If the thought of an eight-week mindfulness course is enough to bring you out in stressful urticaria, researchers say medical students benefited almost as much from a two-hour introduction class as a two-month course.

The findings from the small pilot study showed that students who completed an eight-week course in mindfulness were better versed in the meditation’s principles, but there was little difference in wellness outcomes between those who took just an introductory class.

“What we found should encourage even the busiest medical students and physicians,” says lead author Periel Shapiro, from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, US.

“There are shorter, sustainable ways to bring meditation into your life, and they can help you reduce stress and depression and improve your medical study and practice.”