An ancient practice, the science of meditation has been around since the dawn of civilization. It is believed to have originated from India a thousand years ago before spreading to the rest of the world. Now an accepted practice among many different religions of the world, meditation has an enormous effect on the brain, with studies showing how effective it is in humans’ health and general well-being.
For a college student, meditation has numerous benefits. As meditation works magic on the general well-being of the human brain. That’s why a college student who relies on their brain to grasp concepts and pass tests stands to gain the most. Meditation alters the brain itself, supporting the development of brain structures of a college student.
Below are seven reasons why a college student should start practising meditation
1. Stress
For a college student, stress could be in the form of anxiety to complete a term paper, a unit that you don’t understand, or not getting along with your classmates. These, coupled with other hormonal changes in a college student, could lead to higher stress levels. However, practising mediation can help lower stress levels.
Meditation helps to ease stress by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. This system controls bodily functions when someone is at rest. By enabling the parasympathetic nervous system, meditation helps decrease activity in the sympathetic nervous system, which directs bodily reactions to stress reactions. Thus, meditation helps with better stress handling and calming the mind.
A college student who practices meditation has lower stress levels. They are likely to be calmer, have better stress handling, and have an almost stress-free life!
2. Focus
Both types of meditation are anchored on the ability to focus. In one kind of meditation, the point is to focus on one specific thing, while the other emphasizes focusing on everything around you without reacting. For a student, mindfulness meditation is critical when dealing with anxiety when preparing for examinations or when learning challenging concepts. On the other hand, mindfulness meditation is the state of training your attention to achieve a mental state of calm concentration.
With the focus being the premise of meditation, a college student needs to start practising meditation. Focusing is an important cognitive skill that helps a student focus on what is important, controlling the mind from wandering into inessential matters. Through reducing stress, meditation also improves the mental focus of a student.
3. Depression and Anxiety
Across the world, depression is an emerging health concern. College students burdened with the weight of trying to figure it all are most susceptible to depression. Academic writing is a potential source of depression and anxiety for most students. Yet, professional writers are trained on professional thesis writing in the comfort of a writing service, so don’t hesitate to turn for help if you feel like there’s too much on you.
In addition to delegating tasks, studies show that meditation helps to calm the mind and increase focus. It also helps to reduce depression and anxiety.
Transcendental meditation, a technique of distancing oneself from any form of anxiety and promoting harmony, is a practical approach to reducing depression and anxiety. Research on transcendental meditation has shown that it effectively reduces depression, even for those with clinical indications of depression. For a college student, the results will be enormous.
4. IQ Levels
As college students, there is always an obsession with having the brightest ideas, a brain that cracks even the hardest concepts, or making a groundbreaking discovery. All these are possible with a sharp brain and a high IQ level. For students practising meditation, their IQ levels are boosted through the exercise.
The frontal brain area is responsible for integrating emotions, goals and intentions into well-focused thought and action. Through practising transcendental meditation, a student can increase the flow of blood into the frontal brain areas. These cause an increase in creative thinking, intelligence, and a boost in IQ. Since increased IQ levels are a prime benefit to a college student, all college students should practice meditation.
5. Destructive Addiction
Most college students engage in destructive habits such as alcoholism and drug and substance abuse in the guise of enjoying life. While most of the time they are within a regulated consumption, sometimes the little action a student did for the thrill of the moment ends in addiction. It could be a sip that finally contributes to alcoholism.
Transcendental meditation reverses psychological and physiological factors which lead to substance abuse. It reduces the use of such drugs, reducing its consumption among local users and heavy abusers. There are numerous stories of how meditation helped a person to overcome addiction. Meditation can be instrumental for students battling addiction.
6. Overall Academic Achievement
Academic achievement is the ultimate goal for a college student. Many students work hard to register an improvement in their academic scores. According to studies, college students who practice meditation end up with higher academic scores.
Meditation helps to reduce stress, relieving the brain from the adverse effects of stress, which improves a student’s brain processing skill. The other benefits accrued from meditations are pieces of a jigsaw that fit perfectly into the puzzle of improving a student’s overall achievement.
With a brain that focuses, a high IQ level and reduced stress, depression and anxiety, a college student have no option but to unlock the limitless opportunities availed through meditation!
7. Happiness and Positivity
In a learning institution, it is easy to get carried in the way of activities. Without fun, carrying out even the most basic of tasks becomes an uphill activity for a student. Most students end up unhappy and generally dull due to thinking about their expectations and matching up to whatever perceptions people have of them. However, a student vibrant with positivity and filled with happiness approaches the challenges differently, with triumph.
Practising meditation can help you feel happier and more positive. Meditation increases serotonin levels in the brain, which help regulate the body’s mood naturally. It helps to boost the cognitive performance of a student, preparing them for nothing but success!
In conclusion, meditation is of numerous benefits to a college student. Its benefits are tied to the overall academic achievement most students aspire to and enhance the general quality of life of the students. All students should start practising meditation, for it is a portal that unlocks mastering cognitive performance and the only way towards genuine and true happiness.
AUTHOR’S BIO:
Jessica Fender is a researcher and academic content creator. Her job is to facilitate student learning – she creates educational content that aligns with search queries “write my thesis” and “hire writer”. When Jessica has free time, she enjoys reading, blogging, and hiking.
