Aware Meditation Benefits

Meditation has many physical and mental benefits for individuals. In fact, Aware Meditation has helped many students heal physical ailments, and reduce mind chatter. That's why meditation practices are highly recommended for individuals constantly exposed to stressors.

That said, professionals in highly stressful jobs are among those poised to gain the most from meditation. One job that is increasingly becoming more important in our modern society, as well as being a very stressful job, is a victim advocate. Victim advocates are professionals who offer legal and emotional support to individuals who may be victims of crime, violence, or abuse. Since they work with the justice system, they are well-versed in the law and criminal psychology. But what makes the job emotionally draining is that they always have to remain composed, even during tough times. To be able to properly support someone going through emotional trauma, they have to be emotionally stable themselves. In this case, practicing meditation can help victim advocates manage stressors and negative energy that may hinder their capabilities.

Here are three examples of how meditation can support victim advocates:

Meditation helps them make better judgments

In our previous article on making a high-pitched shruti sound when meditating, we shared that when individuals release stress through meditation, they’re more open to hearing their intuitive guidance. This guidance enables them to make better life decisions because their mind is no longer cluttered with negative thoughts that may impair their reasoning. For victim advocates, the ability to compose clear judgments lets them become better professionals who know how to make rational decisions. That’s why meditation is important since victim advocates need to avoid letting their emotions or temperament influence them when making decisions related to the law and criminal justice system.

Meditation boosts emotional intelligence

Victim advocates must also have emotional intelligence skills to empathize with others. Besides guiding them in making better decisions, emotional intelligence allows victim advocates to detect nonverbal cues and changes in a person’s behavior. These are essential in helping them better understand and support victims. The same goes for victim advocates. By being able to moderate their stress levels, they can be more focused at work, enabling them to be more responsive to the needs of others.

Meditation improves attention span and memory

Finally, meditation allows individuals to perform tasks efficiently and remember important details. For a job that requires active listening for longer periods, practicing meditation helps victim advocates become better listeners, allowing victims to feel more understood. Improved memory also enables victim advocates to remember crucial information that may help victims through the legal system.

Ultimately, meditation is beneficial for individuals with an emotionally-demanding nature of work, like victim advocates. And since they’re essential workers in the field of forensic psychology, it’s necessary that they have ways to destress and improve their well-being.

Editorial penned by Natalie Pearl Finnegan

for awaremeditation.com