Prayer and Meditation as a tool for looking after your mental health.

As November is the month of remembrance it is especially important to talk about mental health and how to cope when you are struggling, no matter the reason your feelings are important and it is important to reach out to people you trust when you are going through a hard time. Nobody can help you unless you ask for it.

In saying that there are lots of ways to look after your mental health including meditation and prayer. There are also many benefits that come along with it.

As someone who grew up in a Catholic community in Ireland, prayer was part of our everyday lives. It was routine. In the morning before school, before and after lunch and at the end of the school day and before bed. It became more a habit than intention. It was thanking the universe for the life you were given, the lunch on your table, the friends by your side. For me it helped clear my mind on the daily.

But why is it helpful and positive in regards to improving mental health? In my opinion prayer is not just about believing in God or the Church. It’s about peace and accepting your worries, asking for help when you feel like you don’t have anywhere to turn to, when you are stressed and overwhelmed, but it can also be about being grateful. Praying for the people around you, grateful for having them in your life or praying for someone to look out for them. 

Sometimes it is hard to find the right words to say to someone when looking for help or guidance, the fear of being judged or interrupted or everything coming out all jumbled up. Prayer helps you to release all the emotions you’ve been holding up inside, negative and positive. It helps with forgiveness and hope and purpose for the future.

Whether it’s 2 minutes out of your day in the morning, praying to have a good or even an okay day. Or 2 minutes in the evening expressing how you felt that day, hoping for better or being thankful for the day that you had.

There are also positive aspects of Meditation. During school we had many classes that featured Meditation in order to release stressful thoughts and feelings, focus on our breathing and focus on clarity and peace of mind.

Taking a few minutes out of your day for meditation helps in reducing stress levels, it even helps you improve your sleep, especially if you’re someone who struggles with insomnia. Sometimes the reason you have trouble sleeping is trapped in your mind. Meditation helps in releasing all that negativity and lifts a weight off your shoulders. 

Nowadays there are so many things at the tips of our fingers, for example the Meditation App; ‘Headspace’ and ‘BetterSleep’. There are also apps that help with prayer such as ‘Hallow:Prayer & Meditation’

Meditation can also help improve focus and concentration, which if you’re struggling with stress and anxiety can be very beneficial in regards to productivity, with college work or even just in your daily life.