Meditation and Positive Mental Wellbeing

pwpeersupport
Nov 25, 2020
4 min read

By Dimitri Georgiev

Meditation is a concept that is, for many, often not considered to be relevant to life beyond the context of religious and spiritual practice. For instance, it is associated with self-disciplinary lifestyles exhibited by monks and other spiritual individuals as an essential means by which to achieve an ultimate goal (such as enlightenment, in the case of Buddhism). However, this ancient practice may be of more relevance to our daily lives than we may have considered. New scientific evidence continues to support the claim that meditation practitioners have been advocating for millennia; it can, and does, significantly improve one’s general mental wellbeing.

Due to its nature, incorporating regular meditation practice into one’s regular routine is something that many who operate within our modern, fast-paced society would find inconceivable. It is easily dismissed as an activity that is time-consuming, frustrating, and pointless, oftentimes by those who expect to, but do not, experience immediate gratification from focusing on simply ‘being’. Indeed, it seems absurd to set precious time aside out of our busy schedules to practice something that reaps no tangible rewards. The benefits of meditation are primarily psychological, and reportedly completely worth the commitment.

Meditation is an umbrella term that encompasses many different techniques, all seeking to bring the user great concentration and self-awareness. You may have heard of mindfulness being recommended by professionals to help combat feelings of stress and anxiety. Mindfulness adopts some similar techniques from the ancient practice. Meditation practices are different forms of grounding exercises that focus your awareness on the present moment (e.g. on your immediate surroundings, sensations, or passing thoughts) to quickly overcome overwhelming thoughts or feelings. Meditation itself therefore describes many different practices that are being increasingly recommended by medical professionals (generally going by different terms and with variations in the techniques they are defined by).

Simply put, meditation is a “mental and physical course of action that a person uses to separate themselves from their thoughts and feelings in order to become fully aware” (BBC, 2009). Though this may sound complicated, in actuality many of us have experienced at least a moment of it when we have felt peace or joy looking at a sunset, or immersed ourselves in nature. Our awareness of our surroundings and ourselves - including the sensations we feel or thoughts we think - peaks during this process. When we take a moment to just exist and be, we are presented with the opportunity to examine our role in the present. We can act as passive observers to our thoughts and emotions as they arise, fall, and pass by within our minds while gently resisting getting caught up in them. The purpose of meditation is to calm the mind by noticing internal and external events as they occur, reconnecting our almost constantly preoccupied minds to our bodies and surroundings.

In regards to why people choose to practice meditation regularly, the health benefits it provides people with are many. Research has found that meditation does in fact aid in easing emotional and psychological suffering. General meditation programmes have helped in reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. For example, professional NICE guidelines recommend mindful meditation as a way to prevent depression (especially in people who have experienced multiple relapses). People also felt they had developed greater mental resilience as a result of regular meditation.

Unsurprisingly, meditation also provides physiological health benefits. Since it’s a calming activity, it induces feelings of relaxation and alleviates physiological stress symptoms (such as increased heart rate, high blood pressure etc.). Regular meditation, some claim, enables people to better manage stressful situations as they condition themselves to regulate their stress response. As stress is linked to many physical health problems, learning to more effectively cope with these difficulties reduces the risk of developing many stress-induced illnesses.

Overall, people who regularly meditate report feeling that they better understand themselves and the world around them. Fully experiencing the present, even if it is in short intervals, can help people to notice patterns in their thoughts that may underlie many of their mental health issues. It gives you the chance to become aware of and examine any inclinations, working to modify them using the emotional regulation techniques used during meditation. Consequently, thoughts and feelings start to be seen more as transient ‘mental events’ rather than processes that control our mental state. Thus, we can train ourselves to maintain a more positive mental state by combating our personal common negative thinking patterns and learning to appreciate life as it happens.

Successfully practicing meditation is not reliant on any special items, areas, or specific times. It requires a mind free of judgment and a willingness to gently persist in keeping focused on the present moment. There are many guides or groups that can help inform you how to get started with meditation, such as the Meditation Society in our very own university. There are some resources at the bottom of this post that you can also refer to.

Despite its widely positive influence on our wellbeing, it should be recognised that it is not the ultimate solution for everybody’s mental health difficulties and it cannot provide the same relief that professional help offers. It is better to view meditation as a healthier addition to one’s regular hygiene routine rather than a panacea for any and all mental health issues.

Sources and helpful resources:

Mindfulness information:

Buddhism and Meditation

PsychologyToday - Meditation and Mental Health: