12 scientifically proven benefits of meditation

On our blog, we often write about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Engaging in regular exercise and eating healthy can lead to a strong body and a healthy mind. But did you know that meditation and mindfulness can also contribute to this?

Meditation is often perceived as something mystical by many people. From a distance, it may even look like that. However, many practitioners quickly notice a positive effect and therefore make meditation a daily habit, partly because of the scientifically proven benefits below.

1. Improved concentration

Meditation is actually quite simple in its essence: every time you notice that you're thinking, you bring your attention back to the here and now. This way, you train your attention span and improve your concentration. Research shows that just four sessions can lead to improved concentration.

2. Helps to reduce stress

Stress is one of the most common reasons why people give meditation a chance. Emptying your mind can be relaxing.

And it really does! In a study of 1295 adults, it became clear that meditation can reduce stress, especially in people with a lot of anxiety symptoms (1). Another study even measured a reduced inflammatory response (caused by stress) (2).

3. Reduces anxiety

It is clear that stress can lead to anxiety problems. By meditating, you reduce your stress levels and therefore also have less anxiety. Science supports this too. For example, research from 2008 shows that mindfulness helps to reduce anxiety disorders and panic attacks (4).

4. Helps to sleep better

Do you often lie awake at night worrying, which causes you to sleep poorly? Then meditation is really something for you. It's no surprise that there are many sleep meditations available online.

In an experiment, participants were divided into two groups. One group meditated, the other group did not. Afterwards, the group that meditated fell asleep faster and also slept longer than the other group (5).

5. Can alleviate depression

Meditation may play a soothing role for people suffering from depression. There have been several studies on this topic. One study with 3515 participants saw a slight reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety after a few months (6). Another study (which lasted three years) also showed the long-term benefits of meditation for people with depression (7).

6. Reduces loneliness

Feeling less lonely by meditating alone? It may sound contradictory, but it seems to be true. In a short 8-week study, where 40 elderly people between the ages of 55 and 85 practiced 30 minutes of mindfulness per day, reduced feelings of loneliness were recorded (8).

7. Improves memory

By working on your concentration, you automatically work on improving your memory. Several studies have shown that even people with dementia see improvement by meditating regularly (9, 10).

8. Increases compassion

Some forms of meditation can increase your positive feelings towards yourself and others. The results of as many as 22 studies on Kindness-based meditation clearly show this (11).

9. Relieves chronic pain

Chronic pain is often alleviated through medication. But meditation may also be a solution. A large study looked at the effects of meditation on 3515 participants. It found that meditation could be associated with reduced symptoms of chronic pain (12). Other research shows that meditation can alleviate chronic pain in patients with terminal illnesses (13).

10. Lowering blood pressure

Due to high blood pressure, the heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body. This can lead to heart problems in the long run.

Meditation appears to be a possible solution for lowering blood pressure. Research on 996 participants indicates this (14). After meditating on a silent mantra, the blood pressure was lowered by an average of 5 points. Especially in older people with higher blood pressure, the effects were significant.

11. Helps overcome addiction

By regularly meditating, you develop strong mental discipline. This discipline can help you overcome addiction, at least according to this study: 19 recovering alcoholics received meditation training. After eight weeks, they had become better at controlling their desire for alcohol and experienced less stress (15).

12. Stronger immune system

Meditation also appears to contribute to a stronger immune system. Research from 2016 shows, among other things, an increased number of CD-4 cells after practicing mindfulness meditation (16). These cells help the immune system by sending signals to other cells to tell them to destroy infections.

Give it a try!

Meditation can be done anywhere. And with just half an hour a day, you will quickly notice the positive results. For beginners, the Headspace app is a good introduction. The free version explains the basics to you. And the free app Insight Timer is also full of fun meditations to do at home. Give it a chance! What do you have to lose?