How Mindful Practices Can Enhance Your Learning Ability

The presence of the Internet has made all kinds of information accessible to everyone on the planet. But this doesn't mean that spending a lot of time online has helped people to become better learners.

A study suggests that using and relying too much on the Internet can affect our ability to engage deeply on a topic. Moreover, all the distractions that exist online may cause people to lose their capacity to focus and retain information.

While research has found that reading books is far better for long-term memory retention than reading text online, there are other ways that you can enhance your learning prowess while giving your mind and body a bit of a break. By doing mindful practices such as breathwork, meditation, and yoga, you can boost your brain power to help you succeed in your academic or professional career.

Breathwork for Increased Energy Levels

Fatigue can prevent you from retaining new information, whether you're a student or an office employee. Around 30% of teen students experience sleepiness and fatigue due to lifestyle issues, while 69% of employees experience workplace fatigue.

If you constantly feel tired or listless and it's affecting your work or studies, then consider doing some breathwork exercises. Experts who have taken breathwork coaching courses and sessions to deepen their practice know how improving one's breathing technique can boost energy levels and restore the body's vitality. Re-energizing your body can improve your mind's ability to learn and retain new information, which can improve your performance at school or work.

For a boost of energy, try doing abdominal breathing exercises. This is a type of breathing wherein you take a deep breath in through your nose, and exhale through your mouth as if you're blowing the air out through a plastic straw. Try taking a deep breath, hold it in while mentally count to 4, then release it through your mouth while counting to 5. Repeat the whole process 8 times.

Yoga for Better Sleep

Sleep plays an important role in health and one's ability to learn. Unfortunately, 25% of young children and almost half of all adults have sleep problems, and lack of sleep can result in poor concentration and lower alertness. It also impairs your ability to perform tasks that require logical reasoning. Moreover, sleeplessness can make you more forgetful and irritable.

All of these things can hinder learning, which is why getting the recommended amount of sleep is a must for the young and old. Activities that can quiet the mind, such as yoga , can be beneficial to improve your sleep quality. Studies show that yoga exercises can result in deeper sleep and less sleep disturbances, so consider doing yoga at least an hour before your bedtime.

Meditation for Stress Relief

Coping with stress on a daily basis is the norm for most people, and while a little stress can be good for you, too much of it can affect your memory and ability to recall information. Studies have shown that when people are stressed, they have a harder time converting short-term memories into long-term ones, which makes it difficult to learn.

To ease stress, you can exercise or practice mindfulness by meditating. You can listen to a guided meditation video if you're new to it, or simply get into a comfortable position in a quiet spot and empty out your thoughts while focusing on breathing in and out. Even 5-minute meditations can be beneficial to de-stress and relax the mind, so try doing so whenever you feel overwhelmed or stressed.

Acquiring new knowledge and skills can benefit your overall quality of life, so why not enhance your ability to learn? Try breathwork, yoga, or meditation to revive your mind and body, and see what a difference it makes in your life.