People these days are putting a lot of focus not just on their physical health but also their mental health. Aside from doing exercise to keep the body healthy, some people also practice meditation to keep their mind healthy and gain various benefits of meditation.
Meditation isn’t just about sitting still or emptying your mind. A key part of meditation involves mindfulness, or the state of being in the now, or being in the present. And you don’t necessarily have to sit still or keep quiet to be mindful.
Aside from the positive effects that it has on a person’s mental health, the benefits of meditation can also have an impact on your physical health. That’s also the reason why meditation is making a comeback; it helps people improve their quality of life.
What are the benefits of meditation?
Meditation helps relieve stress
Did you know that stress is the main culprit behind many illnesses? In fact, 3 out of 4 doctor visits are a result of stress-related problems.
Stress puts you at risk of heart disease and stroke and can severely affect your quality of life. And the sad part is most people don’t know how to manage their stress.
One of the best ways to deal with stress is to practice meditation. Meditation can help you relax and can also lower your blood pressure. It also helps lessen fatigue, which in turn lowers your stress levels.
Meditation helps control anxiety
Mindfulness, which is an important aspect of meditation, has been known to help people lower their anxiety.
Regular meditation does wonders to a person’s anxiety and also helps them deal with anxiety-related disorders, such as panic attacks, paranoid thoughts, and social anxiety.
Meditation helps you focus
Nowadays, we’re constantly bombarded by all sorts of information, which makes it easy to get distracted and lose focus.
Meditation helps by strengthening your attention and making it easier for you to have better focus. It also helps you work on a task for longer and lets you remember important details.
If you constantly find your mind drifting off, or you feel that you’re having a hard time focusing, then doing meditation might be a good idea.
Meditation improves your sleep
Since meditation helps you calm your mind, it can also make it easier for you to have a good night’s sleep.
Insomnia can sometimes be caused by overthinking, and an active brain makes it harder for you to fall asleep. Meditation works by letting you ignore those intrusive thoughts and helps you clear your mind so that you can rest better.
Physically, meditation also relaxes you and helps your body get ready for sleep.
Meditation helps you be kinder to others
Did you know that the benefits of meditation aren’t limited to yourself? They can extend to other people as well.
Certain types of meditation are geared more towards practicing kindness and being respectful of others.
One type of meditation, called Metta, focuses on kind thoughts and loving yourself. Through constant practice, you’ll learn to extend your compassion to others, helping you become a more positive person.
Positive thinking also helps lower stress and makes it easy for you to work well with other people.
You can do it anywhere
Lastly, one of the benefits of meditation is that you don’t need to be in a zen garden or inside a Buddhist temple to be able to do it.
All you need is a few minutes of quiet time so that you are able to focus your thoughts and become more aware and mindful of your surroundings.
You can start meditating right when you wake up, when you’re on your lunch break, or right before you go to sleep.
Making meditation a daily habit can work wonders for your mental health. It helps you start your day right and end it on a positive note.
