The Benefits of Meditation for Anxiety and Depression
While there are many varieties of meditation, all aim to achieve a higher level of awareness. According to specialists, this increased knowledge may aid in the treatment of sadness and anxiety. As an illustration, certain techniques, such as body scan meditation, which was created in the 1970s as a component of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), concentrate on teaching awareness to bodily sensations and emotions.
1. Centering
You can learn to stay in the present by practising mindfulness during meditation, which may help you recognise the early warning symptoms of anxiety and depression. Engaging in mindfulness practises might also help you become less prone to worrying or dwelling on the past. Try focusing on something straightforward and manageable to pay attention to throughout your meditation, such as the rhythm of a ticking clock or your breath, if you have trouble staying concentrated. Finding a mantra that you can silently repeat again is another method to help you focus your attention on the here and now. With practise, you may begin to focus your attention outside of the breath on various body areas using a method called a body scan. While it's common for your thoughts to wander while meditation, learning to bring your attention back to your breathing or physical sensations is crucial.
2. Inhaling
The most popular type of meditation concentrates on the rhythm of the breath. While some meditate by concentrating on their chest's rise and fall, others ground themselves in the present moment by using noises or physical sensations. whichever suits you the most. It's common for your mind to stray when you're concentrating on the breath; instead of resisting the diversion, simply acknowledge that it has happened and softly refocus your attention on the breathing. Saying a gentle word like "thinking" or "wandering" might also help you identify when you're losing focus and help you return it to your breathing. This form of mindfulness practise can be challenging for depressed people since it can bring up dark and negative thoughts. But meditation breaks the pattern of tension and negative thinking that frequently accompanies sadness by teaching you to notice your thoughts objectively.
3. Self-empathy
People who are depressed frequently find it difficult to accept their bad feelings and thoughts. But meditation encourages people to accept what is happening and keep their attention in the here and now. This reduces anxiety symptoms by teaching people to accept their emotions without passing judgement on them. The hippocampus in the brain can also be protected by frequent meditation, according to study. This region is crucial for learning and memory. Regular meditators have higher levels of grey matter in this region. When you're feeling nervous, stop, inhale deeply, and count to four. As an alternative, consider having a soothing picture of a forest or waterfall on your phone and concentrating on it whenever you sense panic starting. Another option is to attempt a body scan meditation, which involves lying on your back and concentrating on each area of your body sequentially, from head to toe, while recognising any sensations, feelings, or ideas that come up.
4. Calm Down
Although it won't make depression or anxiety go away, meditation can lessen symptoms by altering the way your brain reacts to these conditions. If mental drugs aren't helping you manage these symptoms, it can also be of assistance. Pay attention to the current moment when you meditate. This could be a mantra, an image, a sensation, or your breathing. When your thoughts stray, it's necessary to acknowledge them, but when they do, return your focus to the present moment and act without passing judgement. Learning to embrace your unpleasant emotions and feelings will help you better control them, which is another advantage of living in the present. This might be challenging, particularly if you're experiencing intense feelings like melancholy or anxiety. But in stressful situations, you may prevent yourself from going into fight or flight mode by keeping your attention on the here and now. Your mood may lift as a result, enabling you to unwind and feel more at ease.
