Meditation is something that people love to hate. Just the word itself sends people into fits and proclamations that they will never do it themselves! But whether or not you think you can sit still, the health benefits of meditation are so prolific that it really is worth your while to try.
Mindfulness helps with irritable bowel syndrome, addiction, and chronic pain, and studies continue to reveal the benefits of meditation and mindfulness. Here are some of the top tips to get you going:
-
Calm your mood
Scientific studies show when a person is subjected to more mindfulness, the MRIs showed the subjects’ amygdalae shrank. This is the “fight-or-flight” center of your brain. This could help you be calmer.
-
Make better decisions
The studies also showed that a subject’s prefrontal cortex got thicker after meditation, which leads to better concentration and decision making.
-
Ditch your phone
There’s an app for that. From Calm to JourneyLive, there are many apps that can help you be more mindful. But if you think about it, it is technically counterproductive to use your phone since your phone is so much of the stress to start with. Challenge yourself to sit in the quiet. By yourself. Sans phone.
-
Reflection is important
When you think about your present feelings, reflect on the past, or plan for the future in a quiet place, you activate the default mode network in your brain which helps to organize ideas and events in your mind. This is so very important to create an organized future.
-
Create a meditation spot
If you are having trouble sitting still, try to sit in a brand new place. Whether it is a quiet corner of your basement, or even in your car, changing the scenery will change the way you focus.
If you simply cannot sit still, try at least to focus on the moment with a walk outside, a hot shower, or gardening or cooking to improve your brain health.
Although many people give a hard pass to meditation, the health ramifications of meditation cannot be denied. By tuning in to your breath and being present, you will eventually be able to tune out stress.
