The Positive Effects of Meditation on Depression

Meditation has been used for centuries to promote all aspects of well-being: Mental, emotional, and physical. More recently, meditation is being used as a tool to treat depression.

Meditation can benefit depression in the following ways:

Reduces Stress

Meditation can lead to a feeling of calmness and relaxation. And one of the main benefits of a consistent meditation practice is that it helps to reduce stress. Knowing that stress can be a major contributor to depression and mediation can help regulate stress, meditation can become a game changer when it comes to managing your mood.

Improves Emotional Regulation

Depression is often characterized by negative thinking patterns and overwhelming emotions. Meditation can help you better regulate your emotions and manage your thoughts by teaching you to separate yourself from the negative beliefs and distressing emotions. Taking on an observer’s role allows you to notice these experiences without automatically reacting to them.

Increases Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the skill that meditation is built upon. In it’s simplest form, mindfulness is the ability to be present in the moment. By becoming more aware of your thoughts and feelings at this very moment in time, you can begin to identify negative thought patterns and replace them with neutral ones.

Increases Self-Awareness

Meditation can help increase self-awareness. Depression often leads to a feeling of disconnection from oneself and others. Depressive thought patterns and behavioral habits become self-reinforcing, often leading you further from the things that you care most about. By becoming more self-aware, you can begin to identify action steps that support your values and goals bringing you closer to the things that you care most about.

Truth be told, there is no perfect practice of meditation. Even masters of meditation, those with years upon years of practice, still find themselves getting distracted or caught up in their thoughts. This is okay. The goal of meditation is not to be perfectly present. Rather, it is about bringing curiosity and awareness to this moment in time. Add to that curiosity some persistence and a bit of patience and you, too, can benefit from the practice of meditation.