The act of meditation has become a popular method for coping with stress and dealing with life changes. Mindfulness and meditation can help you cope with the stress of changing life situations or help you focus more clearly. The proper practice of mindfulness and meditation can help you feel peace and start your day off on the right foot. True mindfulness can help patients between therapy visits and get more out of their sessions. Here are some tips to help you get started on your mindfulness and meditation journey.
1- Be Kind To Yourself
Mindfulness can take place during your everyday life and can be a new way to see the world. Mindfulness helps you look inside yourself and you may start to see areas in which you can improve. Even if you can see places you can improve, be kind to yourself and know that you are able to grow. Emotions are meant to be felt and you should give yourself grace while you are learning about mindfulness and meditation.
2- Control Your Breathing
While it may seem obvious, you need to focus on breathing during meditation. Noticing your breaths and taking deep and controlled breaths will help to calm your mind and limit stress. One of the practices of meditation is to feel your breath. Notice the air moving through your nose and your mouth and how it feels to breathe in and out and feel your chest rise and fall.
3- Patience And Practice
It may take some time to fully clear your mind during mindfulness and meditation. Working on your meditation practices and having a patient attitude will help improve your concentration. You may not notice results for a while either and will take time. Setting aside time each day to practice mindfulness will help you become better and truly feel the results.
Stress can be hard to manage, but you may need to be patient during difficult situations while you focus on long-term mindfulness. Long-term mindfulness can be helpful between therapy visits or when your therapist may not be able to help you right away.
4- Carry It Into Your Daily Life
Mindfulness should be incorporated into your daily tasks to best help you. Walking, driving, working, and even during hobbies, you can practice mindfulness. Noticing the ground beneath you, the natural sounds around you, and how you are feeling the tension in your body.
Once you have learned some mindfulness techniques and affirmations it will be easier to enforce them in your daily routine. Listening to guided meditations on your commute or for 10 minutes after your work day is a good starting point in working it into the busyness of life.
5- Limit Distractions
The most important part of mindfulness and meditation is to clear your mind of too many thoughts and limit distractions. The best way to focus on your breathing and your body is to limit your distractions in the environment around you. The best time to meditate is when there are no other people around you when you don’t have pressing issues to attend to, and when you can focus fully on yourself.
Once you have been practicing meditation and mindfulness for a while, you will be able to limit distractions during your work day. Limiting notifications, only responding to emails at a specific time, and limiting smartphone use can help you be more focused and limit social media comparison.
6- Start With 10 Minutes A Day
Just like with any new hobby, starting slow will help you to make it a habit. Meditation can pull out deep emotions and make you do a lot of self-reflection, so starting with just a few minutes a day can help you ease into the practice. Your mind is also prone to wandering, so doing short bursts of meditation is best to start off with. 10 minutes will allow you to get into it and feel some peace, without overwhelming your senses.
Meditation and Therapy With Ogden Psychological Services
Practicing meditation and mindfulness while taking part in therapy with Ogden Psychological Services can help those with mental health disorders, or those who are experiencing life changes.
Looking at your weaknesses and strengths will help you improve in many areas of your life and make you a better person. Therapy is a way to focus on what you can do and show you new coping skills. If you are wanting to take charge of your thoughts and emotions, seeking therapy and practicing meditation and mindfulness in your daily life can make a big difference.
