Aarti
Mindfulness meditation helps keep you in the moment and provides physical and mental health benefits, too.
Many people associate “mindfulness” with a focus on the present moment. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), mindfulness is the capacity to pay attention to one’s own mental and physical experiences in the present moment.
Focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, including one’s breathing, thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations, is the essence of mindfulness meditation. The American Psychological Association suggests practising this type of meditation to sharpen one’s awareness of sensory details and live fully in the present.
Enhance your sleep
Adults 18–64 years old require between 7–9 hours of sleep per night, reports the National Sleep Foundation. Those of you who are 65 and up can get away with an hour less. Lack of sleep has negative effects on both the body and the brain.
“Mindfulness meditation has long been shown to help with insomnia and sleep habits,” explains Serani.
Researchers looking at 49 older persons who were having considerable difficulty sleeping found that those who practised mindfulness meditation had less symptoms of insomnia and felt less tired during the day.
Manage your weight
Mindfulness meditation has been shown to aid in weight loss and maintain a healthy diet, according to a 2017 review of studies (Trusted Source). Those who regularly engaged in mindfulness meditation were also more successful in maintaining their weight loss. The study’s findings showed that
The results of mindfulness-based weight loss programmes were “moderately effective for weight loss” and “largely effective in reducing obesity-related eating behaviours.”
Mindfulness programme participants were more successful at maintaining their weight loss than those who engaged in “lifestyle-change” programmes.
Lower your stress levels
The American Psychological Association (APA) describes 8 weeks of group instruction and daily home mindfulness activities as the therapeutic intervention known as “mindfulness-based stress reduction” (MBSR).
An AnalysisThe therapy increased employees’ psychological functioning and reduced their levels of emotional tiredness (burnout), stress, psychological discomfort, depression, anxiety, and occupational stress, according to a Trusted Source analysis of 23 studies on MBSR and workers.
Decrease loneliness in seniors
Recent years have brought increased awareness to the negative impacts of isolation on physical and mental health. There is a correlation between isolation and a variety of negative health outcomes in those aged 50 and over, according to a study conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).
According to Cigna’s 2020 Loneliness Index, 61% of respondents report feeling lonely. Meditating may benefit those people.
Ease negative emotional states when in motion
Decrease stress, anxiety, and depression by practising mindfulness while engaging in movement-based behaviours including walking, standing, and sitting.
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A 14-day smartphone study found that college students who practised mindfulness during activities that involved mobility experienced fewer negative emotions.
“Meditation is fantastic for your emotional well-being. According to Serani, it can also help you think more positively.
Increase your attention span
Meditation might help you concentrate for longer amounts of time if you have trouble maintaining focus. Data from 2018 suggestsAccording to a Reliable Source, research has shown that even novice meditators can feel the impacts of even a few minutes of meditation on their focus and concentration.
Manage chronic conditions
Several interventions, including medicine and other therapy, may be necessary to develop strategies to manage a chronic condition.
Help prevent depression relapse
Professional care is necessary for those suffering from depression. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), which integrates mindfulness meditation practises, has been shown to reduce the relapse of depression and is an effective complement to medication and conventional psychotherapy.
Research conducted in 2019 on Brazilian college students indicated that meditating regularly was necessary for the practise to have a lasting effect on participants’ levels of despair and anxiety.
Reduce anxiety
People with high anxiety who took part in an introduction session of mindfulness meditation reported lower levels of anxiety thereafter, according research published in 2018.
Anxiety levels were shown to drop immediately following the meditation session, and remained significantly lower a week later, according to the study’s authors.
Researchers also discovered that people with moderate anxiety benefited from a single mindfulness session, as seen by less stress on the arteries an hour after the session. According to studies, this has the potential to lower blood pressure and relieve strain on vital organs including the brain and kidneys.
Decrease cognitive decline
A randomised clinical trial conducted on persons with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016 looked at the effects of mindfulness on cognitive impairment. Mindfulness training, cognitive retraining, and progressive muscle relaxation were all part of the weekly sessions that participants in a two-year study underwent.
When compared to the control and muscular relaxation groups, the mindfulness group’s results were statistically significant and on par with those of the cognitive stimulation therapy group.Let’s
recap
Mindfulness entails paying close attention to whatever is happening right now, be it thoughts, feelings, or external stimuli. Mindfulness exercises like meditation can help with it.
Mindfulness and meditation, when practised together, have been shown to have beneficial effects on a wide range of mental and physical health outcomes, including the mitigation of stress, depression, anxiety, and weight gain. There are many benefits of mindfulness meditation beyond just increased focus and awareness.
