And again, it’s important to stay on your game.

Many people are coming to contemplative practices for a brain boost or other types of performance enhancement.

Here’s a list of 10 reasons to meditate from the University of California health.ucdavis.edu

1. Reduced stress:
Meditation may decrease stress. It can also improve  symptoms of stress-related conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and fibromyalgia.

2. Improved memory:
Better focus through regular meditation may increase memory and mental clarity. These benefits can help fight age-related memory loss and dementia.

3. Increased attention:
Meditation helps with attention span, allowing you to stay focused longer.

4. Enhanced willpower:
Meditation develops the mental discipline needed to avoid unhelpful habits.

5. Better sleep:
Meditation can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep and improve sleep quality.

6. Less pain:
Meditation can reduce pain and boost emotion regulation. Together with medical care, this may help treat chronic pain.

7. Lower blood pressure:
Blood pressure decreases during meditation and over time in people who meditate regularly. This can reduce strain on the heart and blood vessels and help prevent heart disease.

8. Less anxiety:
Regular meditation helps reduce anxiety. It can also help with mental health issues like social anxiety, fears and obsessive-compulsive behaviors.

9. Less depression:
Meditation can help reduce the occurrence of depression.

10. Greater compassion:
Meditation can help you better understand yourself, find your best self, and increase positive feelings and actions toward others.