Do you ever feel like life is so hectic you don’t have time to breathe? From deadlines to dinner plans to kids’ soccer games, there’s never a shortage of responsibilities to keep you busy. And even when you do have a chance to unwind, chances are you’re so used to running on adrenaline and stress that you aren’t truly able to relax.
Given all this, it’s no surprise that stress-related health problems are on the rise. Some of the most common health ailments in the U.S.—including headaches, digestive problems, pain, sleep issues, and weight gain—can be caused or worsened by chronic stress. Not only do these problems cause significant discomfort, but they can also keep you from feeling content and happy with your life.
So how can you get your body the relaxation it needs to unwind and de-stress, even when the world refuses to slow down?
Mindfulness is one of the most effective ways to lower your stress levels, regardless of your situation. Because it has been proven to help calm the nervous system, slow down your heart rate, and induce a state of relaxation, it can have significant benefits for both your mental and physical health, and it only requires five minutes a day.
What Is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness refers to a state of awareness where you’re hyper-focused on your experience without judgment. It involves focusing solely on your senses and breathing, allowing all other thoughts drift away. No thinking about what you’ll make for dinner or how tired you feel. Only think about the sound of the wind through the trees, how it feels to take a deep breath, and the coolness of the air around you.
Mindfulness is a skill that is learned through practice. It takes discipline to train your brain to let go of your emotions and responsibilities for the day, even just for a few minutes. Most people find their thoughts wandering after a few seconds. But the more you practice, the more control you develop.
Typically, the best place to learn mindfulness is through daily meditation. By sitting in a quiet place, you’re less likely to get distracted and better able to focus on your senses.
But you can also practice mindfulness on the go. Yoga, tai chi, and qigong all incorporate mindfulness by encouraging you to focus on your breathing and movements during practice. You can even practice it while walking, eating, or interacting with others.
6 Physical Health Benefits Of Mindfulness
1. Less Stress In The Moment & The Future
Many studies have shown the impact mindfulness can have on stress reduction, and it’s no surprise that mindfulness can help you reduce stress during the time you practice it. But according to research, mindfulness can actually change the way you think and approach stress in the future, allowing you to keep a cool head longer than you could before.
One study found that patients who practiced mindfulness had less neural reactivity when exposed to stressful stimuli. These findings suggest that the practice alters your ability to emotionally regulate, enabling you to intentionally select which emotions you want to experience and process them differently than before.
2. Sharper Memory & Attention Span
Mindfulness helps you develop better focus, which may increase memory and mental clarity. This doesn’t just help you pay attention more when watching a long movie or staying focused during a work meeting. It can also help with the symptoms of age-related memory loss and dementia.
Research also shows mindfulness may boost your information processing speed and decrease the effort required to think and focus on a task.
You don’t have to be an experienced meditator to enjoy these benefits. One study found that even novices can experience improved attention span and cognitive function after brief mindfulness meditation.
3. Improved Quality Of Sleep
According to research, mindfulness meditation can help you fall asleep more quickly. For those who experience insomnia, mindfulness exercises can help quiet the brain and calm the nervous system, allowing you to drift to sleep quicker. These exercises are a great place to start.
Mindfulness can also improve the quality of your sleep. A 2020 study found that those who practice mindfulness meditation tend to have fewer sleep disturbances during the night and sleep more deeply.
4. Lower Blood Pressure
High blood pressure affects approximately 50% of men and 44% of women. Unfortunately, it’s also linked to several serious and fatal conditions, including heart attacks and strokes. While medication can help you reduce your blood pressure, mindfulness is another option.
A six-month study revealed that mindfulness could be an effective intervention to lower blood pressure levels naturally. Participants who practiced mindfulness daily experienced a 5.9 mmHg decrease in systolic blood pressure.
5. Reduced Pain
Many painful health conditions are worsened by stress. Reducing your stress levels can help keep pain at bay.
Additionally, mindfulness boosts emotional regulation, allowing you to feel less pain and focus less on pain when you do experience it. One study showed that participants who practiced mindfulness had less activation in the parts of the brain responsible for pain.
Because of this, mindfulness is often recommended for patients with chronic pain.
6. Better Mood & Mental Health
It’s no surprise that reducing your overall stress levels can significantly improve anxiety and depression. However, the emotional benefits of mindfulness can go even further. Studies have shown mindfulness can:
- Reduce your emotional reactiveness, allowing you to handle intense situations with a cool head
- Improve your cognitive flexibility, enabling you to think of new solutions and approaches to problems
- Increase your relationship satisfaction and decrease relationship conflict
- Boost your self-control and discipline so you’re able to make better decisions every day
How To Apply Mindfulness to Your Life
If you want to learn mindfulness, the best place to start is typically body scan meditation. This helps you become aware of your senses as you mentally scan your body from head to toe. Here’s how it works:
- Sit down in a quiet, comfortable place. If you’d like, set a timer on your phone for five to ten minutes. Close your eyes.
- Take a deep breath through your nose. Notice your belly expanding and sinking. Take 10 more slow breaths this way, focusing on inhaling as much air as you can and releasing it all when you exhale.
- Pay attention to your active senses. Start with your ears. What sounds do you hear?
- Focus on smell. How does the room around you smell?
- Now, focus on touch. How does the ground beneath your feet feel? Can you feel the weight of gravity gently pressing you against the floor? Does the air around you feel slightly cool or warm?
- Now, begin your body scan. Notice your feet. How do they feel?
- Now, travel up your body and see how each part of you feels. Your legs. Your stomach. Your chest. Your arms. Your neck. Finally, your head. Notice any sensations or discomfort you may experience. Don’t judge any of these sensations as “good” or “bad.” They just are.
- If your timer hasn’t gone off, return to your breathing. Take full belly breaths until it’s time to get up. If you aren’t using a timer, you can finish your meditation once you reach the tip of your head in your body scan.
Videos and apps, like this short meditation walkthrough and Headspace, can help you get started. Aim for 5 minutes of meditation every day. Once you learn how mindfulness feels, you can begin to apply it to other areas of your life. Some examples include:
- Focusing on the taste of food with each bite when you eat, rather than just eating quickly while watching TV
- Paying attention to how you feel when you get upset and using deep breaths and awareness to reduce the intensity of the emotion
- Noticing when you experience health problems, like where a headache is located and what might have triggered it
- Realizing how you feel after exercise or taking deep breaths to get back to sleep when you wake up in the middle of the night
Improve Your Physical Health & Mental Wellbeing Through Mindfulness
Changing the way you think for 5 minutes a day doesn’t seem like it would do much. But research shows that mindfulness can help improve your health, enhance your mood, and boost your overall quality of life. This one small change can make a big difference.
Is stress impacting your health, weight, and wellbeing? We can help. Book a meeting with The Resurge Clinic today, and based on thorough testing and your personal one-on-one consultation, we’ll create a health plan to help you live every day to the fullest.
Click the button below or call 817-599-9902 to get started!
