Recently, the popularity of mindfulness meditation has skyrocketed. What began as an ancient practice is now a common method for improving mental health. It’s true, meditation can be transformative, and today we’ll examine three evidence-based reasons that explain how meditation reduces stress and anxiety.
The first reason relates to our body’s nervous system. In meditation, the deep breaths we take stimulate an internal network called the parasympathetic nervous system. This may seem complex, but it’s actually quite simple. Think of the parasympathetic nervous system as the “rest and digest” system. When we engage the parasympathetic nervous system, our heart rate slows, our body can metabolize, and we feel calmer. It’s our body’s natural relaxation tool. Using deep breaths to induce this calming effect can enhance performance in sports and daily life.
Secondly, consistent meditation results in physical changes to our brain. For example, meditation shrinks the size of the amygdala, an almond-shaped brain region that processes feelings like stress and anxiety. As the amygdala gets smaller, it becomes less sensitive to anxiety-provoking stimuli, and as a result, our fear response is less severe. Meditation also increases the thickness of brain areas that control executive functioning, like the pre-frontal cortex. Executive functioning encompasses things like decision making, problem-solving, attention regulation, and willpower. When brain areas like the pre-frontal cortex thicken, executive functioning improves. Regularly practicing mindfulness also reduces our daily anxiety levels because meditation limits the release of cortisol, a stress-generating hormone.
Lastly, meditation can shift our thinking patterns to help us detach from anxious thoughts instead of getting sucked into them. This detachment is known as non-judgmental awareness. Non-judgmental awareness means recognizing that stressful thoughts exist, but then letting them pass without engaging in them or naming them as “good” or “bad.” For example, a basketball player shooting a key free throw could allow herself to feel anxiety, let it pass, and redirect her attention to the shot.
Given all of the evidence of meditation’s physical and mental benefits, why not give it a try? Whether you’re shooting hoops or making dinner for the kids, inhale, exhale, and exist.