As the world slowly transitions to a cautious reopening, I find myself re-examining some of the most intense lockdowns because of Covid-19. From the boom in popularity of the video-chatting app ‘Zoom’, or the craze in mullet hairstyles, to even the mass sharing of sourdough recipes across social media, the trends and habits formed during the worldwide lockdowns changed the people that took part in them. For me, none of these effects are more obvious than the way my introduction to meditation during 2020 helped me.
It is safe to say that 2020 was not a particularly calm year for anyone; between a massive economic crisis involving the stock market, an outcry for political and civil rights across social media, and lockdowns forcing everyone to self-isolate, it is not surprising that the mental health of many Canadians suffered. In a survey launched by Statistics Canada, over half of the participants reported that their mental health had worsened over the course of the pandemic, with almost all of them reporting at least one symptom of anxiety. It was during this time, stuck inside and trying to rapidly adjust to online classes, that I discovered meditation. More specifically, I found an app with some very cute animations.
Headspace is one of the top mindfulness apps available, and it prides itself on making meditation simple and teaching life-changing mindfulness skills. I downloaded the app in the summer and have not regretted it since.
Headspace allowed me to dip my toes into meditation, and I committed myself to a 30-day challenge very early on. Soon enough, I started to see the results pop up in both my school and personal life. While some were expected, and others I could have never seen coming.
I started meditating every day, often taking advantage of the breaks between classes to refocus my mind. Even completing a session for just two minutes left me feeling both calmer and refreshed after the long hours on a screen. It gave me the chance to clear away the information overload that builds up every day and contributes to stress. As early as day 4, I started to notice that not only had I started feeling more refreshed, but my sleep pattern had improved remarkably.
However, you don’t simply have to take my word for it. Multiple studies have been conducted stating the different benefits of meditation on mental and physical health. One of the biggest techniques that meditating developed was a sense of mindfulness, which is simply the focus on being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment. This has proven to significantly reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression as well as reduce chronic pain, improve sleep, and alleviate gastrointestinal difficulties.
Even to this day, I try to meditate at least once or twice a week, and I would recommend meditation to even those who don’t feel like they need it. Out of all the differences that were caused because of the pandemic, my exploration and further dive into meditation was an unexpected but completely welcome change.
We can’t control everything that happens, but we can change our experience of those things.
– Headspace