More than 17 million American adults struggle with depression each year, with 264 million people of all ages experiencing depressive symptoms worldwide.1 Many people do not immediately consider meditation as treatment for depression. In fact, until recently it was often used as a last resort to relieve symptoms—this mindset is evolving.
Over time and through research studies, meditation has proven to be a life-changing option for many people, thus making it a vital tool to help those suffering from depression.
Central Concepts of Meditation
It is important to understand the definition of meditation before beginning your practice. Meditation is the act of training one’s mind to stay in the present moment by increasing awareness in a curious, nonjudgmental manner. The ultimate goal is to pay attention to thoughts, feelings, emotions, and body sensations without actually attaching to them, allowing these distractions to come and go with ease and absolutely no judgment.
If an individual is able to move towards this goal during meditation, it will permeate additional aspects of daily life, likely developing the skills to better manage negative beliefs or deep-seated thoughts. Meditation will also help the individual be more grounded in the present moment and less focused on regrets from the past or fears about the future.
Meditation Requires:2
- Willingness. The motivation to try one’s best and remain open to the process is crucial for meditation. Should any unexpected moments of distraction arise, keeping an open mind will allow for the person to try again without any added pressure of “messing up.”
- Attention. Nonjudgmental awareness is often easier said than done. However, extending this grace to oneself can greatly assist the meditation process.
- Focus. It is important to have a focal point during meditation, like the rhythmic, steady sound of one’s own breath or the prerecorded audio from a guided meditation. Having a point of focus helps steer the mind away from distractions.
Five Essentials of Meditation2
To practice meditation well, here are five things you need to know:
- It is okay to have thoughts. One big misconception about meditation is that people believe the mind is supposed to stop thinking entirely, but this is both incorrect and impossible. It is the very nature of the mind to think, averaging 60,000-80,000 thoughts per day. If the mind wanders during meditation, one should refocus on their breath or anything else that allows them to re-center. This is a process that may need repeating, but that is okay. It is all about training the mind to come back from distracted thinking – not just while meditating, but in life in general.
- Do not try too hard. Activity permeates our lives, and we are constantly expelling incredible amounts of energy as we go about each part of our day. Allow meditation to offer a break from that, and instead, stay present in the moment. Feel free to take in the calm, peace, and relaxation without feeling pressure to do more.
- Let go of expectations. Each meditation experience may be different. Some sessions may feel wonderful, while others may feel difficult to concentrate or even result in you falling asleep. Expect nothing and keep practicing. The results will lead to better emotional, physical, and mental well-being.
- Be kind to yourself. In the beginning, people often think harsh criticisms about their abilities to meditate while meditating. Challenge yourself to communicate with kindness, not with self-doubt, negative beliefs, or shaming. Imagine that you are speaking to someone you love, and move forward from there.
- Stick with it. Once you set a time goal for your meditation practice, try to uphold it. As a beginner, you can start with 5 minutes. If you get interrupted, you can always restart. Know that you may not see immediate benefits, but that is the same for many health practices and life in general. For example, brushing your teeth once may not show immediate dental benefits, but making it a consistent daily routine can change your life and your smile. If you miss one day do not give up, just start anew.
How Can Meditation Help With Depression?
For those suffering from depression, it is very common to struggle with negative thinking patterns, ruminating thoughts, dysfunctional cognitions, difficult emotions, and uncomfortable physical sensations. In addition, when one is depressed, regrets from the past and doubts about the future can feel overwhelming. With all of this additional energy expenditure over what has already happened or what may happen someday, it is often extremely difficult to focus on the present moment and find joy in the now.
In numerous psychological studies, it has been found that meditation can significantly provide relief from depression; so much so, in fact, that the results were comparable to that of antidepressants.3 While meditation improves health and overall well-being, it also helps integrate the mind, body, and brain so that these behaviors can work together rather than against one another.
Meditation helps foster thought awareness and allows the practitioner to have a more compassionate, positive mindset and better acknowledge negative thinking without dwelling on it. In turn, there becomes less of a focus on external and internal stressors and more control over the present. Meditation trains and refocuses the mind to increase awareness, accept things as they are, decrease rumination, and feel more in control of unhealthy thought patterns: all resulting in beneficial changes to brain functionality.4
These changes in brain functioning are crucial, as individuals with depression often have an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex. Meditation has been shown to thicken the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision-making, social interactions, working memory, and self-expression.4 For those suffering from recurrent depression—where depressive symptoms may not occur every day but come back powerfully in stressful times—meditation has been shown to help by decreasing the possibility of relapse.
In functional MRI studies of the human brain, people who meditate consistently show signs of decreased stress levels. This occurs because during meditation, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, and the resulting relaxation response helps relocate activity away from the amygdala, or “fear center,” of the brain. Meditation allows for the voluntary lowering of psychological distress and depression through consistent practice, thus improving overall general functioning.5,6
Meditation Exercises That May Help Treat Depression & How to Practice at Home
If you feel that you are suffering from depression, it is important to seek professional help for a full clinical evaluation in order to get the right treatment. If you require immediate assistance for severe symptoms or thoughts of self-harm, click here for a comprehensive list of help hotlines. Although not a substitute for professional help, the following meditation techniques can be practiced to help overall mood.
For all of the below exercises, remember the Five Essentials of Meditation: allow distractions to pass, do not judge the wandering mind, be kind to yourself, and always center around your focus—be it rhythmic breath, gentle music, or whatever else works best for you. Now, find a comfortable seated position, with your back straight in a chair or on the floor, and close your eyes.
Deep Breathing Exercise
- Take a long, slow deep breath in through your nose.
- Breathe all the way out through your nose or mouth.
- Feel your belly rise and fall through full inhalations and exhalations.
- On the breath in, think to yourself, “Breathe in calm and relaxation.” On the exhale, “Breathe out stress, sadness, and pain,” and repeat.
Practice of Gratitude
- While breathing, focus on all that you are grateful for in your life. Research shows that gratitude improves well-being and satisfaction.
- If in a depressed mood, even something as simple as thankfulness for each breath, or a steady in and out mantra, is sufficient.
Counting Your Breaths
- Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds.
- Hold the breath at the absolute top of your inhale for 2 seconds.
- Release and breathe out for 6 seconds.
Positive Self Statements
- While breathing, try to practice positive self-talk. Find things you like about yourself, things you do well, or anything else you feel good about and reflect on them through your meditation.
- If a negative thought enters your mind, try to counteract it with positive thoughts.
- Pinpoint 3 wins in your day. They could be as simple as, “I ate food,” “I got out of bed,” and “I took a shower.” Just remember, no matter how small they may seem, a win is a win.
Mindfulness Meditation
- When you notice thoughts that are not beneficial to you, practice being an observer – notice them, but do not attach. Let them move through your mind like you are watching clouds in the sky as they float past.
Heart-Centered Breath
- Regularly work to bring awareness to your heart, redirecting any incoming energy to the center of your chest.
- For a closer connection, place your hands over your heart to actively feel your breath on the inhales and exhales.
- Breathe peace and quiet into your heart. Listen to what your heart needs. Make yourself a priority, whether it’s adding more self-care into your life, being kinder to yourself, or connecting to a loved one.
- As you center your breath to your heart, create intentions that will lead you to where your heart desires. Here is a list of some intentions you could use.
Body Scan Meditation
- Mentally scan your body from head-to-toe.
- Notice where you are holding any tension—after all, the mind and body are interconnected.
- See if you can shift positions to release some of the stress you are holding in your body.
- One at a time, connect to each body part and try to relax it. For example, begin with your forehead—is it scrunched? Then, move to your brows—are they furrowed? Continue down to the rest of your body parts from there.
- Once you have completed your mental check, scan your body once more to see how you are overall and whether anything feels different or better.
Meditation Tips for Beginners
Many people worry about starting a meditation practice. One of the most common stances is, “I just can’t meditate.” But if you can breathe, you can meditate. The first steps are committing to something new and giving yourself a chance to settle in.
There are many health benefits to meditation beyond lessening the symptoms associated with depression. Meditation can decrease anxiety, increase overall life satisfaction, improve sleep patterns, strengthen the immune system, bring clarity to your life, and more. It is also common to experience a clearer sense of purpose and fulfillment in life with a regular practice.
If you are just getting started, here are some things that may help develop a regular practice:
Pick a Time of Day & Try to Stay Consistent
It may help to write meditation into your calendar, even planning it around daily activities, such as after brushing your teeth or when you get out of bed. If you miss your regular time, don’t let that upset you or call it quits. Get your practice in where you can and then try to return to your set schedule as quickly as possible. Everyone can find 5 minutes in a day to practice well-being.
Set a Realistic Timeline
Start with only 5 minutes and work your way up to longer sessions over time. You will see results if you are consistent. It is more effective to do 5 minutes of meditation daily than it is to practice 10 minutes one day, 1 minute another, and 20 minutes the next. Tailor your meditation schedule around what works best and would set you up for a more consistent practice.
On the Go? Popular Meditation Apps Can Celp
Headspace, Calm, and Insight Timer are all great meditation apps. You can pick a meditation by its length of time or topic (or both), and even select the voice actor you like best. Follow your intuition as to what feels good or needed in the moment, as there is a guided meditation for every mood. Use the voice on the app or your own breath as the focal point and get started.
Find or Make a Relaxing Space
Do your meditations in a space that makes you feel comfortable. If you are able, create a designated relaxation space in your home and further personalize it from there. It should feel like a place you look forward to spending time in, so make it yours with objects, such as a candle or a colorful pillow.
Just Start
We never know if something will help us if we do not try. You got this!
Is Meditation Effective for Depression?10
Plenty of research supports the use of meditation as an effective treatment for depression. Meditation enhances attention, awareness of the body, emotional regulation, and self-perception, which all help alleviate depressive symptoms.9 In 2014, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine published a research review in JAMA Internal Medicine that notes meditation is as effective for relief of depression as antidepressants.3
According to Massachusetts General Hospital, it takes only 8 weeks of meditation training to positively affect brain function, which changes emotional processing and reduces activity in the amygdala.12 According to 2019 statistics, meditation has been shown to reduce relapse of depression by 12%, with 60% of people self-reporting that meditation enhanced their overall well-being.7
In a 2016 JAMA Psychiatry study, depressed individuals who practiced mindfulness meditation showed significantly lower levels of a stress marker in the body.11 Consistency of meditation practice even helps on the cellular level, reducing potential of relapse deep within the body. Furthermore, the study indicated that even if one had taken a break from meditating after consistently practicing for two months, positive effects were still evident in the brain activity.11
Many of the aforementioned studies used the Beck Depression Inventory before and after meditation intervention, and the results clearly showed significant reduction in depression and improved general functioning.7
When to Seek Help for Depression
Meditation is a daily practice that can greatly alleviate symptoms of depression, but please note that it does not serve as a replacement for professional help. People should seek help for depression when symptoms are moderate to severe, long-lasting, and impact functionality at work, school, or with family. Depression can lead to self-harm and suicide. Close to 800,000 people die by suicide each year, and it is the second leading cause of death for 15 to 29 year olds.8 If you are experiencing symptoms of depression, please reach out for help.
Below are symptoms to look out for if you think you may be depressed:4
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities or hobbies
- Over or under sleeping
- Sad mood or feelings of emptiness
- Irritability
- Hopelessness
- Fatigue or sustained periods of generally low energy
- Appetite or weight change
- Moving or talking more slowly
- Difficulty with concentration, memory, and making decisions
- Restlessness
- Feeling shameful, guilty, worthless, or helpless
- Suicidal thoughts
- Physical issues such as aches, pains, unexplained digestive problems, and headaches that do not go away with medical treatment or the cause of which a medical doctor has been unable to diagnose as a physical cause
Summary
Depression can affect anyone at any age or walk of life. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you do, or how old you are depression does not discriminate. Meditation has been found in numerous studies to be effective in fighting depressive symptoms because it can be done by everyone. These positive qualities of meditation, combined with the mental health field’s promising new faith in it as a way to treat depression, make it a crucial daily practice.
Additional Resources for Meditation
If you are interested in learning more about meditation, check out the following resources:
