Calm Your Anxious Mind Through Meditation
There is extensive scientific research that shows meditation relieves stress and anxiety. And because of that, it decreases blood pressure, improves sleep which then helps your focus during the day.
I used to be very against meditation because I thought it was so boring and a waste of time. Good thing I wised up as I got older. As an entrepreneur, there comes a lot of stress and I had to find alternative methods to find peace.
It's usually during the struggles in your life, that you seek new methods of improvement. I've always had a very short attention span, and loved jumping around on different topics. This made meditation very difficult. But as anything difficult, I always embraced it as a new challenge to conquer. The results were great and I truly improved as a person from this simple ritual.
I improved my focus, able to relax more and become calmer in times of stress.
It was almost like unlocking hidden powers you never knew you had.
All you need to do is follow these 7 simple steps to get started.
1. Find Your Comfort Place
Where are you most comfortable and won't be interrupted? Is it your bedroom, living room, office, or maybe bathroom? Wherever is it, find a dedicated area of comfort at home where you can meditate.
This place should be spacious with no clutter, enough lighting, least amount of distraction and quiet.
You want to feel 100% at ease when you enter this happy place of meditation.
2. Improve your energy with wellness crystals
During ancient times, different cultures have all relied on crystal healing which is still practiced today. It is said that crystals contain healing and purifying energies which can cleanse your body along with the environment.
Certain crystals are able to help you rid of the negative energy and thoughts that are coming from your own mind and soul.
Here are 6 crystals that are meant to bring positive energy and happiness. Indians believe in Chakra, which is each of seven centres of spiritual power in the human body. And this energy could be disrupted by outside influence that causes us stress. The crystals are believed to realign this energy during meditation as a power stone.
3. Practice Gratitude & Appreciation
Meditation in part is about acceptance. When you meditate, whether it's negative or positive emotions, you let them flow in like waves and slowly let them dissipate.
This is the moment where you be completely honest with yourself and reflect. How can you improve as a person? What is happening in your life and what can you do different for a new outcome?
Be appreciative of what you have you in your life, the people around you, and all the small blessings. Seek happiness that is already there. Once you have that mindset, more and more happiness will flow into your life.
Using a physical journal can help you on this journey as well. If you look at 5 reason why journaling is important.
There was a survey of 1,700 people who visited social media sites at least 30 times per week It showed 30 percent reported high levels of sleep disturbance and 25 percent presented symptoms of depression.
A big reason is social media presents a blurred reality. And this sets a higher expectation for us. When we can meet those expectations, we are unhappy, concerned of our future.
Learning how to meditate brings us back to reality and sets realistic goals we can accomplish.
4. Build Good Habits
Try to make this into a daily routine. It is always hard at first, but as you do it day by day, it'll come more natural. It doesn't have to be long either, 10 ~ 15 minutes is all I need everyday. I use guided meditation apps like Headspace.
A lot of people like to start their day with meditation. I found the best time for me to do it consistently is lunch time. I love the idea of meditating in the morning, but I know it's not a realistic habit for me to develop at this stage in life.
You should find a time where you can commit daily 10 ~ 15 minutes to practice mindful meditation. This will allow to build good habits and not lose track after a few tries.
5. Choose The Right Meditative Method
There are so many ways to meditate. There is no perfect meditation method. The perfect method is what works for you.
Many beginners and myself enjoy guided meditation. There are several apps, videos and audio files available.
If you don't like to hear people tell you what to do and want to practice yourself. There are sound meditations that can bring you peace. Meditation is like an exercise of the mind. You have to train it daily to grow. Finding the right meditation method is just as important as comfort and time for you. Make this process as easy for yourself until you build good habits.
6. Mindful meditation method
My mindfulness meditation practice goes like this:
Sit comfortably, relax your body and close your eyes.
Focus on your breathing. Inhale through your nose slowly and exhale slowly.
Allow those distracting thoughts to flow, don’t judge them and don’t hang onto them. Let each thought go as you focus on breathing.
Treat all physical sensations and feelings in the same way you do thoughts. Let them register and flow through your mind with every breath.
Be in the moment as you slowly take in every breath and exhale.
As your mind declutters, find the little things that make you happy. Grasp on to them, take a deep breath and exhale in appreciation.
Embrace every feeling, thought, sound, smell, taste, touch. Put everything under a microscope and understand what you are feeling, what is causing that feeling. Don't forget to take deep breaths and exhale regularly. Allow your brain to declutter and delete the unnecessary things that bring you negative emotions. Plant happiness into your mind.
Journey Begins
Once you embark on this meditative journey, you will slowly find peace within yourself. Stress, life obstacles and troubles will always be there. But this process will help you deal with them better. You will discover opportunities in difficult stressful situations because your mind is open to possibilities. The more you focus on happiness that you already have, the more happiness will grow within you. But it is the same if you focus on the negative areas of your life. So which will you choose to focus on?
