Meditation is a practice that is proven to benefit mental, physical and emotional health. It is so easy to get overwhelmed by life’s daily stressors. Dedicating time to relaxation, without the anxiety of being unproductive, is a great way to re-energize yourself. Sometimes, the pressure of the future as well as the failures of the past can hold back people from their full potential and productivity.
Full potential is reached when you live in the present moment. Anxiety and depression are two common factors known to severely impact mental health as well as productivity levels. Meditation can change one’s headspace and create a sense of peace.
“Live in the now,” said SUNY Plattsburgh’s group exercise director Connie Fesette.
She explained that meditation can reduce the inflammatory chemicals in your brain and help you heal. As a result, that peace of mind is much more attainable.
Meditation is a practice that can easily be added to your daily routine. You can take a few minutes before bed or in the morning before it is time to start your day.
Georgia Becker, a freshman at SUNY Plattsburgh, began to practice meditation to help her sleep and get in touch with her mind and body. She meditates 15 or 20 minutes before she goes to sleep.
“A lot of people think that you have to be sitting up in that criss-cross position, but you can just be laying down,” Becker said.
Mental health is slowly becoming more of a priority and common practice. Due to technological advancements, more people take work home with them. Constant calls, emails and text messages on various portal devices make work accessible 24 hours, 7 days a week.
“My mind is always jumping and I am constantly worrying about the next thing,” said Becker. “Meditation just helps lessen anxiety and calms me down.”
Taking care of your headspace allows you to contribute more effectively to the projects and people around you. If you do not know where to start there is a plethora of advice and guides on how to meditate. There are many apps you can download such as HeadSpace: Mindful Meditation or Calm that give prompts and offer guided meditation sessions with various time frames.
When you begin the practice of meditation, the most important thing is to not get swept up in deep thoughts, but to let go of them.
“When I meditate I try to focus on my breathing,” Becker said.
In the beginning of Becker’s mediation journey, she found it difficult to clear her head. She said that focusing on one thing that was not overwhelming, such as nature, helped her. It may help to focus on specific details such as the humming of the heater or the birds chirping.
Fesette explained that her yoga students look for mind-body connections and to improve their mental health. Her class takes a few minutes to meditate and Fesette believes they find it beneficial.
Starting the journey of meditation is like anything else; you just have to take that first step. Allow yourself to fail and don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. Meditation is a great tool to improve mental health and create a healthy headspace.