It can get really chaotic inside of our brains. The demands of work, school, family, friends and making time for ourselves constantly surround us, all coming together to remind us of how anxious we can get. Sometimes, life’s demands can really take a toll on your wellbeing and the state of your mental health. Because of all this, it’s important to stop and take a moment to just be.
I get it, we hear this all the time. It makes us wonder how we could possibly find the time to meditate when it’s impossible to find time for all our responsibilities as is. How is meditation supposed to ease the anxiety that I feel? The truth is, meditation doesn’t erase our problems or offer a magical solution to anxiety disorders.
What it can do, however, is ground us. When life gets hectic it is so important for us to take into consideration where we are in a given moment, remind ourselves of the precious lives we have and actually start living. Meditation has helped me tremendously with these things. It has made me hopeful and calm at my most anxious moments, allowing me to create a world in which I don’t feel like my responsibilities and my anxiety are the end-all-be-all.. So before you completely write it off, consider putting on a meditation audio and just let it play. You may like it and eventually experience some of the unexpected benefits that I did.
Changes in Energy Levels
Before fully getting into a meditation routine, my energy levels were so out of whack. If you struggle with fatigue and the desire to take a lot of naps, meditation is an unexpected way to combat feelings of tiredness and unproductivity. Anxious thoughts and stress often leave us feeling tired as a result of our brains and nervous systems becoming overworked. After meditating on a daily basis, I found that I was able to stay awake, focus and use the time that I would normally use to nap, to do other activities, whether it was getting some of my school work done, catching up with my friends, or just relaxing. This has helped me feel less drained by my small daily life as I was able to break up and manage my time better.
Patience
As a high-strung anxious person, increased patience has always been something I’ve tried to work towards.. I’ve always felt like I had a short fuse or was quick to become frustrated with tasks that were too difficult to master right away.
Since meditating, I’ve come to realize that a lot of that frustration and impatience came from an anxious personality style, being unable to calm down and direct my focus on one thing at a time without stressing about something else. Because the sole purpose of meditation is focusing on only one thing and being present in a singular moment, patience is slowly gained the more you practice. I’ve found that I can become more present and aware of moments where patience is necessary and can put aside any other thoughts and insecurities.
Genuinely, few things have helped me in life more than meditation. If I can learn how to feel more in control of my life after practicing and maintaining a meditation routine of just a few minutes every day, I’d say the return on investment is pretty great. If you struggle with any of the things that I’ve mentioned, want to reduce anxiety in your life, or just want to try something new, mediating is something worth giving a shot. Give it time, and you may see a brand new you in a few short months.