The Effect of Meditation on Mental Health

Written By Richard Wise
Elderly People Meditating in the Park

Photo by Vlada Karpovich

Meditation has been used in many cultures throughout the years as a way of improving mental well-being. Meditation involves training your mind to focus on a particular activity, thought or object in the present moment to help achieve mental relaxation and clarity. The overall objective is to contribute to the regulation of your emotions effectively. This can involve focusing on your breath, peaceful image visualisation, and sitting or lying down in a quiet place. There are various ways to practice meditation; below are a few ideas an individual can use:

  • Mindful Meditation: This involves focusing on the present moment with your thoughts, sensations and feelings without judgment.

  • Guided Meditation: This process involves following a live or recorded voice that guides the meditation to relaxation and stress reduction.

  • Yoga is a physical form of meditation involving stretching and breathing exercises.

  • Transcendental Meditation: The goal of this method is to quiet the mind and promote relaxation by repeating a particular phrase or mantra.

  • Walking Meditation: This involves mindful walking, focusing on the body’s sensations and surroundings.

Numerous studies have provided evidence of the effectiveness of meditation on mental health; here are a few of the benefits seen:

  • Reducing stress and anxiety

  • Improving Focus and Attention

  • Improving sleep

  • Improving Emotional Regulation

  • Reducing Depression

Reducing Stress and Anxiety:

Meditation can provide a sense of calmness, peace and balance, reducing anxiety and stress. When stressed, our bodies produce cortisol, leading to a broad range of adverse emotional effects, such as anxiety, insomnia and depression. However, there is growing research and evidence that meditation has been shown to decrease cortisol levels, which helps reduce anxiety and stress symptoms. A study published in 2014 found that eight weeks of practised meditation significantly reduced levels of anxiety by 19%, and 30 days decreased stress by 32% compared to those who did not meditate (Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine).

Another study conducted found that practising meditation has reduced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety by allowing individuals to have better control over emotional regulation, improving resilience and being self-aware (Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine). These improvements have led individuals to have a higher quality of life.

Improving Focus and Attention:

Meditation has helped to improve focus and attention by enhancing cognitive performance, including working memory. A four-week study compared two groups of people, one who meditated and one who did not, discovering that only the meditation group showed improvements in working memory and attention. Similarly, another study found that in just four days, individuals showed improved cognitive performance and engagement (Frontiers in Human Neuroscience) through meditation. Researchers have found that these improvements occur because the practice makes individuals more aware of their emotions and thoughts and focuses on the moment present. Therefore, individuals become more innovative, productive and efficient in their everyday lives.

Improving Sleep:

For individuals who struggle to fall asleep, wake up earlier than usual or are consistently waking up multiple times through the night, meditation is an approach that can help improve this. Through the promotion of relaxation and reduction of anxiety and stress, meditation enhances sleep quality. With mindfulness meditation, the body produces more relaxation responses, naturally reducing tension and stress, allowing the individual to calm their mind and have a better quality of sleep. It also helps regulate the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, known as the circadian rhythm, which promotes a healthier sleep pattern.

A 2015 study found that those who practised meditation before sleeping felt much more rested the next day and slept better than those who did not meditate. A six-week study was conducted between a group who practised meditation and a group who did not meditate, discovering a significant increase in the quality of sleep of those who meditated and has also been found to help improve insomnia symptoms.

Improving Emotional Regulation:

Being able to effectively regulate your emotions in response to different situations and experiences is an important aspect of mental health. Individuals who struggle with controlling their feelings tend to be more prone to developing negative mental health issues; however, meditation can help manage this. When meditating, we learn to concentrate on our thoughts and emotions, which teaches individuals to be more aware of their feelings. This approach lets individuals have better control over their emotions, reducing the chances of negative mental well-being.

A 2016 study found that individuals who meditated for just 10min a day had better emotional regulation than those who did not meditate. These improvements in emotional regulation influence a minimisation of anxiety symptoms and dare more mentally prepared to cope with challenges.

Reducing Depression

Depression affects many people worldwide. It can be related to social isolation and affect cognitive functioning. However, there have been studies that found meditation to be a helpful approach to reducing depression. Meditation can help regulate emotions and improve well- being, which influences symptoms of depression.

A Harvard study found that after eight weeks of practising meditation, they noticed positive changes in the mind. These changes led to increased levels of happiness which helped decrease signs of depression. Similar studies have found that regular meditation has found to be a great management tool to improve overall mood and minimise depressive symptoms.

Meditation and the Brain:

Prefrontal Cortex: This part of the brain is responsible for working memory, decision-making, emotional regulation and attention. Research has found that regular meditation practice may help increase activity in this region of the brain, which creates more positive emotions and improves cognitive function and decision-making abilities.

Hippocampus: This part of the brain is responsible for memory and learning. Studies have discovered an increase in the size and density of the hippocampus in individuals who meditate, which may cause improvements in cognitive function and memory.

Amygdala: This brain region controls the fight-or-flight response and the processing of emotions (especially fear and anxiety). Meditation has been found to reduce negative activity in the amygdala, which helps individuals by decreasing stress and anxiety levels.

Insula: This region of the brain plays a core role in supporting the state of subjective feelings and processing interoceptive information within the body. Through meditation, it causes an increase in activity in the insula, which helps individuals improve self-awareness and recognition of bodily sensations.

Below is an image of how meditation affects specific brain areas in enhancing positive mental health.

Resources

Article written by Aochi Dibbin

Psychology student at Deakin University who completed a student internship at Wise Psychology

Richard Wise
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