Benefits Of Meditation

Meditation is the process of training your mind to be calm, focus and redirect your thoughts. It’s not about cutting off thoughts completely or ‘shutting down’ but accepting that distracting and unhelpful thoughts can come and go and letting them do just that. 

Meditation can:

Regulate stress

Once you start to meditate daily or somewhat regularly, you’ll feel the benefits quickly. For example, meditation can reduce anxiety levels by giving your mind some much needed rest from the constant stream of jumbled thoughts that fill it. 

Meditation triggers the body’s relaxation response which can help lead to the body repairing itself and preventing any new kind of health issue caused by stress. 

Build emotional resilience

Some research shows that those who regularly meditate have a higher tolerance to stressful situations and are more prepared to face such situations as well as get over them quicker. 

A positive outlook is essential to coping with stress (though it can be extremely difficult to maintain) and it is thought that meditation can contribute toward more frequent positive moods. 

Lengthen your attention span 

This is a benefit that we could all use a little more of! Since meditation is all about focusing our attention on the breath and letting thoughts come and go without obsessing, naturally the strength and length of your attention span will improve. 

One particular study even outlines how regular meditation can help to reverse patterns in the brain that contribute to a wandering mind, short attention span and overthinking- pretty cool, huh?

Credit: Charly Brown