From anxiety to awareness: How meditation supports mental well-being

In a world full of constant distractions, it is important to stay grounded.

Jared Warren, clinical psychologist and mindfulness expert, explained that with so many competing stimuli, people can lose the ability to control where their attention goes.

I think this is really important because your life ends up being what you pay attention to, Warren said. And we would like to have some control over that.

With just a small effort, simple meditation practices can significantly impact a persons life.

Warren said life is not just about survival; individuals should thrive, creating a beautiful life for themselves.

He also distinguished a difference between mindfulness and meditation.

Mindfulness is a healthy awareness of thoughts, emotions and experiences, while meditation is a way to cultivate it.

One important aspect of meditation is it positively affects the amygdala and limbic system.

The part of the brain thats kind of this threat detection system, Warren said.

This is the part of the brain that looks out for potential threats and problems.

By default, for most of us as humans, its like that is a thermostat thats set too high, like it over-predicts potential threats, Warren said. Thats where anxiety comes from.

He said meditation decreases that overactivity in the brain.

BYU student Lizzie Draper said she has experienced the benefits of meditation first-hand.

She said meditation has done more than relax her it has helped her slow down during moments of anxiety.

Its definitely a big reason why I still meditate and why its still important to me, Draper said.

For beginners, Warren shared that many helpful resources are available, including a YouTube channel and website created by him and his team.

So, My Best Self 101 on YouTube, and then we have a website, MyBestSelf101.org, with a bunch of free training resources about positive psychology, broadly speaking, but then mindfulness and self-compassion specifically, Warren said.

Its important not to be overwhelmed by the thought that meditation demands a lot of time each day. While there is a dose-response relationship with how much a person meditates and how much of a benefit they see, Warren explained that it is also important to be realistic.

In fact, two to five minutes, three times a week, is better than trying to do it for a half hour once a month and thinking, 'Oh, I just gotta get this in,' Warren said.

He suggested finding moments to incorporate meditation into a regular routine, though Warren acknowledged that life can get busy.

But even then, sometimes if I miss it during the day, even my drive home, 20 minutes without any other media, I'll set a timer and just practice giving my attention to sensations of breathing on my drive home, Warren said. Obviously, eyes open and I've got to navigate getting home, but yeah, that's another way to do it.

Brittany Andrews, owner of The Yoga Underground in Provo, Utah, said that a persons meditation practices do not need to be perfect.

I think the hardest thing for people regarding meditation is misunderstanding what it is and thinking that they need to turn their mind all the way off, Andrews said. In reality, that's like not really ever going to happen. It's just being more selective with what you pay attention to.

She shared that patience is key, as meditation is an ongoing practice and that a small, consistent effort can have a big impact.