How Meditation Reduces Stress

It goes without saying that stress is bad for us. It makes our bodies tense, it makes us anxious, less focused, and less creative. If stress is taking its toll on your life, you may consider starting a meditation practice.

How Meditation Can Help

Meditation teaches you how to connect with your emotions and thoughts in every life situation. This is called self-regulation and it helps you feel more grounded, thus to respond to stress in a more mindful way and to balance your emotional reactions.

A meditation practice requires you to keep your focus on one thing only. It can be your breath, a word, or even a mantra. It helps you keep your body relaxed and release the tension that it may have accumulated during the day. With time, meditation promotes healthy responses to stress and decreases emotional reactions.

One of the most important things when it comes to meditation is to make it a regular practice. However, it is important to make it accessible so that it doesn’t become an even more stressful chore. Try to find a type of practice that will come easy and that you’ll be able to stick with. Here are a few tips on how to make meditation a part of your lifestyle.

1. Start simple: Sit for 3 minutes.

Start by spending 3 minutes each day on your meditation practice. At first, don’t focus on the techniques or the outcome yet. Just sit for a few minutes in silence and make it a habit.

2. Select a time and stick with it.

Choose a specific time of day for your practice. Try to pick a time when you’re not available to anyone else so that you don’t get disturbed during your practice.

3. Choose a point of focus.

Choose something on which to anchor your attention. For beginners we usually recommend focusing on your breathing. You can simply inhale and exhale or you can count your breaths. The aim is to focus only on this one thing and not get distracted.

4. Let go of the end result.

Don’t expect anything of your meditation practice. Don’t focus on the end goal. Try to just ground yourself in the moment and simply do it. Don’t worry if you’re doing it right or wrong – simply doing it consistently is all you need.

5. Observe your thoughts.

Don’t try to control your thoughts. Just let them be. Observe them but try to not dive deeper into them. When you notice yourself going places, just get back to thinking about your breathing and try to let go of the thoughts.

6. Find a technique that works for you.

If the technique you’ve been trying doesn’t work for you, try something else. You may try an app or a video to guide you through your practice. You can try different positions if you’re feeling uncomfortable in the one you’ve tried. Make meditation work for you.

Consistent meditation can be a great stress reliever thanks to its balancing effects. It can help you clear your mind and be more present and mindful.

Inspired by: https://yogainternational.com/article/view/how-meditation-reduces-stress

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