3 Reasons Why Meditation Should Be Included in Your Everyday Routine

An estimated 200 to 500 million people across the world practice meditation, and it might just be time to join them! With all the challenges that life can throw at us, it can be hard to focus, and we can get stressed and feel down. That’s where meditation can be an amazing tool. It has been shown to improve cognition, stabilize stress, and increase life satisfaction.

Improves Memory

Meditation can improve your memory. It’s all about being in the present and taking the time to focus on what’s happening right now. A 2019 study found that practicing mindfulness meditation improves short-term memory and also increases the size of the hippocampus, the memory center of the brain.

“When you try to learn something new, it’s difficult to do it because you have all these past memories that interfere,” says Jonathan Greenberg, lead author of the study. “It makes a lot of sense that mindfulness might improve that, because the tendency to attend to the present moment is a core concept of mindfulness.”

Stabilizes Stress

From emergencies to planning a friend’s birthday party and everything in between, stressful events can really take their toll. Meditation can help!

“Meditation brings short-term stress relief as well as lasting stress management benefits,” according to Very Well Mind . “When you’re focused on the here-and-now, you won’t be able to ruminate about something that already happened and you can’t worry about something in the future. Meditation and mindfulness take practice, but it can make a big difference in your overall stress level.”

Increases Life Satisfaction

Increased life satisfaction through meditation? Sign us up! According to one study on mindfulness meditation (MM), “MM training has a rapid and measurable impact on subjective well-being.” This was the case even in participants that used a mindfulness-based smartphone app for a short time.

There are lots of ways to help yourself gain the benefits of meditation, from breathing exercises to simply focusing on the here and now. You can also visit yoga studios, many of which offer guided meditations. Check out places like Reveille on Main Street Riverside for their meditation sessions.

For improved memory, stabilized stress, and increased life satisfaction, start a habit of meditating today!