Mindfulness for You: 5 Benefits of Meditation

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We are living in a time of constant stress and trauma. Our lives are filled with constant notifications and stress triggers, which is why prioritizing mindfulness is crucial for our health. One way to increase mindfulness in your life is through meditation.

Combat Stress with Mindfulness

Before we get into the benefits of meditation, we need to first understand what happens when we let stress go unchecked. Dr. Patrick Porter, BrainTap founder, has said, “The effects of stress on our health, productivity, and quality of life are more devastating than people want to admit. In fact, according to the National Institutes of Health, 80 to 90 percent of all illnesses are caused by direct or indirect stress.”

Mindfulness exercises, such as meditation, allow us to reset and rejuvenate. As we do so, our bodies and minds can be better able to handle what life throws our way.

Mindfulness Through Meditation

Meditation is a form of mindfulness. While there is a wide variety of ways to practice meditation, all share the common goal: achieving inner peace.

When did mindfulness through meditation begin? According to Positive Psychology, “No one knows for absolute certain when meditation officially started. There are multiple references across different cultures and religions – including Judaism, Islam, and Christianity – to meditative-like practices, which all seem to have contributed to and inform the practice known widely today.”

Though we don’t know the exact year, we do know meditation is a practice that has been around for at least thousands of years. It has proven to provide countless benefits, and we desperately need those benefits in our stress-riddled world. Continue reading for 5 of the many benefits of meditation.

Woman meditating
Meditation will help you live a more mindful, intentional life.

Benefit 1: Greater Resiliency to Stress

Studies have shown that consistent meditation can increase your resiliency to stress. By practicing continuous mindfulness through meditation, it has been found that your mind can be trained to bounce back more quickly to a healthy state after stressful situations and events. This allows the mind to be able to handle triggers in a better, more efficient way.

Woman peaceful
Meditation can help you stay calm and bounce back from stressful situations more quickly.

Benefit 2: Increased Attention Span

We live in a world that is constantly pulling for our attention in different directions. Living with continuous distractions has negatively affected the brain. A 2017 study found that perpetual notifications can alter the brain’s chemistry and create an imbalance in the brain. Meditation has been found to help strengthen the mind’s ability to concentrate. Mindfulness through meditation can help restore focus, equilibrium, and calmness from the inside out. This increased focus, balance, and peace will help you throughout your day throughout your various tasks and responsibilities.

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Mindfulness helps you better focus on your responsibilities and tasks.

Benefit 3: Improved Sleep

Over 60 million Americans struggle with their sleep quality to some extent. So if you feel you don’t sleep well, you aren’t alone! Sleep is crucial to combatting stress and living a healthy, happy life. When we do not sleep enough, our memory, judgment, mood, and overall health are negatively impacted. Meditation helps you stay asleep longer and sleep deeper. According to American Psychological Association, “Research has shown that most Americans would be happier, healthier and safer if they were to sleep an extra 60 to 90 minutes per night.” Meditation helps your body learn to relax and your mind learn to control racing thoughts, ultimately helping you get a better night sleep.

Woman sleeping
Sleep is an important part of the body’s cleansing cycle, and meditation helps improve your overall quality of sleep.

Benefit 4: Enhanced Creativity

Are you in a creative slump or in the middle of writer’s block? Try meditating. The brain is the most creative tool we have. Taking a moment to meditate can help your brain unleash imagination and ideas. Research has shown that there are similarities in brain activity between a real event and an imagined event. Mindfulness can help your brain imagine what you desire and better work toward your goals.

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Practicing mindfulness through meditation can help you increase creativity and imagination to help you achieve your goals.

Benefit 5: Strengthened Relationships

A recent study showed that people who regularly practice mindfulness are better able to recover from conflict. In the study, they found “those with greater mindfulness seemed to recover more rapidly: Their cortisol levels were quicker to return to normal after the conflict ended, suggesting they were keeping their cool.” Further, those who practice mindfulness were found to better regulate their emotions, not take things as personally, and empathize more authentically.

Friends
Meditation can help you strengthen the relationships in your life.

Mindfulness for You

Mindfulness through meditation is a healthy way to increase the overall quality of your life. Practicing mindfulness every day helps you regain 80 percent of your morning’s energy. At BrainTap, we understand the need to have a regular mindfulness practice. We are walking the talk with a 30-day company-wide mindfulness challenge, and we want you to join us. The challenge takes place from February 15 through March 15. Find the essentials collection here.

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