Modern society has generated a multitude of health concerns, and we hear a lot about them: cancer, heart disease, diabetes. And if we’re so inclined, we learn where they come from: toxins, poor lifestyle choices, industrial farming techniques, etc. But one of the root causes of health problems in the modern world gets far too little attention, in my opinion, and that is stress.

And nearly everyone will agree–it’s a stressful world. We work more, we spend time in traffic, we overbook ourselves, we overbook the kids, we make less money, we compare ourselves to others on Facebook, get caught up in politics and on and on and on. It doesn’t matter how zen you are, enough of this kind of stuff coming at you day in and day out–you’re going to feel it and your body is going to respond.

Long-term stress has massive effects on your body. Let’s break it down.

Mentally and emotionally

• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Binge eating and drinking
• Social withdrawal

Heart and lungs

• Contributes to hypertension
• Exacerbates existing respiratory issues like asthma emphysema
• Increases risk of heart attack and stroke

Digestive system

• Boosts insulin production, eventually contributing to the development of type II diabetes
• Heartburn and acid reflux
• Irritates any existing ulcers
• Slows digestion and metabolism
• Can cause constipation or diarrhea

Pain

• Stress causes muscle tension, which can lead to headaches, backaches, neck pains, muscle soreness, etc.

Reproductive system

• Can lead to erectile dysfunction
• Low libido
• Makes the testes, urethra and prostate more prone to infection
• Irregular or non-existent menstruation
• -Or- heavy and painful periods

Immunity

• Stimulates the release of the hormone cortisol, which over time, weakens immune system effectiveness, makes people more susceptible to disease and takes them longer to fight off disease
• Cortisol also directly leads to fat storage and weight gain

The time paradox

Here’s the problem. If you tell most people in the modern world, “You need to de-stress your life,” they’re going to respond with something along the lines of: “I can’t. I’m too busy. What am I supposed to do, quit my job? Stop caring about my kids? Stop paying the bills? There’s no room for anything to change!”

Ok, fine. Don’t make any drastic life changes. Completely understandable. But while there are many stress-management techniques that work–i.e., exercise, Vitamin N (for nature), taking up or pursuing a hobby–this article is about meditation. Just add this one thing to you life.

But here we go again, right? “So you want me to be quiet and sit still for 15-20 minutes a day? Didn’t I just get done telling you how I have no time???”

That’s where the time paradox of meditation comes in. If you dedicate 15-20 minutes a day to meditation, YOU WILL HAVE MORE TIME!

This is one of those things, kind of like when you’re expecting your first child and all the people you know who have kids say something like, “You are going to love that child so much that dirty diapers won’t seem disgusting, sleepless nights won’t bother you (too much), you’ll start getting excited about things like strollers and a deal on crayons…”

You don’t believe them! You think they’re nuts. You are truly worried about all the changes that you see on the horizon. Then your baby is born and you’re like, “Yeah, it’s all true. Wow.” Every. Single. Time.

Your disbelief about having more time by adding meditation to your routine will have the same fate as every new parent’s realization when their child is born. Does the day get longer? Of course not. But you’d be surprised at how much time you waste with a head full of chaos. You don’t realize it now, but all that stress makes you inefficient and less effective in your life. You’re not exhausted every night because you physically exerted so much energy. You’re exhausted because your brain has been spinning its wheels all day.

Just do it

I’m not going to try and teach you how to meditate in this article. I’m just trying to convince you that you should be doing it. If you want to get started, go to YouTube and type into the search bar, “guided meditation.” Start with one that is between 7-10 minutes long and, over time, work your way up to 15-20 minutes. Listen to what the guides tell you and just follow along.

IT TAKES TIME TO GET THE HANG OF IT! Don’t be discouraged by the thoughts and feelings that present themselves. Just keep trying. And keep in mind, there is no goal, there is nothing you need to achieve here. There is no pressure. There is no failure or wrong way to do it. That’s part of the stress relief–freeing yourself from all of these expectations, even if it’s temporary.

You’ll notice that guided meditations often have themes. Explore that. Do you have any problem areas? Are you struggling with the end of a relationship? There are meditations for that. Are you struggling with money? There are meditations for that. Are you just unable to relax? There are meditations for that. Some are better than others. It takes exploration and experimentation.

Try it and report back.