Life alone is a challenge these days. To stay ahead, peace of mind is the ‘central theme’ hard to achieve filled with meeting deadlines and goals. What needs to be followed diligently is ‘Meditation’.
The practice of thinking, it is followed to bring stability within the mind to generate peace. Seeking this stability within the mind is Meditation.
It is the mantra for success in life today as health depression continues to be a major health issue for young and older adults alike in pandemic times, where life seems disarray — not knowing what lies ahead.
Do You Know?
In a study conducted in May 2018 by Neurology online on 1,111 people with an average age, 71 years, found depression affecting about 20% of adults ages 65 and older.
Recently, what is even more concerning is a report released in a journal Elsevier Public Health Emergency Collection stating that the COVID-19 pandemic declared in March 2020 — with 12 community-based research-backed studies — has the prevailing rate of depression rise from 7.45% to 48.30%, affecting young and old alike.
In the present scenario, the estimated rise in depression from 3.44% is a phenomenal 25%, a seven times increase in the last six months. The global health crisis is so massive that it needs addressing as a major international and national public health agenda which needs to improve citizens’ wellbeing.
It is a matter of concern!
Depression is concerning as regular depression may lead to higher risks for heart disease and death from illnesses. It also affects people’s daily lives. Reason being people get socially isolated. And this isolation leads to affecting cognitive functions, especially episodic memory, which is the inability to recall specific experiences or occasions.
Although counselling and medication in case of severe depression is the only immediate alternative to the mental conditions that trigger anxiety and depression.
However, Meditation is the only long-term-remedy to the burgeoning problem manifesting in each household. Lack of social interaction that has been brought down to be negligible, maintaining social distance during the pandemic is manifesting as one of several reasons.
Also Read: Namaste: What Does Namaskar Mean?
Meditation Works Magic:
The meditation magic works because the ‘peace’ attained with a deep concentration arouses ‘mindfulness,’ essential to retain the disturbed balance, and is one of the major reasons for feeling victorious as it applies even in negative circumstances that boost mental health.
However, this is not easily understood by all and sundry in the first instance.
Some of the major benefits that meditation helps are in pulling out people from stressful situations like:
Reduces Stress:
Leading a zero stress life now seems unfathomable, but meditation skills seek ways to reduce stress. The easiest way to begin on it is to start practising easy ways to breathe. It reduces stress, as it calms the mind. If practised in an open environment, pumping in ample fresh air to fill the lungs is doubly beneficial.
Meditating like this is globally accepted. And deep breathing is considered the only natural process to come by immediate anxiety in an individual that triggers depression.
However, while de-stressing concentrate on the mind and body and concentration needs to be increased in areas that need relaxation.
Students can speak to experts who provide assignment help on deep meditation and stress-relieving programs to get some burden off their shoulders. This is helpful during examinations when they are loaded with tight deadlines.
Also Read: What Are The Seven Chakras & Their Meaning?
Controls Anxiety:
Most of the time anxiety manifested in individuals is barely understood. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) manifests in most individuals and is one of the most common symptoms of anxiety. This syndrome thrives to manifest in a lot of people who are working in a technologically advanced environment.
The moot question is how to overcome anxiety for a relaxed mind and body? To begin, the easiest way is:
- Deep breathing
- Practising breathing exercises for relaxation
- Soaking feet in warm water with salt also helps
- People also resort to listening to soothing music
- Strange though, writing down followed by using guided imagery is also instrumental
- Practising it is imperative, as less stress translates to less anxiety.
Also Read: Relieve Anxiety With Easy Meditation Techniques
Promotes Emotional Well-being:
Strange as it may seem, looking inwards concentrating on the troubled areas prove effective in promoting emotional health. To be aware of your emotions as well as reactions is helpful. Therefore always be sure of what you speak before making random judgemental statements.
By expressing your feelings you are only promoting your emotional well-being, and when you manage stress, you strike a balance to connect with others with a meaningful purpose.
Enhances Self-awareness:
Meditating inculcates a degree of self-awareness and essential mental balance. Medical journals, worldwide, promote the significance of enhanced self-awareness. It boosts as a catalyst to activate the immune system to reduce stress and improve psychological balance. According to several medical journals, self-awareness is associated with decreased activation of brain regions reducing stress through yogic practice.
Lengthens Attention Span:
You only need to practice this for a short while to feel the increased attention span in the mind. Deep meditation to improve the memory span has been proven in history texts in India where Gautama Buddha resorted to deep meditation to attain Nirvana. So did Guru Nanak Sahib, the Sikh Guru. Besides an attention span, meditation improves age-related memory loss.
Generates Kindness:
The practice of forgiving reduces stress considerably. The Loving Kindness Meditation (LKM) is a popular self-care method used only for the well-being and reducing stress considerably. It connects with others more bringing self-acceptance.
Helps Fight Addictions:
Strange as it may sound, meditation helps to heal from alcoholism. Just as a favourite mind-altering substance causes the mind to go high and crash like in substance abuse, Meditation elicits the same response to the brainwaves, and doctors suggest using it to treat alcohol addiction.
To Sum Up:
Meditation needs to be practised for several reasons. Not only does it check the anxiety and stress rising in an individual, but it also checks negative emotions affecting the practitioner’s perception and the ability for social interaction. Therefore, it must be practised, even if it is in moderation.
After all, isn’t there a well-known saying – “rule your mind or it will rule you”!
