Meditation, a robust way to improve mental health!

The Power of Stillness in a Chaotic World.

In today’s overstimulated society, poor mental health is common. Doctors suggest using medicine, therapy and meditation to help people improve their wellbeing.

Research shows that meditating helps reduce symptoms to help people cope better. Particularly with anxiety, stress, depression, addiction and chronic pain.

Studies found that people who meditated felt more relaxed and had better moods. That meditation helps slow down negative thoughts. Helps you to stay present and feel more peaceful.

Meditation really is a robust way to improve your mental health!

How Meditation Helps the Mind

When we are anxious, our thoughts race to “what if” spirals that drive fear and worry.

In meditation, we focus our attention on the breath, body or sounds of the present moment. This helps the mind to stop racing. To narrow its focus so we start to worry less about the past or future.

Meditation pulls our attention back to what’s actually happening right now.

Over time, this reduces reactivity and helps us respond better to stress.

Depression, often rooted in rumination and self-criticism, also responds to this shift. Meditation teaches us to notice negative thoughts without immediately identifying with them. We learn to observe the thought “I’m not good enough” as a passing mental event, not an ultimate truth.

See more on meditation improving performance here

Meditation as a pathway through Pain

Meditation doesn’t just help the mind, it also helps with physical pain. If you have chronic pain, meditation can teach your brain to focus less on the pain and more on calming thoughts.

We learn to reflect on what is going well in our lives, or a part of the body that is not in pain. We take our attention elsewhere to distract from the intensity of the pain.

Meditation doesn’t cure pain, but it can help you manage it better. It isn’t about ignoring pain or pretending everything is fine. It’s about learning to face discomfort with clarity and compassion.

Studies show that meditation make pain feel less intense. Improving tolerance and coping strategies.

What Happens in the Brain?

Meditation changes how your brain works. It lowers activity in the ‘amygdala’ that processes pain and stress. At the same time, it strengthens areas that help with calm thinking and focus.

Meditation helps the brain respond to stress and pain in a healthier way. This means that over time, you may feel stronger and more able to cope.

Easy to Start

You don’t need to meditate for hours. 10 minutes a day will build resilience, presence and peace.

Sitting in a quiet place. Paying attention on the breath and gently bringing the mind back if it wanders.

There are many apps available online to support your practice. However I recommend learning the practice in a structured with support from a teacher. I have been helping people learn to meditate and practice mindfulness since 2019 with life-changing results.

I offer individual sessions and online courses.

Meditation is a small habit that can make a big difference. Starting today will begin your path to feeling that positive difference tomorrow.

References

Hilton, L., Maher, A.R., Colaiaco, B., Apaydin, E., Sorbero, M.E., Booth, M., Shanman, R.M. and Hempel, S., 2017. Meditation for posttraumatic stress: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 9(4), p.453.

Marchand, W.R., 2012. Mindfulness-based stress reduction, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and Zen meditation for depression, anxiety, pain, and psychological distress. Journal of Psychiatric Practice®, 18(4), pp.233-252.

Dubey, A. and Muley, P.A., 2023. Meditation: a promising approach for alleviating chronic pain. Cureus, 15(11).

Zeidan, F. and Vago, D.R., 2016. Mindfulness meditation–based pain relief: a mechanistic account. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1373(1), pp.114-127.