Everyone is talking about Coronavirus and it is taking a toll on our mental health. Thinking, living, and dealing with the situations caused by this virus has increased feelings of depression, stress, and anxiety. One of the side effects of these increased feelings is reduced sleep quality and overall sleep time.

Stress

Stress is a feeling of emotional and oftentimes physical tension. It is usually caused by an event or thought. In the case of Covid-19, stress may be due to frustration at the social distancing measures that have changed our lives.

Additionally, the stress in this situation may result from anger at political and economic situations that have occurred due to the virus or circumstances that have happened due to the outbreak like a loss of a job. It can also be due to feelings of uncertainty in our lives.

But if we have stress and the situation isn’t going anywhere for the time being what can you do about it? There are many ways to reduce your stress in trying times but one of the best ways to do so is through meditation.

Meditation

Meditation can help with alleviating stress. People have practiced meditation for many reasons for a long time and it has recently been the subject of many studies showing its effectiveness. Meditation is used for many things but is often used for stress reduction and relaxation purposes.

There are many benefits to trying meditation and they often extend well past the meditative session. Some of the many effects of meditation are:

• Gaining a new perspective
• Building stress management skills
• Increasing self-awareness
• Reducing negative emotions
• Increasing tolerance
• Improving patience
• Improving focus on the present

There are many types of meditation and this is helpful as it allows you the ability to choose a meditation type that fits your personality. While some people may enjoy a guided meditation others may find them distracting and choose a less structured approach.

Sleep

Sleep is important because according to research it has a positive effect on the human body and its overall health. Due to the nature of this stressful time, sleep can be harder to get than usual and this will take a toll on your overall health, which is more important now than ever.

Sleep is often affected by feelings of stress, anxiety and depression. When you have excess stress, anxiety, or depression your brain can be unable to handle the hormones and cause you to be unable to sleep or be able to get quality sleep at night.

When you don’t get enough sleep your body begins to break down and this can cause your immune system to function at diminished capacity. This can be disastrous as it makes it harder for your body to fight viruses and germs.

How Meditation Helps with Sleep and Stress

You don’t have to stay stressed out and tired. Meditation can help to not only regulate stress and other negative emotions but it can also increase sleep duration and quality. In the infographic below created by SleePare there are 20 meditations broken up into 10 easy and 10 advanced types that can help you to sleep better tonight.

Try each type of meditation out a few times this will help you to decide if meditation is right for you or if the specific type of meditation was just not the kind that your body and brain enjoys. Some people prefer a movement based meditation like Tai Chi, while others prefer a guided bedtime story to help them slumber soundly.

There is no right or wrong way to meditate and with the power of YouTube there are hundreds, if not thousands, of different meditations out there for you to try to help you get restful sleep in trying times. We hope you enjoy using the meditations below.

What are your favorite ways to meditation to minimize stress?

Share your thoughts and comments with us.

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