Meditation can be understood as an art of awakening the innate healing potential of your own mind. It helps you stay physically fit, mentally strong, emotionally stable, and connected to your inner self. If you’re looking for meditation for stress management, this is a good place to start.

The ever-growing body of research in the past two decades either supports its immense mental health benefits, including better sleep, stress management, anxiety relief, improved focus, enhanced memory, rebuilding grey matter, and whatnot. Read on to find some of the benefits of meditation and how it can help you stay calm and sleep better during these stressful times.

Relieves stress and anxiety

Modern scientific developments have changed the way we look at the capabilities of the human brain. Now we know that our brain adapts, rewires itself, and keeps changing continuously according to our experiences. If you keep challenging your brain continuously, it will adapt itself to address those challenges.

This is where meditation comes in.

With regular practice of meditation, the brain learns to stay calm even in stressful situations. It prepares the mind as well as the body to adapt to physical, psychological, and environmental stressors. A 2018 study found meditation programs to reduce psycho-emotional stress, anger, fatigue, and depression in participants. These participants also reported higher levels of wakefulness during daytime and better quality of sleep in the night time during the program.

Improved quality of better sleep

This might sound like a no-brainer (given that meditation reduces stress, and stress is the most common reason for poor sleep), but the way meditation improves sleep is way more effective and deep-rooted than any other form of relaxation. A 2012 study revealed that a regular meditation practice alters the physiological functions in a similar way to what happens during sleep. Decreased heart rate, blood pressure, slow and regular breathing, enhanced levels of melatonin (sleep hormone), and reduced metabolic rate are some of the conditions our body goes through every night. Meditation brings about similar changes in the body to improve both the duration and quality of sleep.

Meditation for stress management

Meditation is rejuvenating for the body and mind and contributes towards enriching your inner life. Consistent meditation practice is known to have a profound impact on mental composure as it teaches you how to stay emotionally stable even in turbulent times. It brings clarity of thought so you can better understand your feelings, worries, fears, and anxieties.

 

How to start meditating: Basic steps for beginners

Whether you’re turning to meditation for stress management or you’re just looking for a new, healthy practice to incorporate into your daily routine, these beginner steps might be useful.

·        Prepare

Sit down in the cross-legged position on a comfortable surface, preferably on a firm mat. Make sure the surrounding is either calm or distraction-free. Set up a timer for 10 minutes. Once you start enjoying the practice, you can increase the time to 20-25 minutes or however long you want.

·        Breathe, just breathe

Do not try to control your thoughts. In the beginning, it’s very important to learn how to turn a natural, involuntary act of breathing into a conscious act. Focus on your breathing – feel the air in your nostrils, and try to keep it slow and deep. If your mind wanders, return your focus to breathing again. With time and consistent practice, you will notice fewer wanderings and more focus.

·        Try essential oils

Essential oils can be a powerful tool for breathing, especially for beginners who often struggle with focus. Some essential oils like patchouli, frankincense, myrrh, sandalwood are considered great for centering your mind on a single object, in this case – breathing. More you like the smell, better it will help you. Diffuse 3-4 drops in the room or apply a diluted version on the forehead, neck, and inner wrists.