I wasn’t happy with my body when I looked in the mirror. It didn't reflect how I felt on the inside.
I would do anything and everything to match the outer shell of my body to match the way I felt on the inside.
I had lost weight before but always had trouble going the extra mile and keeping the weight off.
With each attempt, I found a new way to lose weight that didn't work for me long term.
I could’ve settled, but I demanded more from life. I followed my gut and tried again.
I canceled out all of these negative thoughts:
"Give up!"
"This won't work!"
"You have tried and failed before!"
I got better at self-talk and asking myself better questions:
“What if I only focus on today?”
“Am I getting closer or further away from my goal?”
“Am I a man of action or words?”
I had to stop the pattern of beating myself up mentally!
If I didn't push myself no one else would.
Where would I be in a year if I didn't follow through on my goal?
I may sound cliche' but if it was meant to be it was up to me!
I knew that if I failed at losing weight again, I might give up.
Then I realized that motivation gets you started on a goal, but it is discipline, dedication, and execution that keeps you going!
It is easy to go to the gym and eat right when you feel motivated especially the first day.
It's a lot harder to feel motivated on day 60!
I found the huge wins and a feeling of accomplishment on the days I didn't feel like working out or eating right but found the willpower to do so anyway.
This helped me fall in love with the process!
So when you feel a lack of motivation remember you aren't alone.
It's nearly impossible to feel motivated all the time.
Remember discipline, dedication, and execution will kick motivations ass every time!
How did I lose the weight?
I focused on fat loss.
To lose fat you must:
- Start by finding your Basal Metabolic Rate (On an average week/day how many calories do you need to consume not to gain or lose any weight)
- Put yourself in a calorie deficit of 300-500 calories a day.
- Eat 2.5g of protein per 1 kg of Lean Mass. The rest of your calories can come from carbs and fats.
- Resistance Train. If you are a beginner, you can start with bodyweight exercises like push-ups and air squats, or you can go the gym and focus on squats, deadlifts, bench press, pull-ups and military press.
Bonus Tips
- Be consistent.
- Discipline, dedication, and execution beat motivation.
- Add HIIT cardio if you enjoy cardio.
- Bad days happen, overeating or missing a workout isn't the end of the world. Get right back to eating right and working out the next day.
- Know that a bad workout is better than no workout.
- Have fun by listing to your favorite pump up music while you workout!
Every day that goes by is a day you are closer to your goal!
Weight loss is difficult because your success depends on a lot of variables. Some shed weight quickly due to the inherently fast metabolism - others go months without losing a single pound, even after adjusting their nutrition.
To people who're struggling with their weight - there are alternative methods. When working in the health & fitness industry, I can honestly tell that keto works best for most.
There are tools to check how compatible your body is to lose weight on the ketogenic diet. Check your expected weight loss journey for free here:
Jonah Hill lost a lot of weight anyway, so the diet must work, right?
That is the first mistake people make when doing the diet - following their favorite celebrity.
First of all, Jonah Hill didn't even publicly state that the keto diet helped him lose weight. That didn't prevent multiple news outlets from running the story.
Secondly, if you're seriously considering the keto diet - a few pieces of advice thrown here and there throughout some talk show won't be enough information. You need to get some help from field professionals. For example, you can:
It would be way more convenient than trying to piece together information from multiple sources. Besides, think about the time it saves when you get the exact meal plan for the day.
Grocery shopping becomes effortless as well. You get the mobile app with the list of ingredients you'll be needing this week. Get in, buy everything you need, and get out. No unnecessary foods you could go without, but usually buy “just in case”.
The Keto diet itself, in essence, is the way of eating where, instead of carbohydrates - your body is burning fat. This body state is called ketosis and comes with a lot of benefits apart from faster weight loss. You have more energy; some experience improvement in skin condition; you're not as hungry; you reduce the blood sugar and insulin levels, and so on.
How much faster is the keto diet compared to other weight loss methods?
Tough to say. Everyone is different, so there’s no fit-for-all diet. However, there are websites that take personal characteristics into account and show how much weight YOU can lose on keto:
Overall - you should not take weight loss lightly. It is a difficult task, and you should use whatever is necessary to make it as convenient as possible. It will not happen overnight - you will need to maintain the diet for quite some time. Therefore, investing in the necessary tools will alleviate the hustle and make your chance to succeed way higher.
Honestly, I feel like it depends on a few factors, but I can highlight two major ones that can affect what one may deem an ugly language.
A person may not like specific sounds in a language. For example, lots of Americans find the French “R” (also seen in German) or the German “ch” sound ugly, because, to them, it makes the language sound gutteral-sounding, “harsh,” or just plain weird. However, while that is important for a person in determining whether or not they like the sound of a language, I think the speaker themself is also important.
For instance, take the Bassa/Gbor language in Liberia and Sierra Leone for instance. When I first heard it, I literally had to do a double take, because I thought the language sounded like the definition of unappealing. When hearing it for the first time, it easily fit the bill for me in terms an ugly language. I’ll include the video I heard it in for the first time. You’ll see what I mean after listening for a little bit.
However, the next time I listened to it, I thought it sounded kind of pleasant, and really not ugly at all. Here’s another example of it:
Update (06/26/20):
It’s come to my attention that the language in the video below is actually not the Bassa/Gbor language, but is actually the Gio/Dan language. The video title is now distinctly different from when I sourced it (May 2018). My guess is the uploader made a mistake in writing the name of the language, eventually realized it, and corrected it. Notwithstanding, the point I have about the perceived ugliness has a degree of subjectivity still stands. I will also leave the link and text below for anyone still interested in continuing and listening to a sample of the Gio/Dan language, which, again, is not the language I chose as the subject of my answer. Promise Troah, thank you for pointing this information out.
For the next video I heard the language in, I was pretty neutral toward it. I didn’t find it beautiful or necessarily ugly. It just sounded like a foreign language. You be the judge:
The language does have sounds I wouldn’t necessarily consider beautiful, but I’d hesitate to call it simply ugly anymore.
As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:18-19
Today, we honor one of the Apostles: Saint Andrew. Andrew and his brother Peter were fishermen who would soon take on a new form of fishing. They would soon become “fishers of men,” as Jesus said. But prior to being sent on this mission by our Lord, they had to become His followers. And this happened as our Lord was first the fisher of these men.
Notice that in this Gospel, Jesus was simply walking by and “saw” these two brothers working hard at their occupation. First, Jesus “saw” them, and then He called them. This gaze of our Lord is worth pondering.
Imagine the profound truth that our Lord is continually gazing at you with divine love, looking for the moment that you turn your attention to Him. His gaze is perpetual and deep. His gaze is one that yearns for you to follow Him, to abandon all else so as to hear His gentle invitation not only to follow Him, but to then go forth and invite others on the journey of faith.
As we begin this Advent season, we must allow the call of Andrew and Peter to also become our own calling. We must allow ourselves to notice Jesus as He looks at us, sees who we are, is aware of everything about us, and then speaks a word of invitation. He says to you, “Come after me…” This is an invitation that must permeate every aspect of your life. To “come after” Jesus is to leave all else behind and to make the act of following our Lord the single purpose of your life.
Sadly, many people pay little attention to this calling in their lives. Few people hear Him speak and fewer respond, and even fewer respond with complete abandonment of their lives. The beginning of Advent is an opportunity to evaluate your responsiveness to the call of our Lord once again.
Reflect, today, upon Jesus speaking these words to you. First, ponder the question of whether you have said “Yes” to Him with all the powers of your soul. Second, reflect upon those whom our Lord wants you to invite on the journey. To whom is Jesus sending you to invite? Who, in your life, is open to His call? Who does Jesus want to draw to Himself through you? Imitate these Apostles as they said “Yes” to our Lord, even though they did not immediately understand all that this would entail. Say “Yes” today and be ready and willing to do whatever comes next on this glorious journey of faith.
My dear Lord, I do say “Yes” to You this day. I hear You calling me, and I choose to respond with the utmost generosity and abandonment to Your holy and perfect will. Give me the courage and wisdom I need to hold nothing back from You and Your divine calling in my life. Jesus, I trust in You.
“What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’” Mark 13:37
Are you attentive to Christ? Though this is a profoundly important question, there are many who may not even fully understand what this means. Yes, on the surface it is clear: Being “attentive” is being aware of the presence of our Lord in your life and in the world around you. So are you attentive? Are you watchful? Are you looking, seeking, waiting, anticipating and preparing for Christ to come? Though Jesus came to Earth over 2,000 years ago in the form of a little child, He continues to come to us today. And if you are not daily aware of His profound presence, then you may already be somewhat asleep, spiritually speaking.
We “fall asleep” on a spiritual level every time we turn our interior eyes to the passing, unimportant and even sinful things of this world. When that happens, we can no longer see Christ Himself. Sadly, this is becoming increasingly easy to do. Violence, sickness, hatred, division, scandal and the like plague us day in and day out. The news media daily competes to present us with the most shocking and sensational news possible. Social media daily seeks to fill our short attention span with sound bites and images that satisfy for but a moment. As a result, the eyes of our soul, our interior vision of faith, is darkened, ignored, forgotten about and dismissed. And as a result, many in our world today no longer appear to be able to cut through the growing chaotic noise so as to perceive the gentle, clear and profound voice of the Savior of the World.
As we begin our Advent season, our Lord is speaking to you in the deepest depths of your soul. He is gently saying, “Wake up.” “Listen.” “Watch.” He will not shout, He will whisper so that you must give Him your full attention. Do you see Him? Hear Him? Listen to Him? Understand Him? Do you know His voice? Or do the many voices all around you take you away from the deep, profound and transforming truths He wishes to communicate to you?
Reflect, today, upon the fact that God is speaking within the depths of your soul each and every day. He is speaking to you now. And what He says is all that really matters in life. Advent is a time, more than any, to renew your commitment to listen, to be attentive and to respond. Do not remain asleep. Wake up and diligently be attentive to the profound voice of our Lord.
Come, Lord Jesus! Come! May this Advent be a time of deep renewal in my life, dear Lord. May it be a time in which I strive with all my heart to seek out Your gentle and profound voice. Give me the grace, dear Lord, to turn away from the many noises of the world that compete for my attention and to turn only to You and to all You wish to say. Come, Lord Jesus, come into my life more deeply during this Advent season. Jesus, I trust in You.
In Europe, there’s unlimited permutations to do so.
Let’s say you max out the two weeks with three weekends getting 16 days. Spend one day each for flying and the total should count to 14 days. Here’s a few workable suggestions.
If this is your first time to Europe, there will be an urge to see as much as possible. It would do good to do the staple.
U.K. — France — Germany —Switzerland — Austria/Italy via only express trains to cut travelling time:
Start in London with 3 days;
take the Eurostar to Paris for 3 days;
Take the TGV to Stuttgart for 2 days;
Take the ICE to Zurich for 2 days;
Take the Railjet to Vienna 3 days
Use a day buffer to stay an extra day at any of these cities and use it to visit a sixth country by crossing over to Slovakia which is a quick 2 hour bus ride from Vienna to Bratislava.
Alternatively, head to the fashion capital of Milan instead of Vienna:
You can also choose shorter express train connections in the Northwest:
U.K.— France — Belgium—Netherlands — Germany via only express trains to cut travelling time:
Start in London with 3 days;
take the Eurostar to Paris for 3 days;
Take the Thalys to Brussels for 2 days;
Take the Thalys to Amsterdam for 3 days;
Take the ICE to Cologne 2 days
Use a day buffer to overstay one location.
Central Europe:
Italy — Switzerland — Germany — Austria — Czech Republic
Start in Milan with 3 days;
Take a train to Zurich for 2 days;
Take another train to Munich for 3 days;
Take a third train to Salzburg for 2 days;
Take the final train to Prague 3 days
Use the day’s buffer to travel on slower trains
For travelers whose been to Europe before:
Northeast Europe:
Finland — Estonia — Latvia — Lithuania — Poland
Start in Helsinki with 2 days;
Take the ferry to Tallinn for 3 days;
Take a bus ride to Riga for 2 days;
Take another bus to Vilnius for 3 days;
Take the train to Warsaw for 3 days
Use a day buffer to overstay one country.
The Balkans
Serbia — Bosnia and Hercegovina — Croatia — Montenegro — Albania
Spend 2 days each in Belgrade; Sarajevo; Mostar; Dubrovnik; Kotor; and Tirana each with the remaining time to travel from town to town. All of them are pretty amazing and are up and coming travel destinations for those who have been to much of Europe
Italian Rendezvous
Italy — Vatican City — San Marino — France - Monaco
Start in Rome for 3 days , visiting Vatican City which is the world’s smallest country within the city of Rome. Then take a bus ride to the second smallest country of San Marino for a day trip, heading to Florence, Pisa, Genoa all the way to Nice. Visit Monaco as a day trip.
Iberian Peninsula
Portugal — U.K. — Spain — Andorra — France
Start in Lisbon for 3 days , taking an overnight train to Seville for 2 days , followed by a bus to Gibraltar for a day trip, another bus to Granada for 2 days, then overnight train to Barcelona for 3 days. Take a bus ride to Andorra for a day trip, then another bus ride to Carcassonne for 2 days.
Minimal Moving About (cheating)
Italy — Vatican City — Switzerland — France — Germany
Simply start in Rome and swing to Vatican City, then head to the Rome Airport and fly to Basel which lies on the border of France, Germany, and Switzerland. It will be a pretty comfortable two weeks.
Thailand; I lived there for a bit more than 2 years (late 2008-early 2011).
DISCLAIMER: THIS IS MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE! IT DOESN’T MEAN EVERYONE ELSE WILL HAVE A HORRIBLE TIME IN THAILAND!
Thailand is a country that most people associate with beautiful beaches, warm weather, amazing temples, great food and cheap prices. All of these things are real, they exist in Thailand. There are positive and negative sides to every country, but from my 2 years of living in Thailand, I’ve experienced that the negative overlaps the positive.
The fact that a child doens’t understand as much as an adult is a lie. At least in my case. When I was 8 years old, I moved to Thailand, which I now consider one of the worst places I’ve ever lived. It makes me sad in a way, but I learnt that I should be happy that I live in Norway. I saw so many horrible things in Thailand, and the way children and women are treated is absolutely heartbreaking. It is a country filled with poverty, abuse, and powerabuse.
I didn’t go to an international school, I was put right into a public school (also known as a temple school). At first it was alright, until I started to notice how f**ked up it was. The students treat the teachers like gods. They’re forced to. Teachers were allowed to order students to get them food, drinks and anything else. If your uniform wasn’t correct (wrong shoes, wrong socks or wrong uniform for the wrong day), you were hit with a stick either on your back, your bum or your hands. If your hair was longer than expected, it was cut off by your teacher. I have a memory of one of the boys in my year, he hadn’t cut his hair for while, and the teacher used some scissors to cut it and she hit his ear. He was bleeding. Sometimes I wondered if these punishments were done because some of the teachers had really bad angerissues.
The school didn’t care about bullying. I remember there was a girl in my year who was very poor. She was always filthy, and for this she was bullied and beat up by the other children. Nothing was done about it. Some of the teachers even watched. Being poor was such a common thing when I went to school, but it was a shame to show it. I was even taught to bully her. It was disgusting. On the other hand, I was treated differently because I was the only white child. I didn’t have to cut my hair, I didn’t have to wear a uniform, the teachers never used me, I didn’t have to do my homework. Not because I didn’t know Thai, because I speak Thai like my mother tongue, but simply because I’m white. But in the end I decided to shave my head and wear a uniform because the other children were talking about me.
Being white in thailand doesn’t just mean that everything is easier for you though, it also means that you have to pay double, maybe tripple the price of food and clothes. Keep in mind that my family didn’t have any more money than anyone else in our town. If you’re white in Thailand, people expect you to be rich. I also remember being sexualised because of my white skin. When I think back, I realise that this is because media has created an image of what beauty is. Media said that you have to be white to be beautiful, so people believe it. My siblings were always told that the whiter you are, the more beautiful you are. Everyone was obsessed with being white. I spesifically remember that one of my siblings would used a cream that would change her skintone. She had been using it for so many years that her skin actually turned white. She, like many others, avioded the sun just because she was afraid of her skin getting dark.
Another thing I remember is being asked if someone could buy me. My family and I were having dinner with a band from Thailand (one of my family members had been a childhood friend of the lead singer). It was after one of their concerts, and we were just sat around the table. One of the members started talking about children, and long story short, he asked my family if he could buy me. Most of the time, this would’ve been a joke, but from what I remember, it was pretty serious. He even gave us a price. It’s one of the strangest thing I’ve ever experienced. Most people don’t even believe me when I tell this story, but it really is true. Apparently this is quite normal in Thailand.
I could go on and on about things I’ve seen and experiened in Thailand, but this answer is getting extremely long. All in all I’ve seen so much abuse in Thailand, both against people and animals. I’ve seen dogs, puppies, being thrown away in the bin. I’ve seen people crawling around on the streets because they don’t have a home to go to. People are so obsessed with money there too, but that is extremely understandabale, because sadly you can’t get anywhere in life without money. You also learn from a very young age that you need to do all you can to get money. To add one last thing, I remember being on vacation in Thailand in 2015 and someone nicked my sisters suitcase while our car was parked by a Tesco.
Being a person who grew up with two extremely different cultures (The other one is the Norwegian culture), I could do a comparison, but I don’t think I will for now. Like I said in the beginning, there are both positive and negative sides to a country, but this is MY experience with Thailand. I do have good memories as well, but the bad ones really stand out.
Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Father Edward Hopkins, LC
Luke 21:34-36
Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Introductory Prayer: Dear Jesus, I believe in you and in the Kingdom you are building in and through me. I believe in the value of my sacrifice and struggles united to yours. I hope to arrive to heaven when you say it is time. I wish to spend myself for those I should love the most.
Petition: Rouse my heart, Lord, to live in you!
Drowsy Hearts: Our life is a time of preparation, not only for an eternal friendship with God, but for the “assault” of the “tribulations” that must come first. The spiritual battle is real, whether or not we are aware of it, whether or not we want it. We fight each day and in many ways, but the battle is ultimately won in the depths of our hearts. All that puts our hearts to sleep and gives us a false sense of security that must be avoided. I may not “carouse and get drunk” in the typical fashion, but do I wander about seeking satisfaction from the world? Am I superficial in my judgments? Do I become so engrossed and absorbed in material matters, works and worries that I am unable to pursue my spiritual life and vocation with a clear and focused attention?
That Day: It seems that none of us will escape the trial of that last day. For some it will be sudden and painful, for others it will be prolonged and difficult. But we are all mortal creatures. The great saints all lived with their end in mind. Death was a healthy meditation that moved them to live the present day to the full. Death is the door to my real life. The anticipation of that day need not rob us of joy; rather, it must call us to love. How I live this day determines how I will live “that day” and the everlasting day of eternal life with God. How do I want to live that day?
Vigilance and Prayer: This is how Jesus invited his closest friends, the apostles, to live “that day” of his Passion: “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). The final words of the Our Father must find resonance with how we live. Vigilance requires awareness not only of the enemies and threats that surround us, but also of the weaknesses within us. These elements are at work each day, and so we must be on guard each day to check their influence. This must be the simple and serene priority in our life. But it must always lead us to Christ, to stand before him sincerely and trustingly in prayer. Prayer and vigilance lead to each other. If we do not make prayer the air we breathe, we will suffocate in a polluted world. How much importance am I giving to my habits and life of prayer?
Conversation with Christ: Grant me, dear Jesus, a sense of urgency. Wake me up from any drowsiness or spiritual carelessness. Allow me to see both the threats and opportunities for my life of grace. Keep before my eyes the real meaning of my life and the limited time I have to conquer and to grow in love.
Resolution: I will pray today for the soul in purgatory who was most distracted or least prepared for “that day” of his death.
Our Daily Meditation is also available with audio:
November 28, 2020 Saturday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today
“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.” Luke 21:34-35a
This is the last day of our liturgical year! And on this day, the Gospel reminds us of how easy it is to become lazy in our life of faith. It reminds us that our hearts can become drowsy from “carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life.” Let’s look at these temptations.
First, we are warned against carousing and drunkenness. This certainly applies on a literal level, meaning, we should obviously avoid abusing drugs and alcohol. But it also applies to numerous other ways that we are made “drowsy” through a lack of temperance. Abuse of alcohol is only one way of escaping from the burdens of life, but there are many ways we can do this. Any time we give in to an excess of one sort or another, we begin to let our hearts become drowsy on a spiritual level. Whenever we seek momentary escapes from life without turning to God, we allow ourselves to become spiritually drowsy.
Second, this passage identifies “the anxieties of daily life” as a source of becoming drowsy. So often we do face anxiety in life. We can feel overwhelmed and overly burdened by one thing or another. When we feel burdened by life, we tend to look for a way out. And far too often, the “way out” is something that makes us spiritually drowsy.
Jesus speaks this Gospel as a way of challenging us to remain awake and vigilant in our life of faith. This happens when we keep the truth in our minds and hearts and our eyes on the will of God. The moment we turn our eyes to the burdens of life and fail to see God in the midst of all things, we become spiritually drowsy and begin, in a sense, to fall asleep.
As the liturgical year comes to a close, today, reflect upon the fact that God is calling you to become wide awake. He wants your full attention and He wants you completely sober in your life of faith. Put your eyes on Him and let Him keep you continually prepared for His imminent return.
Lord, I do love You and I desire to love You all the more. Help me to remain wide awake in my life of faith. Help me to keep my eyes on You through all things so that I am always prepared for You when You come to me. Jesus, I trust in You.
Meditation can have many health benefits, no matter what you\"re going through. iStock
The benefits of meditation are extensive — and backed by science.
The mental health benefits of meditation include better focus and concentration, improved self-awareness and self-esteem, lower levels of stress and anxiety, and fostering kindness.
Meditation also has benefits for your physical health, as it can improve your tolerance for pain and help fight substance addiction.
This article was medically reviewed by David A. Merrill, MD, PhD, psychiatrist and director of the Pacific Brain Health Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John\"s Health Center.
Numerous studies have proven the benefits of regular meditation.
These can include decreased stress, improved concentration, lower blood pressure, and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, just to name a few.
And while there are different types of meditation, they can all offer a similar set of proven benefits for mental and physical health. Here\"s what research has found.
1. Better focus and concentration
Mindfulness meditation helps you focus on the present, which can improve your concentration on other tasks in daily life.
A 2011 study from the Harvard Medical School examined the effects of mindfulness meditation on the brain and found a connection between mindfulness and processing new information.
The researchers examined the brains of 17 people before and after participating in an eight-week meditation program. Brain scans showed an increase in gray matter in the parts of the brain responsible for learning, memory, and emotional regulation.
The study consisted of 35 unemployed adults looking for work. One group participated in a three-day relaxation program without mindfulness meditation components, while the other group participated in three days of mindfulness meditation. Brain scans before and after showed an increase in connectivity among parts of the brain that control attention for the meditation group.
"Research shows we can actually train our attention and our meta-awareness, and that this is a learnable skill," says Richard Davidson, PhD, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and founder of the Center for Healthy Minds.
2. Improve self-esteem and self-awareness
Mindfulness meditation encourages you to slow down, allows for deeper self-reflection, and can help you discover positive attributes about yourself.
"Mindfulness helps increase self-awareness by increasing the ability to examine one\"s thoughts and feelings without judgment, which ends up improving self-esteem," says Brian Wind, PhD, Chief Clinical Officer at JourneyPure.
According to researchers at Stanford University, mindfulness meditation can especially help those with social anxiety. In a 2009 study published in the Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 14 participants with social anxiety disorder participated in two months of meditation training and reported decreased anxiety and improved self-esteem after completing the program.
3. Reduce stress
Mindfulness meditation can alsolower the levels of cortisol — the stress hormone —which helps you feel more relaxed.
In a 2013 review, researchers analyzed more than 200 studies of mindfulness meditation among healthy people and found meditation to be an effective way to reduce stress.
Repeating a mantra — such as a word or phrase — during meditation can also have a calming effect, and by concentrating on your mantra, you\"re able to shift your focus away from distracting thoughts.
Transcendental meditation has a similar effect, in which you silently repeat a word or sound to keep yourself focused, and as a result you\"re able to reach a state of complete stillness and stability, says David Foley, founder of Unify Cosmos, a meditation center in Oklahoma.
For example, a 2019 study showed a reduction in psychological distress among teachers and support staff who participated in a transcendental meditation program.
Researchers used stress scales before and after the program to measure the participants\" levels of burnout, depression, and stress. After receiving a seven-step transcendental meditation course, participants practiced meditation twice a day for 15 to 20 minutes over the course of four months and reported lower levels of stress and burnout than before learning the techniques.
4. Manage anxiety or depression
Mindfulness meditation helps train your mind to focus on the present, making you less likely to ruminate on anxious thoughts that can fuel depression.
A 2014 research analysis published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that mindful meditation can help ease anxiety and depression, and could be part of a comprehensive mental health treatment plan.
Research has also supported the benefits of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) — a therapy program that incorporates mindfulness meditation. Studies have found that MBSR can help those with anxiety calm their mindsand reduce symptoms of depression, including trouble sleeping, loss of appetite, and low mood.
5. Fight addiction
Meditation can alter the brain receptors associated with drug and alcohol addiction, which may reduce cravings for these substances, Davidson says. Additionally, mindfulness meditation can increase your awareness of cravings and allow you to better manage them.
"That awareness is really powerful because it can allow us to ride the urge or the craving… without getting overcome by it," Davidson says. "We can notice the urge, notice that it\"s there, but we don\"t have to give into it."
A 2018 study published in Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation found that mindfulness training can help prevent future relapses for people with a substance use disorder, as it produces a therapeutic effect that helps regulate how the brain experiences pleasure.
6. Control pain
Many doctors recommend mindful meditation practices as part of a comprehensive pain management plan, Davidson says.
For example, a 2020 study of more than 6,400 participants across 60 trials found that meditation could reduce pain in those who suffered from post-surgical, acute, or chronic pain.
It\"s not going to be a cure all for everything and it won\"t necessarily make the pain go away," Davidson says. "We can recognize that the pain is there, but we don\"t get ensnared by it in the same way, and that can be enormously beneficial in helping us cope with chronic pain."
To start a loving kindness meditation, you might envision a loved one in your mind and wish them happiness. You can then extend that love to yourself and other people in your life.
"You can use a simple phrase that you silently repeat to yourself, like \"may you enjoy happiness\" as you hold that person in your mind," Davidson says.
The bottom line
Meditation can have many health benefits, from physical to mental and emotional. If you\"d like to improve your focus, reduce stress, or deal with addiction, depression, or chronic pain, you should give it a try and see if it\"s right for you.
To get started, check out our beginner\"s guide for how to meditate.
