Meditation’s Positive Effects on Mental Health
Meditation and Mental Health
Each year, millions of people in the US are affected by mental illness. In 2020, more than 21% of US adults experienced some form of it. This represents 52.9 million of the US population.
Depression tends to co-occur with anxiety disorders and stress. The good news is regular meditation can help eliviate stress and bring on inner peace. And this is not the only positive effect of meditation on mental health.
Meditation Promotes Emotional Health
Some forms of meditation can promote emotional health and ensure you have a more positive outlook on life. A good example is Tai chi.
Tai Chi is a form of gentle Chinese martial arts and meditation, when you get to perform a self-paced series of movements slowly and gracefully. While doing so, you practice deep breathing. In addition Tai Chi can also improve your lower and upper body strength. Even though you’re not working with resistance bands and weights, the arm exercise will help strengthen your upper and lower body. As such, a positive image of yourself promotes positive mental health.
Meditation Reduces Age-Related Memory Loss
At any age, the brain is capable of producing new cells. However, as you grow older, you will start experiencing physiological changes. This will cause glitches in brain functions. For example, you can find yourself in your kitchen wondering what you went in there for. Or people start talking about a particular movie that you saw recently, and then you realize you cannot remember the title.
Memory loss makes it harder for people to learn and recall information.With regular meditation, you can reduce age-related memory loss. With just ten minutes a day of mindfulness meditation, you can improve concentration and focus. This will enable you to keep information active in your mind for longer, a function called working memory. When the brain achieves this, it becomes more efficient in processing information even as you age.
Meditation Reduces Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety
Another benefit of mindfulness meditation is that it reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety. According to a study at Johns Hopkins, when researchers measured the effect of mindfulness meditation- it was the same as of taking an antidepressant. However, antidepressants have side effects such as anxiety, stomach aches, indigestion, loss of appetite, dizziness, headaches, and more.
Meditation Improves Your Self-Esteem
Mindfulness meditation allows for deeper reflection. It can help you discover the positive attributes about yourself. By increasing self-awareness, you have the ability to examine your thoughts without judgment. This improves your self-esteem.
In a study by Stanford University, researchers found that mindfulness meditation helps those of us with social anxiety. In the two-month-long study, 14 people with social anxiety participated. After completing the program, the participants reported improved self-esteem and decreased anxiety.
Meditation Helps Overcome Insomnia
Insomnia is common among adults. More than 35% of US adults have brief symptoms of insomnia, while 10% have a chronic insomnia disorder. Chronic insomnia has a negative impact on your mental health. It increases the risk of depression and anxiety, lowers your quality of life and affects your mood. Sleep and mood are closely connected. So, poor sleep can increase stress and cause irritability. To avoid developing a mood disorder, we recommend that you meditate. Guided meditation, yoga, Qi gong, Tai Chi, mindfulness, and transcendental meditation can enable you to sleep better.
There are group classes and special meditation centers led by trained instructor that can guide you in your meditation journey. There are also thousands of videos online teaching people how to meditate so it can eventually become part of your daily routine. All of it will help you live a happier, healthier life in harmony with yourself and nature.
