Benefits-Regular-Meditation

Feeling stressed, anxious or depressed? You are not alone. The UK has seen a surge in symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress and a survey has revealed that more than a third of UK workers are suffering from anxiety, stress or depression. However, utilising the benefits of regular meditation can help to reduce these symptoms.

In Silicon Valley where stress, depression and burn out are rife, many stressed executives and even top CEO’s have turned to regular meditation as a solution to lowering stress, decreasing anxiety and preventing depression.

What is meditation?

Meditation is a practice that exercises the mind and, consequently, gently retrains the brain. It helps our brain to function more effectively, reduces stress levels and hence enables us to focus. Meditation requires just a short period of uninterrupted time and a quiet place to sit comfortably.

During meditation, we experience the present moment by focusing our attention. Therefore, we can concentrate this focus on our breathing or a more specific area such as the chakras.

Meditation has been practised for thousands of years but only recently has science proved that regular meditation is beneficial for reducing stress, depression and anxiety. Furthermore, there is confirmation that it can bring about changes to the brain's grey matter density

The benefits of regular meditation for reducing stress

By giving the brain a much-needed break from mental chatter and stressful thoughts meditation can relieve many of the symptoms of stress including feelings of being overwhelmed, frustrated and out of control.

The Daily Mail reported that meditation was effective in reducing stress hormones because of a study which examined the effectiveness of meditation for anxiety. In addition, the NHS also advocates that the practice of meditation may be effective in reducing stress.

The benefits of regular meditation for decreasing anxiety

Meditation can relieve the mind of anxious feelings and negative thoughts that are detrimental to our daily life. Regular meditation practice will help you to accept your thoughts as simply being ‘thoughts’ and, therefore, prevent a thought from becoming the breeding ground of perceived negative outcomes.

As a result, meditation will help you to let go of the past and stop worrying about the future.

Psychology Today reported that Meditation Reduces Anxiety. This is backed up by evidence that meditation is effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety.

The benefits of regular meditation for coping with depression

Meditation can assist our brain to reduce the negative chatter associated with depression which encourages us to dwell on dark thoughts and feelings of worthlessness. Further benefits are the lack of side effects often associated with anti-depressants and no risk of addiction.

Forbes and The Huffington Post have reported that meditation can alleviate the symptoms of depression and anxiety and even rival medication as a treatment for depression.