According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), research has been conducted to show that meditation was as effective as prolonged exposure therapy at reducing PTSD symptoms and depression, in one study.
However, meditation is not just recommended for those with chronic health conditions. The science based benefits of meditation extend to anyone who would like to reduce stress, control anxiety, support emotional health, or enhance attention span.
Practicing Meditation
The idea of meditation is straightforward – it’s often putting it into practice that most people struggle with. Find a quiet, comfortable space, whether it’s lying down, or sitting on the floor, and focus on your breath. It’s normal for your mind to wander – meditation is all about gently bringing your thoughts and focus back to your breath.
Focusing on the breath calms both the body and the mind. Belly breathing provides a physical process to focus on, which helps to really focus and practice mindfulness.
Meditation does not need to be structured or strict. Practicing 5-10 minutes of mindful breathing is the most simple form of meditation.
Mental Health Benefits
- Reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression
- Lowers stress and cortisol reactivity
- Improves attention, focus, and working memory
- Increases emotional regulation and reduces reactivity
- Improves self-awareness and reduces rumination
- Helps with sleep onset and quality
- Reduces symptom severity in some cases of PTSD and OCD
- Increases pain tolerance (partly a psychological mechanism)
- Slows age-related decline in attention and memory
Physical Health Benefits
- Lowers blood pressure
- Reduces resting heart rate
- Improves heart rate variability
- Reduces systemic inflammation markers
- Strengthens immune response
- Reduces chronic pain intensity and pain-related disability
- Improves sleep architecture
- Reduces tension-related symptoms (headaches, muscle tension, IBS flare-ups)
- May slow cellular aging (some evidence on telomere maintenance)
