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Lately I have been feeling down all of a sudden. My job is going well and I'm happy with my personal relationship, but I just feel quite sad. I've been recommended to meditate by some colleagues, is this really effective?

Posted By Luis Moffat in Mind on August 24, 2017

Answers: 2 • Score: 3 • Views: 3771
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    Sometimes, life can be going well from an 'objective' point of view, yet we feel down or just not quite present in our lives. This is not uncommon but it certainly can make you feel confused and even a little concerned. Your friend was right in suggesting meditation as a solution to your current situation.

    The benefits of meditation have a huge amount of empirical support from both scientific research and from personal stories shared by many. The benefits most pertinent to your life at the moment can be summarised into the points below:

    1. Mood improvement: lessening of feelings of stress, loneliness, and depression

    2. Improved focus

    3. Makes you feel more connected to yourself and your life

    4. Improved sleep

     

    I hope this helped Luis! Good luck with it all.

    Andre Manzero on August 24, 2017

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    Hi Luis,

    I have been in a very similar situation to you before. For quite a long period of time (nearly 3 years) I had just been feeling really flat even though everything seemed to be going fine. That's when I fell into exercise and meditation. Allocating time every day to these two things allowed me to finally take care of my body and mind, and as cliche as it may sound, it was what made my life finally fall 'in place.'  

    I can't more highly recommend meditation for you - it will change your life (and I don't say this lightly).  

    It can be hard to get started with meditation - the mind is a muscle that needs to be trained, but with practice, you will improve and be able to meditate for longer periods of time. I suggest starting off with just 10 minutes a day, perhaps when you first wake up. Make sure to sit upright (lying down isn't ideal because you may accidentally fall asleep!) and focus on your breathing and the physical sensations of your body. If you have any wandering thoughts, acknowledge them and then let them pass. 

    Best of luck with your meditation journey.

    Carrie Otto on August 30, 2017

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