Finding it hard to stay focused on the here and now? Believe it or not, a lot of us feel the same! As soon as we experience even a moment’s quiet, we’re quick to fill the silence with a quick scroll through our phones. Sounds harmless, right? But this habit could be more harmful than you think, especially during stressful times.
This is where meditation comes in. It’s a tool to help us be more present, and it has several proven benefits for our mental and physical health. Here are a few of them:
1. **It Can Lower Stress**
Stress can cause a lot more damage to your body than you might think. It can mess up your sleep, make you eat too much, and even cause hair loss. If left unchecked, it can lead to heart and digestive issues. Meditation can reverse a lot of this havoc by lowering levels of cortisol, a stress hormone responsible for inflammation in your body.
2. **It Can Help Manage Pain**
Living with chronic pain is hard. Performing even simple daily tasks can become a struggle. As doctors are prescribing fewer opiate painkillers due to addiction concerns, meditation is gaining traction as an alternative solution. Some research suggests it can improve tolerance to acute pain and provide temporary relief for lower back pain. However, if you’re thinking of integrating meditation into your pain management routine, do consult your doctor first.
3. **It Can Decrease Depression Rates**
Depression can suck the joy out of life. But the good news is that meditation can help. It teaches us to break negative thinking patterns by keeping us focused on the present. This can help manage stress and anxiety, which often trigger depression.
4. **It Can Reduce Blood Pressure**
High blood pressure can cause heart disease and can be a major risk factor for heart attack or stroke. Luckily, meditation (along with a healthy diet) can help lower your blood pressure. Research has found that it triggers relaxation, thereby lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation, and improving heart health.
Why not give meditation a try? There are countless resources online to help you get started. With all these benefits, it’s definitely worth a shot!
