This year a lot of people have said that it had been the worst year of their lives and this pandemic makes them overthink and worry, which ultimately causes daily stress and panic. It is one of the reasons why people need to meditate and pause from their work to relax, unwind, and focus solely on their breathing.

According to Mrs. Natascha Carroll, a school counselor, “The prominent effect of meditation is learning how to get rid of the negative self-talk we do to ourselves.”

Because many people live their lives stressed out about their everyday work, they tend to repress emotions that continue to impact their physical, mental, and emotional health. A person’s brain holds on to negative thoughts, and people need to realize that it is possible to rewire those thoughts.  Meditating is helpful with this, serving as a stress reliever, emotional release, and a chance to redirect their mindsets.

“What I do to most of the students who negatively self-talk is that I encourage them at least 5 minutes of their day with some form of meditation to help them build their self-esteem,” Ms. Carroll shares.

Meditation, or the ability to let go of everything that’s floating around in a person’s brain, is essential.  People need to have a part of their day where they can let go of something. There are many forms of meditation, none better than the others.  Some people meditate by taking a seat and closing their eyes. Others meditate by taking a stroll where they can be aware of the environment and themselves. Some people pray and sit still.

Senior, Isabella Haynal shares, “I meditate nightly for about 10 minutes as I have found that it works best for me. I love to do it before bed and I listen to a guided meditation on Spotify while sitting on my yoga mat. There is no wrong way to meditate. It is all about what works for you.”

The goal is to find stillness and to be able to let go of negative thoughts and worry with a focus on breathing and relaxing.

“It is a time where you can feel/ witness your emotions without limits or judgment, which is something that we lack as a society and as humans,” Haynal stated.

In today’s society, people are always in a rush to get their work done. With social media, they look for instant gratification from others, and someone else’s opinion matters more than their own. They’ve lost the ability to be proud of themselves regardless of what someone else thinks. Meditation, in whatever form, is a way to let these thoughts go. Those voices are just noise and it is important for people to have time in the day when they can just shut out those voices and breath.  Meditation is a great way for people to remind themselves that other people’s opinions don’t matter, and it’s time to learn how to listen and look for their voices by putting in the time to take care of themselves.