4 Reasons Why You Should Be Meditating

Ahhh, meditation — a buzzword thrown around in the wellness industry like rainbow confetti at a parade. Come on. Is it just me, or is EVERYONE meditating? 

But I get it…

In this day and age where we all seem to be swimming in data, to-do lists, traffic jams, attending your fiance’s, brother’s, co-worker’s, sister’s wedding in Tulum, reminders to change your laundry, trying to figure out another freakin’ iPhone update, and whatever else – meditation has become downright crucial to mentally function in the year 2020. And we get the need for wanting the world to be quiet for a minute, or 15. 

I often consider trying it but am guilty of never actually sticking to it or grasping why meditation is trendy, life-changing, and healthy. And I think this might be the case for most who’ve considered meditation…

The practice is often marketed as a habit of highly successful and happy people (think Oprah Winfrey, Kobe Bryant, Ariana Huffington), recommended as a means of coping with stress and anxiety, and praised as the next big thing in mainstream wellness.

And it turns out that meditation is not just some hippie-go-lucky, woo-woo yoga craze. Thousands of studies have shown the positive impact that meditating has on our mental health and general well-being.

So I’ve researched the facts/data and am breaking down the reasons why the hype around mediation is REAL, what the benefits of mindfulness meditation are, and why you should be doing it.

1. To get a better night’s sleep

Contrary to the aggressive belief that “you can sleep when you’re dead,” sleep isn’t just a time to lay down and rest — it’s essential to our cognitive functioning. Meditation gives you all sorts of sleeping benefits, like enhanced REM sleep and increased levels of melatonin.

It can even help those who have serious sleeping issues (i.e., trouble falling asleep, waking up at weird hours of the night, etc.). Researchers did a study to see if mindfulness meditation would benefit those struggling with insomnia. After eight weeks, those in the meditation training had less total wake time during the night, were more relaxed before going to bed, and reduced the severity of their sleeping issues. 

2. To reduces stress

More and more people are stating how after only a few minutes of mediation, they can easily feel their minds slowing down. This is because meditation tends to create the opportunity to pause and take it easy on a physical and mental level, rather than allowing our brains to fire from thought to thought and task-to-task throughout our hectic days. 

Meditation also has a direct effect on the central nervous system because the breathwork done in meditation tends to reduce the body’s production of stress chemicals called “cortisol” while, at the same time, producing the “happy” and mood-enhancing chemical serotonin.

3. To increase focus and clarity

We have all experienced chaotic, mind-spinning moments where we can’t seem to focus on anything. Meditation has been shown to calm the brain, so you are not flooded and overwhelmed with uncontrollable thoughts. 

In the practice of meditation, this is called the “monkey mind” because, like a monkey, the mind bounces about from tree-to-tree (or thought-to-thought). By focusing on the breath and present moment, you are able to establish a mental sense of clarity.

4. To increase self-awareness

Studies show that we have over 60,000 thoughts running through our minds daily. Those thoughts include a mix of ones we actively engage in (i.e., think about for long periods of time) and those we are not fully conscious of.

Meditation allows you to pick up on those thoughts in a more clear and more precise manner. During meditation, you become fully conscious of what you think, the way in which you think, how you feel, and what you truly desire in life. Think of meditation as your 15-minute therapist that touches on thoughts, questions, and answers you may not have figured out or questioned otherwise.