After the hustle and bustle of the holidays, the winter months are known to bring an increased risk for mental and physical health problems. There are many factors that play into this, from lack of sunlight, to the let down of the holiday hype, to spending more time indoors, eating more, and moving less. Mental & physical wellness are also strongly connected. Both of these are affected by stress and anxiety. Exercise is a great way to reduce these and you can find ways to stay active even during a pandemic in the winter, although it’s certainly more of a challenge. One effective strategy for maintaining mental wellbeing is practicing meditation. Meditation has been practiced for centuries as a means of introspection and promoting spiritual and mental awareness. Here are our top two reasons why you should try meditation!
Stress Reduction
Perhaps the most common reason people try meditation is to reduce stress. For many of us, the thought of having quiet time to focus on ourselves is a good motivation alone. But beyond the initial appeal, what does meditation have to offer for stress? While occasional circumstantial stress is normal, chronic stress is a common problem that can lead to anxiety, depression, and health problems such as headaches, digestive problems, even heart disease. Stress, therefore, has the potential to play a big part in your physical wellbeing. While the jury is still out on some of the finer points of causation, it is believed that chronic stress is connected to changes in cortisol, known commonly as the “stress hormone.” Regular meditation practice has been shown to help normalize the levels of cortisol in time and even reverse the effects of chronic stress. It’s not yet known exactly why meditation works so well, although we can speculate that deep relaxation, quiet, and comfort give the mind and body space to heal itself. Never underestimate your body’s ability to take care of itself; we humans are incredibly adaptable!
Productivity & Quality of Life
What would you say if there was something you could do at home, without any equipment or experience, that would make you a more productive and attentive individual? In addition to your mental and physical wellbeing, practicing medication has been shown to improve attention span and accuracy for those who suffer from neuroticism. This has significant implications for all of us, and suggests that by taking some time to meditate, we too can improve our attention span and ability to complete tasks correctly. In fact, this study suggests that even one session of meditation can provide immediate benefits to that day’s workflow. This is true even for those with little-to-no experience with meditation. But don’t stop there! While the immediate benefits are great, the long-term benefits include improved long-term memory and emotional regulation. Attentiveness, emotional health, and improved memory are all good quality-of-life motivators to give meditation a try.
It’s often said that nature’s magic pill for both mental and physical health is exercise. At Organically Grown Muscle gym in Tacoma, WA, we believe that the body is designed to heal itself and grow. Like exercise, meditation is an opportunity to give your body time and permission to do its magic. While it shouldn’t be taken as a replacement for medical help when needed, as a lifestyle practice it is a good way to improve your long-term health. We can’t wait to have you back in the gym, but until then, we hope you get some time for yourself to try meditation!