I do not know about you but… I continually struggle to truly turn off my head. Enter my “monkey mind,” the intrusive, restless thoughts that derail me from finding mental calm.
Even when I set aside time for stillness, a riptide of thoughts frequently washes me out to a sea of worries, concerns, and — wait, am I making chicken or fish for dinner tonight? Did i send the email to my client in order to move the meeting for next tuesday ? - is my blue shirt ready for friday ?
Although the idea of quieting the mind and blissing out in meditation sounds wonderfully rejuvenating (I read lot of articles about the good things of meditation), actually achieving a meditative state can be an uphill battle for those of us with overactive thoughts.
If you’re an overthinker like me, you may have come to believe meditation isn’t for you. But according to experts, successful meditation is possible, even for people with busy minds.
I have started meditation almost a year ago, it was a time where i had a lot of my plate, really enjoying my job but also very tired with too many ideas, projects, clients. One day i have decided to start meditation.
Meditation is a centuries-old practice that has been embraced by many different cultures and traditions around the world. It involves sitting quietly, focusing on the breath, and letting go of thoughts and distractions.
While it may sound simple, meditation can provide a range of benefits, here is the “top 5” for me ;)
5 Benefits of Meditation
1. Reduced stress and anxiety
One of the key benefits of meditation is its ability to reduce stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety can take a toll on our physical and mental health, and can make it difficult to focus and to think clearly. By practicing meditation, we can quiet the mind and let go of stress and anxiety, and can feel more relaxed and at ease. I use meditation every morning as part of my “morning ritual” but i also use before an important meeting, workshop to reduce my stress.
2. Improved focus and concentration
Another benefit of meditation is its ability to improve focus and concentration. In our busy and distracting world, it can be difficult to stay focused and attentive, and we may find ourselves easily distracted by thoughts and stimuli. By practicing meditation, we can learn to quiet the mind and to focus on the present moment, and can improve our ability to concentrate and to stay focused. Stay focus is a key challenge in my daily life, when meditation is not enough i also use an app to block both my computer and my phone.
3. Increased self-awareness
Meditation can also help to increase self-awareness, by helping us to quiet the mind and to observe our thoughts and emotions without judgment. This can help us to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves, and can provide insights into our patterns of thinking and behavior. By increasing self-awareness, we can become more aware of our habits and tendencies, and can make more conscious choices about how we think and behave. When you meditate your mind is i would say more “open to the world” and it is great way to help you connect with the world.
4. Enhanced emotional well-being
Another key benefit of meditation is its ability to enhance emotional well-being. By practicing meditation, we can learn to let go of negative emotions, such as anger, fear, and resentment, and can cultivate more positive emotions, such as gratitude, compassion, and joy. This can help us to feel more balanced and fulfilled, and can improve our overall emotional well-being. I personally also use this meditation time for gratitude, this will definitely increase your emotional well-being.
5. Improved physical health
Finally, meditation can also provide a range of benefits for physical health. By reducing stress and promoting relaxation, meditation can help to lower blood pressure and heart rate, and can improve sleep and digestion. It can also help to boost the immune system, and can provide a range of other physical health benefits. There is for example a great exercise that i am doing from time to time, it is called “heart coherence”.
CONCLUSION
While I'm more focused on my job, I'm also more receptive to sights and sounds that I'd otherwise not have noticed. It could be anything: the distinct sound of a bird, the nice orange color of my mug. These simple observations become sensory gifts for me.
The short of it is, I now meditate each morning. For the 15 minutes you give to it, you get in return a relaxed body and outlook for the day. In a world where many people pay loads of money to relax via vacations, massages, and various forms of retail therapy, I consider this simple benefit a wonderful gift to give myself.
if you do not know how to start, i will write a blog in the coming weeks “how to start meditating in 5 minutes” and also talking about the app i am using to meditate “insight timer”.
And you know what… Meditating also helped me realize that I wasn't giving myself enough "me" time each day.
So, are you giving enough time to yourself ?
JP