5 Reasons Why Mindfulness and Meditation are Beneficial to Creatives.
It is not unusual for creatives to experience their minds wandering very often, or to be mentally absent from their physical location at a given time. The mind is either conjuring up a new thought or thinking of a new way to do something. While this is not necessarily bad and in fact one of the psychological makeup of a creative, the mind’s wandering and absence in a given moment is not always pleasurable for the creative. Creatives may feel like they are working all day if they cannot “turn off” their minds.
Mindfulness is the state of being aware of the present moment. It is a sort of way in which one “lives in the moment”. Meditation is done by focusing one’s mind on a single thought, one’s breathing pattern, and body. While meditating one may have thoughts and is allowed to observe such thoughts but one mustn't consider or engage those thoughts.
Meditation and mindfulness go together because they aim to achieve one goal; living in the present. Below are ways that meditation may be of great use to a creative person.
Meditation and mindfulness help discipline the mind
Just like the body needs discipline, the mind needs it too. One should be in control of their mind, deciding when one should think and when their minds need to rest. A restless mind could get out of control and this may lead to restlessness or sleeplessness which could result in even more serious mental or physical health issues.
They help with creativity
While it may seem like mastering the ability to shut the mind down is counterproductive to helping the mind develop new thoughts, meditation, and mindfulness actually help creative thoughts to flow more freely. They also help creatives to focus on the present and take in their physical environment, this, of course, helps them to garner more inspiration from their external environment.
They help the body and mind rest better
A creative mind is often working. The mind can very often conjure up different scenarios and different ways to do something. While that is great and the essence of creativity, many times, the mind needs rest and the mind’s owner needs rest from their minds too. The best remedy for this is regular meditation and mindfulness. A mind that gets enough rest can only serve you better.
They make one more productive
Meditation and mindfulness help to discipline the mind and this in turn increases one’s level of productivity. It is not unusual for creatives to be distracted from thinking by their own thoughts, and meditation and mindfulness strengthen one’s ability to concentrate. A more controlled mind enhances productivity.
Meditation and mindfulness are generally beneficial to mental and physical well-being.
Meditation and mindfulness are beneficial to the general mental and physical health of any person. They serve as stress management outlets, they help lessen worries from anxiety, improve one’s sleep, and help one learn patience.