Ten Benefits of Meditation for Students

24 Apr Ten Benefits of Meditation for Students

Assignments. More Assignments. The stress of exams. Deadlines. Unappealing Sport competitions. Friends. Having crushes without being crushed. Annoyed teachers. Parental expectations. Love stories. School. Mornings.

Yes, you got that right! It sounds exactly like the life of a student- because it is.

To the rest of the world, being a student seems to be an easy task, but only students can understand the stress of looming deadlines and the constant pressure from all sides. Over the months, efficient time-management has proved challenging, especially in trying to juggle tasks, demands, hobbies and expectations. But there is hope. If you have ever tried looking for your phone in a messy room, filled with clothes and belongings everywhere, you would know that you had to organise things around, before you were able to find your much-needed phone again. Meditation is the same thing, except for the mind.

When we are stressed and overwhelmed, very often our mind is so clouded that we are unable to perceive things clearly. Additionally, our ability to deal with situations effectively also decreases. However, meditation can be a reliable tool in helping us deal with challenging daily situations. In fact, researchers at a California University state that “Meditation-based stress-management practices reduce stress and enhance forgiveness among college undergraduates.”. As much as it is important to practice meditation for better mental health, students can also reap several benefits from this simple practice. The purpose of correct meditation is to become familiar with who we are, and to enable us to look at situations with a clearer insight.

Some of the benefits of meditation include:

1. Increased focus

While the simple act of meditation itself is to build focus and concentration on an object or sound for a few minutes, it has tremendous impact on our focus. People who practice correct meditation daily, develop a boost in their focus and this can help students concentrate for longer in class. Or even solve tasks or even Math problems with greater ease.

2. Better academic performance & time management

It is evident that better performance in academics is a good side effect of being more focussed. With a clearer mind, students are able to prioritise their tasks and work around deadlines effectively, while leaving them with enough time to study for exams. And if certain weak areas are identified, the increased focus can lead to increased efforts in specific subjects. All in all, meditation makes us become more effective with our time and resources.

3. Enhanced self-confidence and self-esteem

Meditation helps us know ourselves better. Over time, we become more comfortable with the way we are, which in turn increases our self-confidence and self-esteem. Guided meditation sessions give us deeper insights into our limitations and ways to overcome them. As students, higher self-confidence often helps in approaching teachers more easily, thereby making the most of the student-life and available resources.

4. More fulfilling relationships

Being comfortable with oneself makes it easier to deal with relationships of all kinds, especially with the wisdom to understand one’s own reactions to situations. Meditation is a great addition to daily self-transformation along with activities such as the practice of gratitude, visualisation as well as helping others. In essence, understanding anything leads to greater comfort and when we evaluate our reactions towards others it also helps.

5. Reduced stress, anxiety and self-doubt

Stress arises when we want our reality to be different than what it currently is. Meditation enables us to think clearly and gives us the clarity to accept and deal with things as they are. Once we grasp the fact that we don’t have to listen to all our thoughts, our stress levels reduce significantly. In the case of students, tasks get completed one at a time with better stress management.

6. Better sleep

Meditating for a few minutes just before sleeping can help us disconnect from the ever-moving world. It gives us a break from our phones, and thus create the right conditions for a calmer mind to sleep well.

7. Clarity of mind and improved mental health

Starting the day with a guided meditation of our choice, or even pursuing a specific goal for a few days, helps us crystallise our focus and mindset for the day. As we know, when a day starts off on a positive note, it’s likely to go well. Meditation enables us to start the day with a much-needed boost, especially when we are so tired, yet it’s not quite Friday yet! Aim for the TGIF feeling on a Tuesday morning.

8. Ability to deal with peer pressure

Although peer pressure can be very subtle sometimes, it is very much present in our lives. Someone who has a side hobby which doesn’t draw much attention (e.g. meditation), is able to clarify his/her mind and reap its benefits at the same time – that too, without anyone knowing about it.  Meditation becomes a secret weapon to help us rise above the opinions of others. For example, if some friends wish to bunk classes, and we don’t feel like it, our meditation practice enables us to weigh the pros and cons with utmost clarity. Even if we refuse to join them in the fun activity, we will still be okay with them doing it. Fear of losing friends etc., takes a back seat because we are clear. Plus, we become our own best friend too.

9. Improved decision making skills and discipline

Reading insightful articles filled with wisdom can help us deal with life better, especially if it is in addition to mindfulness, breathing exercises and meditation. The latter has been proven to change the structure of our brain permanently, as we build new habits and pathways. A clearer mind leads to better and more confident decisions, a skill much needed as students.

10. Enhanced performance in sports

Although meditation is exercise for the brain, but it also helps us improve at sports. Mindfulness has been proven to improve sports performance by researchers. Sharper focus, more zeal for life and new-found discipline can effectively help individuals thrive in sports.

So, a simple act of meditation can be beneficial to us. Yet, some questions may be bothering you, right? “How do I meditate? How do I know if I am meditating properly? And is it enough just to meditate?”

Well to tell you the truth, although one can meditate without any instructions, we can only be sure that we are doing it properly if we are following expert guidance. The Black Lotus App, designed by the expert meditator, Om Swami, comes in very handy and useful. Students and adults alike, can benefit from inculcating the RARE framework into their lives. Meditation is fantastic and when it is practiced alongside a healthy and altruistic lifestyle, transformation is inevitable. The ability to do this is incorporated in the App. We don’t even have to think about any of it; Just open the app, choose a Goal (e.g., Build Focus or Build Self Esteem, etc.) follow the simple instructions and we are ready for a peaceful transformation!