Limited evidence · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2014
• Sleep, back pain, menopause and grief: Not studied for sleep, menopause or grief in the sources we use. One small back-pain study found no clear change in pain. No good evidence yet · SESCS (Spain), 2022

More on each need: Lift your mood · Feel calmer · Handle stress better · Sleep better · A relaxed body · Menopause wellbeing · Grief and loss

Is it safe?

Kindness practice can feel hard at first for some people. In meditation studies, about 8 in 100 people felt worse, most often anxious or low. If you have a mental health condition, talk to your doctor first, and use it alongside medical care, not instead of it. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2014 · NCCIH, 2022

Sessions on Sissoo complement medical care and never replace it. Please don’t stop or change any treatment without talking to your doctor. If you feel very low or think about ending your life, call your local emergency number now.

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Checked 17 October 2026. Next check by April 2027. How we rate the evidence.