Meditation isn’t as popular as it could and probably should be in the U.S. But studies have shown that the meditation rate is on the rise.

According to one 2017 study, there are approximately 18 million Americans who meditate on a regular basis. That represents roughly 8 percent of the U.S. population.

Meditation is growing in popularity in large part due to the many benefits of daily meditation. You’ll get the chance to see a lot of these benefits in action once you start meditating day in and day out and feeling better because of it.

Check out the 7 biggest benefits of daily meditation below and consider what you might be able to get out of meditating more often.

1. Reduces Your Stress Levels

It’s not exactly a secret that the majority of Americans are entirely too stressed out at the moment. According to a poll done in 2017, about 80 percent of Americans suffer from some degree of stress.

There are some people who stress out over their work life. There are others who stress out over what’s going on at home. The stress can really weigh down on them and make it hard to function.

Daily meditation helps people deal with the stress they’re feeling accordingly. Rather than letting it push them down and keep them down, they’re able to take a step back from the stress their life brings and take a deep breath.

Those who meditate regularly often feel less stressed out than those who don’t, even if they have stressful things going on in their lives.

2. Teaches You How to Focus

Do you find that you have a really hard time focusing when you’re at school or work?

This is yet another problem that so many people struggle with. There are just so many distractions out there in the world today that can take a toll on people and stop them from maintaining a high level of focus.

Meditation can teach you how to focus and concentrate on the tasks that are at hand. Instead of allowing your mind to wander off and get stuck somewhere else, meditation helps you hone in on whatever it is you’re working on.

You’re not going to improve your focus overnight simply by playing music from Meditation-Music.com and meditating. But if you meditate almost every day, you’ll find that one of the biggest benefits of daily meditation is improved focus and concentration.

3. Brings Down Your Blood Pressure

If you have high blood pressure, you’re not alone. About one-third of Americans have elevated blood pressure levels.

High blood pressure is often linked to a poor diet. It’s also often associated with a lack of exercise. By changing your diet and working out more, you can bring your blood pressure back down.

You can also bring it down, both in the short term and in the long term, by meditating as often as you can. You might actually be able to feel your blood pressure plunging within just a few minutes of meditating.

4. Allows You to Take Better Control of Your Thoughts

Has it become impossible for you to tame the thoughts that are always running through your head? Meditation can help with this, too!

When you meditate, you’ll usually sit with your eyes closed as you feel yourself breathing in and out. Your goal will be to keep your attention on your breath and to pull your mind back to your breath anytime it starts to wander.

And it will wander! But by slowly bringing it back time and time again, you’ll teach your brain to let certain thoughts go without paying them any mind. This will make you feel like you’re more in control of what’s going on in your head.

5. Improves Your Sleep Patterns

Almost 30 percent of Americans struggle to fall asleep and, maybe more importantly, to stay asleep every night. As a result, they also struggle to maintain a high level of energy throughout the day.

If you find yourself stuck in this same familiar pattern almost every day, you’ll be surprised by how much meditation can help with it. Meditation will help your mind and body to learn how to relax. This will allow you to sleep better at night and to wake up feeling well rested.

6. Makes You Feel More Connected to Others

We know what you’re thinking: There is nothing more anti-social than sitting with your eyes closed and meditating!

But believe it or not, one of the other benefits of daily meditation is that it can make you feel a much stronger connection to those around you. You’ll feel like you’re more in tune with other people when you meditate regularly.

There are even some people who report feeling more compassion and empathy for others when they start a meditation practice. If you wish you could be better connected to the people around you, meditation might be the answer to your prayers.

7. Increases Your Overall Happiness

Only about 30 percent of Americans consider themselves to be happy. The other 70-some percent are still working on trying to turn themselves into happier people.

What if we told you there was an easy way to achieve the happiness that you’re looking for? Well, there is, and it’s called meditation!

Meditation often causes people’s brains to produce more endorphins, which makes them feel happier. It also reduces stress and other things that could drag your happiness levels down.

It’s worth giving meditation a shot if your happiness isn’t where you want it to be right now.

Start Taking Advantage of the Benefits of Daily Meditation Today

As you can see, there are so many benefits of daily meditation that you’ll get to enjoy when you start meditating every day. Once you get your meditation practice underway, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner.

You’ll also likely start meditating for longer stretches of time to take advantage of the benefits that come along with it.

Meditation is especially useful for those suffering from mental health issues. Read our blog to see some of the ways in which you can improve your mental health.