Relief from stress and anxiety, improved memory and learning? Yes, please!
Small doses of meditation can have acute effects on your body. Meditation is a timeless and powerful way to train and sharpen your brain.
People who meditate daily swear by it, but others are often unconvinced of it, thinking it a little, you know, woo-woo.
But what if I tell you? Meditation is a striking way to sharpen and alter brain waves. Aren’t you skeptical of it? The Scientific Studies have shown that meditation, if done regularly, even for 5 minutes, can alter brain shape, size and function.
While you may consider Meditation as a technique to reduce stress and anxiety, it may also enhance your mood and boost cognitive skills.
People use it as a way to develop self-awareness, improve concentration, and increase pain tolerance.
What Meditating Every Day Does to Your Brain?
- Being in ancient practice, science is still unlocking the full gamut of its benefits. A surge in research over the years has found meditation’s effect on both the brain and body.
- Gary Soffer, MD, says ‘’ Meditation has been shown to change many aspects of the brain’s structure and function.
Reduces stress
- Why do people practise meditation is to reduce stress in a world of chaos. Over time, markers of stress, like increased cortisol and heart rate, can have an array of effects on everything from sleep to blood pressure.
- A 2017 review of 45 studies suggests that various forms of meditation can help in decreasing physiological markers of stress.
- Other research also show meditation helps in improving symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder and fibromyalgia.
Controls Anxiety
- Meditation can significantly reduce the levels of anxiety. An older 2024 meta-analysis that included 1,300 adults found that meditation may decrease anxiety. Helps people who have a higher level of anxiety.
- Meditation also facilitates controlling job-related anxiety.
- A study on employees found that those who used a mindfulness app for 8 weeks experienced improved feelings and decreased stress.
- Notably, it helped their overall well-being.
Enhances Self-awareness
- Forms of mediation help you in developing awareness and understanding of yourself. Helping you become the best version of yourself.
- There’s a form of that may help you develop a stronger understanding of yourself and how you relate to those around you.
- While other forms also teach you to recognize harmful or self-defeating thoughts and show you the way towards constructive patterns
Lengthens attention span
- Meditation is the best way to improve focus.
- It increases the strength and endurance of your attention span. For example, people who practice guided meditation and listen to it have a greater attention span than those who don’t.
Can generate Kindness
- Some types of meditation increase positivity and benevolent action towards yourself and others. A type of this called meta-meditation, also known as loving-kindness meditation, begins with developing kind thoughts and feelings for yourself and others.
- With this practice, people learn to extend this kindness and forgiveness externally. First to friends, then acquaintances and even enemies.
Helps with addiction
- It helps in developing mental discipline and breaking dependencies on substance by increasing self-control and awareness of triggers for substance abuse behavior.
- It also controls food cravings. A 2018 study involved 60 people receiving treatment for alcohol use disorder, and they were given exposure to meditation, and which resulted in lower levels of psychological distress and alcohol cravings in those people.
Improves Sleep
- Incorporating it in your routine will help with a better sleep schedule and improve insomnia severity. Being adept in meditation practices will help you redirect the continuous racing and runaway thoughts that cause insomnia.
- Moreover, it also relaxes the mind and body and releases tension, which helps you peacefully fall asleep.
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