5 Benefits Of Meditation And How It Can Change Your Life

As humans, we are all vastly different from one another. But, one thing most of us have in common is our pursuit of happiness.

Many people believe that happiness is something that is gained, that you "get" from external sources.
But is that the source of true happiness?

Many meditators and scholars believe that true happiness is not something you "get" from any external source. They believe that those are just momentary pleasures. Rather, true happiness is something you uncover from within. It's something you bring out from the inside.

Our minds are clouded by negative thoughts, by the judgment of ourselves, the judgment of others, disbelief in ourselves, and other negative emotions and thoughts that prevent us from experiencing the happiness that comes from within.

Much of this negativity can be a result of stress and anxiety, sleep deprivation, pain, and more.
Whether it's 5 minutes or 30 minutes, taking a break from everything that is going on in our life, and finding some time to be in the present moment and meditate can help us clear up some of the negative clouds in our mind and uncover our internal happiness.

Here are 5 benefits of meditation that can help change your life:

1. It can help reduce stress

Stress, maybe one of the most common reasons people think of trying meditation, may be reduced through meditation.

Studies have shown that even after 10 days of meditation, stress levels can be reduced significantly. Combining this with other stress-relieving tools such as exercise can help us reduce much of the stress we experience in our everyday lives.

Meditation helps us calm down; it puts us in a state of tranquility, which can help us stop the ongoing stream of thoughts and emotions that are causing us stress, resulting in better physical and emotional wellbeing.

2. It can help ease anxiety

Closely linked with stress, anxiety can be eased through meditation, as meditation can help reduce our levels of stress.

Taking a few minutes to find a quiet place or wherever we feel we can find some peace and meditating can help us reduce the stress we are currently experiencing.
By doing this, we can reduce the anxiety that we are feeling. Allowing us to better understand where the stress and anxiety are coming from. Meditation clears our minds. Allowing us to better control and understand our emotions, allowing us to understand what is triggering them and how to deal with them.

3. It can help you concentrate and focus better

Meditation helps us learn how to clear our minds from the daily and constant stream of thoughts that goes on in it.
This constant stream of thoughts, which are full of distractions, can prevent us from focusing on a given task.
Meditation allows us to train our minds to be able to clear it of those distractions, reduce the stream of thoughts, and focus on the task at hand, be it reading, learning, a work task, or whatever it may be.

Meditation helps us stay focused on the present moment. It helps us focus on the thoughts and tasks we want to focus on, rather than worrying about the past, future, or other unwanted thoughts.

4. It may help you sleep better

Research has shown that meditation can help reduce insomnia, increase sleep quality, help fall asleep quicker, and have a better deep sleep.

Meditation helps our body wind down from the stress of the past day.
It helps our body and mind relax. By clearing the thoughts, stress, anxiety, and negative emotions of the past day, we can put our body in a better state of relaxation, which can help us fall asleep faster and experience a much higher quality of sleep.

5. It can help you fight addictions

Adding meditation to our daily routine, even for a few minutes a day, can help us cope with addiction in various ways.

It can help reduce any stress and anxiety that we may be feeling.
It can help us stay more focused and reduce any distractions and cravings we may have.
It allows us to control our emotions better, allowing us to better cope with any triggers and cravings we may have that can lead us back to our addictions.

Don't stress about it

We live in a very stressful time and society, one that can make it difficult for some to find the time to sit down and meditate.
Stressing about the fact that you may not have 30 minutes on a very busy day to meditate is counter-productive. It is just adding to the stressful day you are already experiencing.
The good news is that the benefits of meditation can still be experienced even if you meditate for just a few minutes per day.
So don't stress over not being able to meditate every day, or not being able to meditate for 30 minutes or more. Even 5 minutes is enough, and it's better than nothing and far better than stressing over not being able to do more.

Should you start meditating?

Besides the 5 benefits mentioned in this article, there are numerous other benefits of meditation.
These benefits can help us change our lives for the better.
Meditation can help us be more in control of our lives, be in the present moment, and can help us find the happiness we are looking for.