We’ve all heard of the excellent benefits of meditation; yet, the benefits have primarily been centered around adult demographics. Meditation unsurprisingly extends its benefits even to children.
Before I get into the benefits of meditation for children, I will get into its importance, especially as we face a mental health crisis for younger demographics worldwide.
The pandemic had a profound impact on everyone worldwide. According to a UNICEF and Gallup global survey (2021), In 21 countries, roughly 1 in 5 young people aged 15-24 said they often feel depressed or have little interest in doing things (para.4).
But even before the pandemic, children were struggling with mental health. Bullying, abuse, divorce, death, and yes, the media, including social media apps and TV( including many more), have impacted adolescents to deal with these issues more frequently.
However, one of the most significant issues is that children often deal with this privately, thus perpetuating the stigma of adolescent mental health, and two, actually dealing with the issue itself.
Before the pandemic, many children with mental health needs were not receiving care; and access to mental health services may have since worsened. Data shows that there have been significant declines in pediatric mental health care utilization since the pandemic began (Panchal, kamal, Ed. alt, 2021 para.6).
While meditation is not the end-all-be-all method for solving adolescent mental health issues, its profound impacts on mental health, particularly for the youth, are worth noting and can serve as a supplement to the professional level of help children may need.
Now I will get into some of the benefits of meditation.
- Reduces Anxiety and Stress
Meditation comes in many forms but generally speaking; it’s a way to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness evokes reduced stress, anxiety, and even depression. Research shows that mindfulness affects two separate stress pathways in the brain, altering brain structure and activity in areas related to attention and emotion control( Creswell Ph.D.& Khoury Ph.D., 2019, para.12)
- Reduces negative thoughts
Those who suffer from mental illnesses frequently experience significant stress and unpleasant emotions. Meditation, namely Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBST), can lower our ability to react to negative ideas, especially during stressful periods. People can also concentrate more on the present moment, leaving the past, particularly unfavorable occurrences, behind(Creswell Ph.D.& Khoury Ph.D., 2019, para.12).
- Helps You Understand Yourself Better
Meditation almost forces you to confront all of the emotions, thoughts, and feelings you have or feel in the present moment. The beauty of the present moment is that you can now understand where those thoughts and feelings came from. This skill that children can develop through meditation can help them become more emotionally intelligent and make whatever mental health issues one may face a little bit less of a mystery as time goes on. Knowing the problem is half the battle, and children can get there through meditation.
- Can Help You Sleep
This can be more beneficial to parents than to children. Still, jokes aside, meditation, especially at the end of the day, can improve sleep, significantly influencing mental health. Sleep deprivation can increase stress, depression, impulsive behavior, unpleasant emotions, and impaired cognitive performance. All of these factors affect children’s mental health. As a result, sleep is essential for mental well-being, and meditation can help.
As I always say, there are many benefits to the solutions I write about. However, I know our attention spans aren’t quite ready for extremely long articles.
Before I lose your attention span, I will leave you with a few tips if you will have your children practice meditation.
- Create a Routine
Because humans are creatures of habit, establishing a schedule will guarantee that your children perform this task consistently. To get the most out of sleep, do it last thing at night, but it’s also good to do it first thing in the morning and periodically during the day (if needed).
- Recommended Times
According to HealthChildren.org, different lengths of time are recommended for specific age groups. Preschool-aged children should meditate only for a few minutes a day, grade school-aged children 3-10 minutes a day, and teens to adults, 5-45 minutes a day based on preference.
- Recommended Atmosphere
This may not always be possible, and in time if meditation is done long enough, it won’t affect one as much, but try to keep children in a quiet, less distracting atmosphere to focus on their breath, thoughts, and feelings. This is also one of the reasons why it’s good to have children meditate either first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Their rooms should generally be a safe, calming space with less noise and distractions.
I hope you’ve found this information helpful, and hopefully, you adults will incorporate meditation into both your child’s and your life as well!
References
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Mindfulness meditation: A research-proven way to reduce stress. American Psychological Association. Retrieved May 5, 2022, from https://www.apa.org/topics/mindfulness/meditation
Just breathe: The importance of meditation breaks for kids. HealthyChildren.org. (n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2022, from https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/emotional-wellness/Pages/Just-Breathe-The-Importance-of-Meditation-Breaks-for-Kids.aspx
Nirmita Panchal, R. K., & 2021, F. (2022, April 28). The implications of COVID-19 for mental health and substance use. KFF. Retrieved May 5, 2022, from https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use/
Benefits of children’s meditation. FitRec. (n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2022, from https://www.morainevalley.edu/fitrec/news-story/benefits-of-childrens-meditation/
Author(s) UNICEF, & Unicef. (2021, October 1). The state of the world’s children 2021. UNICEF. Retrieved May 5, 2022, from https://www.unicef.org/reports/state-worlds-children-2021
Communalift LLC 