Life seems to fly by these days, right? We fill our seconds of spare time with phone scrolling rather than pausing to breathe or just be. You might think this always-on racing mind isn’t a big deal, but it can be a massive drain when we’re stressed or anxious. That’s where meditation comes in, helping us hit the pause button and really live in the moment, and it’s good for our health too.
Here’s what regular zen time can do for you:
1. **Kick stress to the curb**
We often ignore stress until it starts messing with our lives, disrupting our sleep, making us overeat or even causing hair loss. If we leave it be, it can lead to more serious problems like heart or digestive issues. But guess what? You can fight stress with meditation. It helps lower the stress hormone, cortisol, which is behind the inflammation stress causes. If you’ve been suffering from stress, give meditation a go and see if it helps shrink some of those bad vibes.
2. **Helps control pain**
Over 50 million Americans wrestle with chronic pain and understand how tough it makes everyday tasks. Recently, doctors have been veering away from prescribing opioid painkillers due to addiction worries. They’re looking at alternatives like behavioral therapy, acupuncture, and physical therapy, with meditation also coming into the spotlight. Some studies suggest it can help increase tolerance to acute pain or offer short-term relief for lower back pain. If you’re dealing with persistent pain, remember to chat with your doctor before adding meditation to your regimen.
3. **Keeps depression at bay**
Depression is a heavy burden that deprives joy and purpose from life. Meditation can be used to lower the anxiety and stress that may spark depressive episodes. Our stress and anxiety often stem from negative self-judgement and the difficulty to foresee better days. Mindful meditation can bust those negative cycles by training our brain to shift focus back to the now.
4. **Reduces blood pressure**
Heart disease is a prime reason for early death globally. Who doesn’t need a little heart TLC, right? Lowering blood pressure is a surefire way to boost heart health. High blood pressure forces our heart to work overtime, potentially leading to malfunctions and even strokes or heart attacks due to narrowed arteries. Both transcendental and mindfulness meditations can promote brain calmness, ultimately lowering blood pressure during relaxation time. Studies even showed a decrease in inflammation and widened arteries.
**Give it a whirl**
Starting meditation is easier than ever. You can find scores of online instruction videos to guide you through the process. Give it a shot and see the difference it can make!
Tags: Benefits, Meditation, Mental Health, Physical Health
