75 Reasons to Meditate: Mental Wellness
1. Decrease tinnitus. Individuals with bothersome tinnitus find that it disturbs their concentration, sleep, hearing, or mood. However, the cause of the discomfort is actually a stress response that causes a physiological reaction in the body. Meditation helps to calm this stress response and examine the connection between the tinnitus sound and the subsequent emotional response to it. Being mindful of this relationship can help to improve this stressful response.
2. Improve dizziness. Have you ever experienced feeling overwhelmed and thought to yourself, “it feels like my head is spinning?” This is an example of the interconnectedness between mental and physical states. Often, when we are experiencing dizziness, a fearful or anxious response is present, which triggers a cascade of physiologic responses in the body. Calming the mind with a morning routine can help to stop this feedback loop.
3. Improve focus and concentration. In a study published in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement, participants who underwent eight weeks of meditation training showed significant improvements in measures of attention and concentration, compared to a control group. The benefits of meditation were also evident in another study, which found that participants who did daily practice for six weeks had better task performance and working memory, compared to a control group.
4. Reduced stress and anxiety. For many of us, stress and anxiety are constant companions. We worry about our jobs, our families, and the state of the world. While these feelings are normal and even necessary in small doses, they can become overwhelming when left unchecked. This constant worrying can take a toll on our mental and physical health. Meditation is a great way to help reduce stress and anxiety. When we meditate, we focus our attention on our breath or a mantra. This helps to quiet the “monkey mind,” which is always chatter, chatter, chatter.
5. Improve mental clarity. Whether it’s the result of a bad night’s sleep, stress from work or simply the aging process, mental clarity can be elusive. Our busy schedules and never-ending to-do lists can leave us feeling scattered and unfocused. If you’re looking for a way to improve your mental clarity, you may want to consider morning meditation.
75 Reasons to Meditate: Physical Wellness
6. Greater physical relaxation. When we are stressed, our muscles tense up as our body prepares for fight-or-flight. Meditation helps to break the stress response cycle by teaching the body how to relax. In one study, participants who underwent eight weeks of meditation training showed significant improvements in muscle relaxation compared to a control group.
7. Improve sleep quality. According to the National Sleep Foundation, up to 60% of adults report struggling with sleep at least a few nights per week. Insomnia and other sleep disorders can have a profound impact on overall health, leading to fatigue, decreased productivity, and moodiness. Numerous studies have shown that regular meditation can help to reduce stress levels and improve sleep quality. Looking for a sleep meditation? Check out this post.
8. Lower blood pressure. Many Americans suffer from high blood pressure. Studies have shown that meditation is a way to both treat and prevent elevated blood pressure. Taking deep breaths has a calming effect on the nervous system. This NY Times article goes more in depth.
9. Boost creativity. One study found that participants who engaged in morning meditation practice showed increased scores on measures of divergent thinking, a key component of creativity. Additionally, research has shown that meditation can improve cognitive flexibility, another key ingredient for creativity. So if you’re looking to increase your creative output, a 10-minute meditation may be worth a try.
10. Increase compassion and empathy. Compassion and empathy are two of the most important qualities that we can possess. They allow us to see the world from another person’s perspective. Unfortunately, these qualities can be all too easily lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Thankfully, meditation is an effective way to increase compassion and empathy even in a busy morning. By incorporating a daily meditation practice, you can quiet the mind and bring positive emotions into the rest of your day. In doing so, we become more compassionate and understanding.
11. Improve immune system function. In today’s world, a strong immune system is particularly important. Meditation can help with that. One study found that those who mediated for eight weeks had significantly increased antibody titers to a flu vaccine compared to a control group.
12. Enhance brain function. Meditation is a great practice to improve blood circulation to the brain, which helps to deliver more oxygen and nutrients to cells. In addition, meditation leads neural networks to improved cognitive function.
13. Promote cardiovascular health. The American Heart Association recommends meditation to maintain good heart health and physical health. An NIH study found that regular meditation reduced cardiovascular mortality by 25%.
14. Manage chronic pain. When you have chronic pain, it can feel like you’re a slave to your own body. The pain is always there, nagging at you and making it hard to concentrate on anything else. Medication can help to take the edge off, but it’s not always enough. That’s where a meditation body scan comes in.
Meditation is a powerful tool that can help you to manage chronic pain throughout the entire body. By focusing on your breath and letting go of other thoughts, you can begin to find relief from the constant pain. If you’re struggling to cope with chronic pain, give meditation a try.
15. Reduce risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Meditation increases blood flow to the part of the brain that has been found to decrease cognitive decline. Read more here.
16. Enhance cognitive function. Meditation has long been touted as a way to enhance cognitive function, and recent research has borne out this claim. A study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology found that meditation can improve executive function by increasing brain activity in the areas responsible for attention and focus. In addition, meditation is the easiest way to improve mood and reduce stress levels, both of which can have a positive impact on cognitive function. Try meditation that incorporates positive affirmation.
17. Increase your emotional well-being and overall happiness. According to scientific studies, the majority of our happiness is not dependent on external life circumstances but rather our habitual thought patterns. Up to 90% of our happiness comes from how our brain interprets our situation. Meditation influences our positive thinking capacity and can result in clear intention of more well-being and happiness.
18. Be more productive. Meditation can lead to improved decision making, increased concentration, increased problem-solving abilities, increased creativity, and reduced stress levels. Companies are now taking note of the benefit that meditation has on productivity. Encouraging employees to meditate can help to improve office well-being as well as set the right mindset for productivity.
19. Be less reactive and stressed. Morning meditation focuses your attention in the early morning, which can help you to be less reactive and stressed. Additionally, meditation can help to improve your mood and increase your overall sense of well-being for the entire day. When practiced regularly, meditation can be a powerful tool for helping you to feel positive energy.
75 Reasons to Meditate: Sharpen Your Focus
20. Improve mental health. Meditation can help to increase levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate mood and promote feelings of well-being. Try a walking meditation to incorporate physical activity, which can also boost mental health. Read more here.
21. Gain perspective on different situations. Stepping back to evaluate a situation calmly can make a world of difference and lead to more perspective on a situation. It can be much easier to evaluate a situation more objectively as a result of meditation.
22. Increase self awareness. Taking time to reflect on how you feel and choices that you’ve made are very useful skills. Taking this time allows more awareness and opportunity to simply notice what is going on in the mind without having to just go with it. Meditation allows us space to observe what the mind is doing.
23. Lower resting heart rate. Meditation can help lower resting heart rate in addition to breathing rate and blood pressure by affecting the parasympathetic nervous system and reducing stress, improving oxygen flow, and a host of other effects. This is just one more reason to consider a meditation routine!
75 Reasons to Meditate: Improve the Mind-Body Connection
24. Manage tension headaches. Meditation has been shown to be an effective way to reduce stress, promote relaxation, and manage tension headaches. When you meditate, you focus your attention on your breath or a mantra, and you let go of the thoughts and worries that are swirling around in your mind. This allows you to clear your mind and focus on the present moment. As a result, you feel more calm and relaxed. Physiologically, the body can release tension that could normally trigger a headache.
25. Build a stronger relationship to your physical body. During meditation, time spent focusing on the breath creates a stronger connection with the mind and body. The mind is able to observe sensations felt in the body and strength these connections.
26. Improve balance with Tai Chi. Tai Chi incorporates a meditative state of mind with physical poses and deep breathing. Harvard Health recently promoted the amazing benefits of Tai Chi for maintaining balance and mobility. Read more about Tai Chi benefits here.
27. Increase social connection and emotional intelligence. Meditation increases positivity, self awareness, and a sense of loving kindness. These benefits lend themselves well to development of positive social connection and improved emotional intelligence.
75 Reasons to Meditate: Change Your Brain
28. Increase cortical thickness in areas of the brain that relate to attention. Meditation can result in actual changes in cortical thickness of the brain in regions that affect attention and sensory processing. In one study, this difference was most noticeable when comparing a group of controls to a group of older participants with extensive experience in meditation. This is one example of the power of this morning ritual. Read the NIH study here.
29. Increase brain areas the relate to self control, emotional regulation, and positive emotion. The lateral prefrontal cortex (LPC) is responsible for emotional modulation and behavior. Meditation has an effect on brain regions, such as the LPC, which can improve self control, reduce emotional reactivity, and improve positivity to handle challenges of the day.
30. Improve ability to multi-task. One way that meditation helps to increase focus and attention is by training the mind to be more present and aware. This can lead to improved performance on multiple tasks requiring attention and concentration. In addition, meditation may help to improve cognitive function by reducing stress and promoting emotional well-being. Therefore, by reducing stress, meditation may help protect against some of the negative effects on the brain and improve ability to multi-task.
31. Make better decisions. The average person makes over 30,000 individual decisions each day. Meditation helps to guide these decisions based on sound, rational thinking rather than reactive, emotional impulses. Consequently, meditators are much more likely to make good decisions.
32. Slow down your fast-paced life and enjoy more. We live in a very fast-paced world, and it is easy to get caught up in our busy schedules. Meditation is a chance to take a mindful break from business to appreciate enough time for stillness and create more room for life enjoyment and appreciation.
33. Better performance in sports. Spending time with a meditation routine can help improve our body’s responses to challenging situations, such as while engaging in sports. Top athletes often are quoted about the importance of mental state in sports. Additionally, athletes need appropriate rest to adequately recover from training. Improvement in sleep quality, stress management, and brain function are all benefits of meditation. Try adding a morning meditation routine to improve your performance in sports. How meditation can help athletic performance.
75 Reasons to Meditate: Gain Control
34. Overcome addictions. Most people turn to addictive habits when trying to escape from uncomfortable feelings. Meditation offers an alternative, allowing you to observe and examine the feelings. Being fully present with those emotions in your own mind can help to reduce cravings for those addictive vices. Meditation can be a powerful tool to beat addiction.
35. Improve ADHD symptoms. Medication is often used to treat ADHD. However, meditation is another tool that can help, and without side effects that come with medication. Cultivating and strengthening areas of the brain that help with focus and mental clarity is particularly helpful for those suffering from ADHD.
36. Excel at work. Meditation strengthens the prefrontal cortex, which is manages our analytical abilities and productivity. A meditation practice can help to keep you sharp so that you can excel in the workplace. Another great reason for regular morning meditation!
37. Improve fibromyalgia symptoms. Many fibromyalgia sufferers experience chronic pain. For these individuals, there is a hypersensitivity in the nervous system. As noted above, meditation is a useful tool for managing chronic pain. If you suffer from fibromyalgia, try engaging in a meditation practice.
38. Manage migraines. Migraineurs may experience a constellation of including headache, visual aura, dizziness, tinnitus, or other symptoms. There are several theories regarding how migraines originate. Migraineurs are encouraged to keep a symptom journal to monitor for triggers. For many, stress can be an exacerbating factor. Regular meditation can help manage stress, which can subsequently reduce onset of symptoms and severity. Read more at the American Migraine Association.
75 Reasons to Meditate: Create Positive Change
39. Decrease negative self talk. A meditation practice improves our relationship with ourselves, creating more compassion, and self awareness. Over time this can help to reduce negative self talk and create more self-compassion and positive affirmations.
40. Reduce emotional eating. Meditation creates more awareness of our emotions and actions, which makes overeating less likely. Another positive side effect is that it also reduces the chance of mindlessly eating while watching TV or engaging in other activities.
41. Fewer PTSD symptoms. Veterans who began engaging in a meditation routine with a meditation app had better sleep, improved relationships, and felt less irritable. Thanks to improvement in the stress response, PTSD sufferers can use meditation to help manage their symptoms and improve well-being.
42. Facilitate inner peace. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle and feel like you’re constantly on the go. This can lead to feeling stressed and reactive, which can take a toll on your health. Meditating can enhance inner peace and create relaxation and a state of calmness.
43. Feel inspired. If you’re feeling stuck and hoping to increase creative output, try meditation. A study found that people who took part in a mindfulness meditation program showed increases in both divergent and convergent thinking, which are both important for creativity. So why not give meditation a try? Who knows, you might just come up with your next big idea during your next session.
44. Increase consciousness. While there are many different types of meditation, they all share the common goal of helping the practitioner to achieve a state of deeper awareness. By clearing away the distractions of daily life and focusing on the present moment, meditation allows individuals an abundance of clarity on their innermost thoughts and feelings. This can lead to a greater sense of self-awareness and understanding, as well as a sense of ease. Over longer periods of time, meditation can help to increase consciousness and bring about positive changes in all areas of life. Read about the spiritual benefits of meditation.
75 Reasons to Meditate: Improve How Your Brain Works
45. Cultivate a spiritual connection. The focused thinking and disciplined practice of meditation can result in a deeper spiritual connection. Greater self awareness, compassion, and empathy also lend themselves to a stronger spiritual connection.
46. Improve relationships. When you feel stressed, have you noticed that your relationships with family members and loved ones suffer? Reducing stress can help us feel less emotionally reactive and more compassionate, which can have a positive impact on how we interact in our relationships.
47. Decrease brain fog. Most people have experienced mental fog at some point in their lives. Luckily, there are a number of things you can do to improve your focus and reduce that foggy-headed feeling. Morning meditation is an effective option.
48. Manage anger and difficult emotions. Uncomfortable or difficult emotions may require some time and focused attention to properly work through. When we push those feelings down, it can have negative repercussions for our well-being. Meditation is focused time to simply sit and recognize what comes up in that moment and just allow it to be there.
49. Improve sleep quality and decrease the amount of sleep you need. Meditation can improve quality of sleep, but did you know that with regular practice you may actually need less sleep? When we get better quality sleep, the body will function more efficiently and not need as much sleep.
50. Prevent burnout. Burnout results from constant overwhelm to the point of feeling apathetic, depressed, and unable to focus. Meditation helps us to recognize these signs, provide appropriate self care, and increase self compassion. When you care for yourself in this way, it can also help you to realize when it’s time to set boundaries and reach out for help when you need it.
51. Build resilience. Stress can weaken resilience and resolve while simultaneously fueling fatigue and anxiety. Meditation can help to manage stressors more effectively, which means that we don’t break under that stress.
75 Reasons to Meditate: Change Your Genes
52. Alter gene expression. A study showed that meditation has the power to alter way genes are expressed or even alter DNA. This is a very exciting discovery because it means that regular meditation can actually have effects on the body similarly to some medications. However, meditation can produce results without side effects.
53. Boost self-esteem. As a result of better self awareness and better mind-body connection, self-esteem can be positively affected. It’s a natural by-product from all of these positive mental and physical health implications.
54. Reduce feelings of loneliness. An eight week trial of meditation found that participants had reduced feelings of loneliness and enhanced feelings of well-being.
55. Strength the mind-body connection. Our psychological state can have a variety of effects on our health and wellbeing. The mind notices emotions and physical sensations that arise during meditation. Engaging in meditation improves the mind-body connection.
75 Reasons to Meditate: Reduce the Aging Process
56. Slow brain aging. Recent research has shown that regular meditation can actually slow the aging process in the brain, as evidenced on MRI scans of regular meditators.
57. Simplify your life. Meditation helps to declutter your mind so that you can focus on what matters.
58. Enhance your metabolism. Meditation can have an impact on physiological processes in the body, including metabolism. For example, those with metabolic syndrome can find improvement from their symptoms by engaging in a meditation routine.
59. Improve digestion. Have you ever been upset and then noticed a stomachache? Unfortunately, the modern lifestyle can be very hard on the digestive system, often leading to problems like indigestion, bloating, and constipation. Digestion difficulties can be triggered by stress. Meditation is one way to mitigate the effect of stress and digestion.
60. Improve impulse control. Meditation allows us to be more in control of our decisions and put us in the frame of mind to make healthy decisions.
61. Create your best reality. Is your life living up to its full potential? Getting in touch with what creates joy in your life can help move you in that direction. Use meditation to gain insight and create your best reality.
62. Experience more gratitude. A regular meditation practice can help to improve your mood, increase focus and clarity, and provide relief from stress and anxiety.
63. Improve your workout. Meditation can also help improve your overall wellness, which can impact your workout. Studies have shown that meditation can help reduce stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure, and improve sleep quality. All of these things lead to improved physical health, which in turn leads to an improved sense of wellbeing.
75 Reasons to Meditate: Improve Communication
64. Communicate better. Being in tune with what you are feeling and what you need can help to create effective communication. You’ll be able to focus better and also have more mental capacity to think empathetically and relate to others better.
65. Accept your current reality. Meditation can help ground us in the present, which keeps us in touch with our life as it is at this moment.
66. Create space to visualize your goals. Once you realize where you are, you can start to visualize where you’d like to be. Meditation helps us make room to envision our goals.
67. Become more observant. Meditation can help you be more observant and connect with your true self, which is the first step on the path to personal growth and happiness.
68. Tackle your to-do list. Meditation helps us to clear our minds and focus on the task at hand. This improved focus can carry over into other areas of life, resulting in increased productivity both at work and at home.
75 Reasons to Meditate: Improve Your Mindset
69. Strength self-reflection skills. Meditation can help you get in touch with your inner self. By quieting the mind and observing your thoughts and feelings without judgment, you can gain insights into who you are and what you want out of life.
70. Improve selective attention and focus. Meditation has been shown to improve concentration and focus. In our fast-paced, constantly-connected world, it’s more important than ever to be able to focus and concentrate on the task at hand. Whether you’re working on a big project at work or simply trying to get through your daily to-do list, meditation can help you stay focused and on task.
71. Start your day more well rested and refreshed. One of the most well-known benefits of meditation is that it can help to reduce stress levels. When we meditate, our brain waves change and we experience a state of deep relaxation. This will help you wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day. Try a morning mediation.
72. Decrease worrying and rumination. Reduce stress and anxiety through meditation, and excess worrying and overthinking can also reduce.
73. Develop self reliance and coping skills. It can be quite empowering and rewarding to help yourself get through tough situations. Meditation is one way you can support yourself with those skills.
74. Decrease inflammation. One study showed that meditators had less inflammation, which can help in managing in many illnesses. Meditation has the power to help the body recovery better from illness and impact physical health.
75. Live longer. Immune health is another area where meditation can be helpful. meditation has been shown to improve the function of the immune system, making it better able to fight off illness and disease.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading 75 reasons to meditate. If you’re looking for a way to improve your life, meditation is a great place to start. It’s simple, it’s effective, and it’s something anyone can do. So why not give it a try? Not sure how to meditate? Here’s one guided meditation to try:
75 reasons to meditate. There are even more unknown benefits of meditation! There are too many reasons to list.
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