Should You Meditate Daily?
Meditation is one of those topics that’s quite polarizing. Those who practice it, swear by it… and those who don’t, think that it’s some woo-woo practice that serves no purpose.
The truth of the matter is that meditation has been around for centuries and has many benefits. The reason some people scoff at it is because they’ve not truly figured it out.
Meditation is not as easy as people think. It requires a lot of effort and concentration in the beginning. Yes, even clearing your mind requires focus… and anyone who has sat down for more than 5 minutes to meditate knows how difficult it can be to slow down your thoughts.
It’s as if your mind has a mind of its own! And it does… but after about 2 months of meditation (daily practice), you’ll discover that you indeed can slow down your thoughts and clear your mind for longer and longer periods.
Just like any skill, meditation takes time to master… and the more you do it, the better you’ll get at it. You’ll also find yourself retreating into meditation to de-stress and escape the insanity of our current world.
Let’s look at the benefits of regular meditation…
1. Mental clarity
Since our mind is racing with thoughts and half the time people are winning mental arguments with opponents in situations that don’t exist, meditation gives you time to calm your mind.
It will reduce your unfounded fears and anxiety. You’ll be less stressed out and have more clarity and peace of mind.
2. Helps with sleep
One of the biggest culprits of insomnia is the habit of overthinking. This problem plagues millions of people. They just can’t seem to ‘turn off’ their minds to go to sleep.
Their minds are working overtime and keeping them awake as they think of a million and one things. Meditation will train your mind to calm down when you want it to… and once you can do that, it will be much easier to sleep.
3. Strengthens your mind and improves your mood
Meditation helps with happiness. When you’re at peace with yourself, it’s easier to be happier. It’s also easier to be grateful, and you can’t be unhappy and discontented when you’re grateful. Meditation helps you achieve these states of mind.
If you’re fighting addictions, meditation will help you strengthen your mind so that you’re in control of your thoughts. For example, if you’re trying to quit smoking and can’t stop thinking about cigarettes, meditation will help you focus on something else and shut out the noise and temptations.
4. Other benefits
Studies have shown that meditation has a positive effect on weight loss, managing pain, preventing boredom and loneliness, helps with concentration and decision making, improves one’s sex life, boosts your memory and much more.
The icing on the cake is that it’s free. You won’t need to spend a cent on meditation, and anyone can do it. Initially, there will be some mental exertion as you try to focus your thoughts, but with time, you’ll do it with ease… so it’s actually an easy process once you master it. Quite unlike lifting weights or running, which never really get easier because you can always do more.
Start meditating today and do it for short spurts and slowly work your way up until you can meditate for 15-30 minutes a day. You’ll feel much better and be glad you started. This is a very powerful tool to have in your arsenal.
