5 Improvements I Have Seen Since Starting Daily Meditation

About a month ago, I started meditating daily. 

I chose to return the Headspace app I have, which had been gathering dust, neglected in the corner of my life but has now found a renewed sense of purpose.

Headspace focuses on mindfulness meditation, helping you cultivate an awareness of your thoughts and feelings, but then directs your attention back to your breath as an anchor for the practise. This is to help stop your brain getting too involved or carried away in any thought or emotion.

It really helps me to balance my mind, thoughts and feelings.

I sit to meditate twice in a day. First in the morning for a short 10 min session to balance anxious thoughts before work, then in the afternoon after work I sit for around 30 mins to decompress from the stressors and busyness of the day.

It’s been a game changer, and these are some improvements I have seen from just a month of daily meditating. 

Tinnitus has drastically reduced 

I had been suffering with tinnitus for about 5 months; going to the doctors, getting checked out, going to the audiologist, back and forth, back and forth with no real answer in sight.

Since choosing to meditate, I now find that the tinnitus will only show up every now and then and it is bliss. 

I assume the reduction in ringing is because the meditation I do involves relaxing the muscles and focusing on the breath and thus, I have been able to relieve the tension and pressure on my ears through this continuous practise.

I must have been holding so much tension in my head, jaw and neck which was putting an unnecessary amount of pressure on my ears, contributing to the ringing.

But now, only the odd ring.

Released tension in the muscles of my jaw, neck and shoulders

Speaking of releasing muscles, when I first started mindfulness meditation I became so aware of how much tension I was holding, especially in my jaw. Even my gums were sore from the amount of tension I had been holding. I am now much more aware of when I am holding tension in my jaw or shoulders and when I realise, I release that area and drop my shoulders so I am not holding the muscle for longer that it needs to be held.

Even the professional who does my monthly massages and facials noticed that my muscles were less tense, my back and posture were more aligned and my general demeanour was more open and relaxed.

I’m genuinely so proud of myself for that.

More capacity for stressful situations

Meditation has allowed me to keep my mind open for longer during a stressful situation. 

I am developing a longer fuse, and my mind isn’t consumed by the situation as much as it used to be. Which is great because then I am not dwelling on it as much as I used to.

I use less energy dealing with the situation and I feel less spent afterwards, which contributes to me feeling more positive throughout the day.

Of course this skill is still developing but I’m really happy with the progress I have seen so far.

More capacity for communicating in long distance friendships

Having been burned out and exhausted for some time now, I had lost the capacity for keeping in contact with friends. I would feel so tired and spent throughout the week that I couldn’t muster the energy to have an engaged conversation with anyone.

However, with this daily meditation practise training the brain to focus on the breath and remain calm and observant, my mind has opened up in such a way that I feel I have more capacity to keep up communication with friends. 

Communication is so important as an adult. Life can take over if you’re not intentional about nurturing the friendships you have. 

I am so grateful for the space and capacity I am getting from this ongoing meditation practise, helping me to nurture my friendships.

Sleeping better

Arguably the best improvement.

Daily mindfulness meditation has been helping me to consistently get a great night’s sleep. The focus on the breath and the relaxing of the muscles is a WINNER when it comes to preparing to wind down for the day.

Combine that with magnesium and a healthy bedtime routine and this is the habit of a lifetime.

Furthermore, because I am rested I have noticed that I have improved focus and sustained mental energy to get me through the day, allowing me to do more.

There are so many benefits.

And this is just the first month of daily mediation. If all of this can improve in just a month, think of what will have improved by 6 months, the next year.

This is something I am seriously adding to the healthy lifestyle toolkit, along with drinking plenty of water, regular exercise, walks outside and a regular bedtime routine.

Life is a marathon and I intend to keep going for a long time.