Introduction
The modern pace of life and the stress level of people, especially those living in large cities and leading an active social life, have become the cause of increased stress and related disorders. Many people deal with increased work or school loads, inadequate nutrition, and sleep disturbances daily, which exacerbate stress and can turn it into a chronic phase. Stress is an adequate body response to various factors and does not harm health and psyche. However, in the case of a prolonged stress reaction, stress begins to adversely affect multiple organs and systems of the body. Chronic stress can cause anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
Unfortunately, not all people have the opportunity to make adjustments to their work schedule, sleep enough hours, and eat right. However, some techniques do not require an apparent modification of the usual rhythm of life but can significantly improve mental and physical conditions. One such promising technique is the regular practice of meditation. This essay will examine the main mechanisms of the influence of meditation on the state of the body, as well as some recent studies that testify to the role of meditation practices in stress management.
Meditation as a Stress-Reducing Technique
Meditation has been a wellness practice since ancient times. Still, it has gained popularity recently due to society’s demand for various alternative healing methods and maintaining physical and mental balance. The basis of any meditation is the volitional focusing of attention on the body’s current state and the thought process. This allows, on the one hand, to return to the current reality and feel those emotions and thoughts inaccessible to awareness due to anxiety and distractions. On the other hand, the calm and relaxation that accompanies meditation has a positive effect on the nervous system and heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate. Thus, regular meditation can significantly reduce stress and anxiety and improve sleep and overall well-being.
These practices usually take little time, which is convenient for people with busy schedules. Implementing them into the daily schedule does not require high financial costs. In addition, there is a wide variety of meditation techniques, from which everyone can choose something that best suits their rhythm of life and needs.
The positive effects of meditation are being actively studied by groups of scientists who are testing different techniques and approaches to this practice on various subjects. Such studies are often carried out on groups of students since the workload and daily stress levels among them are high. For example, in comparing two groups of students, one of which took a meditation course and the other studied with psychologists, evidence was obtained for the effectiveness of meditation in reducing anxiety levels and improving well-being (Crowley et al., 2020).
However, to get a positive effect from meditation, completing an entire course and studying with an instructor is unnecessary. Similar results have been demonstrated by studies conducted using mobile meditation applications, which developers are actively promoting. In one such case, medical students’ regular use of a meditation app for 30 days reduced perceived stress and improved overall well-being (Yang et al., 2018). In another study, using a meditation app for four weeks significantly reduced stress levels in a group of pharmacology students (Zollars et al., 2019). Based on the results of the above studies, one can judge the proven positive effect of meditation on the mental state and well-being of people with moderately elevated stress levels.
Fewer reviews are devoted to research on the effects of meditation on people with very high traumatic stress levels. Of interest is the randomized trial published by a group of researchers in 2020 (Tol et al., 2020). In this case, the impact of facilitator-guided meditation on the mental health of South Sudanese female refugees was assessed. The results showed a significant improvement in mental health scores three months after the start of training (Tol et al., 2020). The data obtained indicate the benefits of meditation practice, including for people exposed to intense, traumatic stress.
Finally, to complete the picture, it is necessary to examine the evidence for the effect of meditation on the condition of people with physical illnesses. This is important because patients are subject to additional stress factors such as chronic pain, disability, and medication. For example, in a study of the effect of online meditation training on patients with multiple sclerosis, positive short-term outcomes were obtained. Still, when analyzed over more extended periods, no difference in stress levels was found between groups (Cavalera et al., 2018). However, temporary relief may also be helpful for patients, for example, for treating acute anxiety disorder and transient insomnia.
Conclusion
Thus, the confirmed positive impact of meditation on the mental state of people from different risk groups testifies in favor of introducing this practice into stress management protocols. The relatively simple introduction of meditation into daily practice, low or no investment, and a wide variety of techniques allow people with various backgrounds to use them daily. Meditation can be an effective tool for managing stress levels and significantly improving mental health outcomes.
References
Cavalera, C., Rovaris, M., Mendozzi, L., Pugnetti, L., Garegnani, M., Castelnuovo, G., Molinari, E., & Pagnini, F. (2018). Online meditation training for people with multiple sclerosis: A randomized controlled trial. Multiple Sclerosis Journal, 25(4), 610–617. Web.
Crowley, C., Kapitula, L. R., & Munk, D. (2020). Mindfulness, happiness, and anxiety in a sample of college students before and after taking a meditation course. Journal of American College Health, 70(2), 493–500. Web.
Tol, W. A., Leku, M. R., Lakin, D. P., Carswell, K., Augustinavicius, J., Adaku, A., Au, T. M., Brown, F. L., Bryant, R. A., Garcia-Moreno, C., Musci, R. J., Ventevogel, P., White, R. G., & van Ommeren, M. (2020). Guided self-help to reduce psychological distress in South Sudanese female refugees in Uganda: A cluster randomized trial. The Lancet Global Health, 8(2). Web.
Yang, E., Schamber, E., Meyer, R. M., & Gold, J. I. (2018). Happier healers: Randomized controlled trial of Mobile Mindfulness for Stress Management. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 24(5), 505–513. Web.
Zollars, I., Poirier, T. I., & Pailden, J. (2019). Effects of mindfulness meditation on mindfulness, mental well-being, and perceived stress. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 11(10), 1022–1028. Web.
