How do long days of shouting in the workplace or school make you feel? Hopeless?

Incapable? Do you think this is a natural, never-ending cycle of life? Some find themselves
lusting for the weekend, never enjoying the things happening now. Meditation is a practice
that incorporates different techniques that help people focus their attention and achieve a
heightened state of awareness. Meditation helps ease these feelings of uncertainty and
disdain.

Slow down, open up, and breathe. Three pillars you likely have not been practicing
recently. Insignificant as they might seem, they bring a sense of wholeness to your chaotic
life. Use meditation to practice these things and fix your mental state.

What is Meditation?

Meditation is a life-changing practice when done right. Think of it as a free resource

used as a mental retreat to help reset your mind. Half the battle is knowing; just knowing that
meditation is available to you will start doing wonders for your spirit. Meditation triggers a
natural relaxation response in your body while helping you learn to breathe more efficiently. A
dash of relaxation is game-changing in our lives. Meditation is that and so much more. When
you choose to meditate, you are building a skill called mindfulness.

A simple explanation of mindfulness is just being aware of your thoughts. Meditation is a

video game; you are a character; mindfulness is a skill trait you need to level up. Simple right?
We have all played a bit of GTA: Online here and there. As you level up your mindfulness skill,
you will become more and more self-aware of your emotions. Soon enough, you will feel like
you are in total control of everything that happens to you.

Most importantly, only a few minutes are needed to start your mindfulness journey.
Although you will see more benefits when you meditate for longer, the most important thing is
building the habit. As you advance, you will be able to meditate for 30 minutes with ease, but
when you are a beginner, it is crucial to how much pressure you are putting on yourself.
Dedicating five minutes of your time is less stressful than pushing through hour-long sessions.
Start small. Baby steps will help you to build up the habit. Once you establish the practice,
experimenting with different session lengths and methods will be easy. Remember, meditation
is not a one-time fix. Consistency is significant if you want to see results.

How to Use it

Okay. Now that you understand, I will discuss how to meditate. To begin, try to find a
comfortable, secluded space where you can sit upright with little to no distractions. Next, you
need to decide what kind of meditation to do. You can always do what is known as vipassana
meditation, using the breath as an anchor in your meditation. However, when you first start,
vipassana is challenging, and I recommend using a guided meditation service. Remember,
meditation is free. Try not to feel pressured into purchasing a
paid subscription service. A fancy app is nonsense if you do not know how to use it. It is all
about your brain. A quick YouTube search will suffice. From there, listen to your instructor.
A Few Things to Consider

The perfect meditator does not exist, so do not worry about becoming one. The goal of
meditation is to notice your stray thoughts. So if you keep realizing that your mind is wandering,
congratulations, YOU ARE DOING IT! Meditation requires discipline and mental strength, so
lacking these things will make it challenging at first. Relax. Practicing these skills will naturally
improve them. Some people aren't able to sit still long enough to meditate. Whether it is mental
or physical conditions, for these people, walking meditation is powerful. A study found that 55
out of 83 studies reported participants with negative experiences with meditation- but scientists
found that meditation is not more harmful than simply doing nothing to treat your stress.

Everybody could use relief from the stresses of their day-to-day life. Meditation is a
powerful free treatment that you can implement right now if you choose. I hope this article has
made a positive impact on your life. Live life smarter.

Resources that made this possible:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13548506.2017.1363400?journalCode=cphm20

https://www.verywellmind.com/meditation-4157199

https://www.mayo.edu/research/clinical-trials/cls-20313410

https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-and-mindfulness-what-you-need-to-know