When you think of meditation, maybe you think of some guru retreating to a mountain top or cave, sitting in a cross-legged trance all day long or a lovey dovey hippie spouting about world peace and how we should all love each other. The practice definitely has roots in spirituality and is an integral part of any spiritual practice, but meditation is, at its core, a tool for strengthening our mind, reducing stress and just feeling better overall. I think that sounds pretty practical and something that most, if not all people could benefit from, regardless of spiritual or religious belief. If you are looking for ways to improve your academic performance, you should seriously consider meditation.

Meditation Reduces Stress

Meditation is probably one of the most powerful stress-reducing tools we have and what makes it even greater is that we can do it anytime, anywhere and it does not cost a dime. Stress drains us of our energy, it skews our perception to a more negative bent, it affects our ability to concentrate, it makes us not want to do the things we know we need to do, like studying or starting that outline for your research paper.

School can be a major source of stress for us, especially if you are an adult going back for your degree and you are balancing other responsibilities such as your job or children. If you have tools for managing your stress, you will meet your responsibilities with greater ease and you will have a more positive perspective on life and perspective is everything.

Meditation Makes You More Creative

A study published in the April 2012 issue of Frontiers in Cognition found that meditation enhances creative thinking. When we think of being creative, we tend to think of things like painting, writing, art and the like, but being creative is about having enhanced ability to create period, whether it is new ways of doing things or solutions to problems. Being more creative is definitely a plus when it comes to academic achievement. Plus, if you are trying to find ways to balance your studies with the rest of your life, enhanced creativity may lead to solutions on how to manage your time better or get around the other obstacles that you may face in pursuing your degree.

Meditation Enhances Concentration, Memory and Your Ability to Multi-Task

Meditation has been shown to produce positive changes in the brain that enhance its function in various areas. It may help improve concentration, memory and the ability to multi-task, according to a study published in the June 2012 issue of Proceedings of Graphics Interface. Researchers from the University of Washington tested participants’ ability to perform various tasks at the same time while measuring their stress levels; the group trained in meditation performed the best and reported the lowest stress levels. This group seemed to be able to concentrate better and have better recall.

Closing Thoughts

Meditation not only helps us reduce stress and gain a more empowering perspective on the events of our life, it also seems to directly affect how our brain functions. Considering that our brain is involved in everything we do, it makes sense that meditation would enhance success in any endeavor, especially academic ones.

Guest Author:

Kelli Cooper is a freelance writer who specializes in health, wellness and motivation content. If you are currently investigating educational programs, check out getarealdegree.com for comprehensive information on traditional and online degree programs.