Does Meditation Help Improve Mental Health?
Does Meditation Help Improve Mental Health?
In a life filled with meeting deadlines and goals, to stay ahead, the fight for the peace of mind within has become ever so challenging. Meditation helps to pull out of all negative feelings and emotions, say, researchers. It is the practice of thinking to bring stability within the mind that ultimately generates the peace within. This ‘peace’ sought within the mainframe with deep concentration is one of the major reasons for feeling victorious. It applies even in negative circumstances that boost mental health. Some of the major benefits that meditation helps is in pulling out people from stressful situations. Does meditation help improve mental health? Let’s read on to find out.
Reducing Stress
Leading a life of zero stress is unfathomable, but we aim to increase meditative skills by seeking ways to reduce stress. While trying out some of the much practised easy ways to reduce stress is to practice foremost breathing activity. Breathing calms the mind. And if practised in an open environment that has ample fresh air to fill the lungs the benefits double. This technique for meditation is globally accepted as breathing is a natural process. And with breathing, the diaphragm of the body moves upward and outward to take in as much air as possible. While de-stressing it’s important to scan the body in the mind for the areas that need relaxation. Students can speak to experts who provide nursing assignment help and get some burden off their shoulders. This is helpful during examinations when they are loaded with tight deadlines.
Controlling Anxiety
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of the most common symptoms of anxiety. It is a syndrome defining a lot of people in the modern technologically advanced environment where people thrive. The question is, what are the easy ways or mentally that can relax the mind and body? To begin with, the easiest way calls for taking a deep breath as mentioned in the above paragraph. Or try out breathing exercises for relaxation. One can try relieving anxiety by soaking feet in warm water with salt. Often, listening to soothing music proves beneficial. Some also practise mindful meditation, that also helps. Strange as it may sound, writing down followed by using guided imagery is also instrumental. A lot of guided imagery material is found online and in self-help books. After all, less stress translates to less anxiety.
Promoting Emotional Health
Meditation has proved effective in promoting emotional health. And there are effective ways to improve or maintain good emotional health if practised regularly. To be aware of your emotions and reactions is one important way of promoting healthy emotional health. Always be sure of what you speak before making random judgemental statements. By expressing your feelings you are only promoting your emotional wellbeing, as it is accompanied by thinking before acting or speaking thereby helping you to manage stress by not talking. And when an individual manages stress, he/she strikes a balance to connect with others with a meaningful purpose.
Enhancing Self-Awareness
Meditating daily brings a degree of self-awareness very essential for mental balance. Medical journals globally have recognized the significance of enhanced self-awareness. It not only acts as a catalyst for boosting the immune system but also copes in reducing stress and improve psychological balance. Any training in meditation increases the ability to perceive self in a more healthy and in a present-moment manner. Mindful self-awareness is associated with decreased activation of brain regions according to several Biological journals.
Lengthens Attention Span
Meditation undoubtedly lengthens attention span. When textbooks were not in print, knowledge was passed down to yogic munis. They practised deep meditation to improve their attention and memory span. This has been proven in history texts in India where Gautam Budh resorted to deep meditation to attain Nirvana. So did Guru Nanak Sahib, the Sikh Guru. Besides lengthening the attention span meditation has also improved age-related memory loss.
Can Generate Kindness
Loving Kindness Meditation (LKM) is a popular self-care method used well- being and reduce stress considerably. This perpetuates the practice for forgiveness and connecting with others with more self-acceptance.
Helps Fight Addictions
In many cases, meditation is the first step for healing from alcoholism. Just as favourite mind-altering substance causes the mind to go high and crash like in substance abuse, Meditation Elicits do the same to the brainwaves which doctors use to treat alcohol addiction.
There are several reasons for meditation pulling up a person. There can also be side effects that can be negative almost affecting the practitioner’s emotions, perception, and the ability for social interaction. Therefore it must be practised in moderation. As too much of anything is not permissible by the brain and body. After all, it is a well-known saying, rule your mind or it will rule you!
