Feeling tense, anxious and stressed out?
Perhaps one of the best tips to calm down, regroup and focus with clarity is to learn meditation, which has been acclaimed for its many benefits, which have been supported by extensive research.
Get some tips here to learn how to start meditating.
Then I invite you to learn about renowned mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn, who gives a great talk/session to Google, which you can view below.
I also encourage you to order wonderful CDs from Zinn, which can come to your rescue in trying times. (I've enjoyed listening to them for years. Please note that I do not get any referral fees for recommending them.)
I also recommend that you read one or both of Jon Kabat-Zinn's bestselling books, Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness and
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life. (I read both of these fabulous books a few years back.)
Now watch this wonderful mindfulness meditation session at Google headquarters.
So how can you be helped by meditating? Some physiological benefits*, according to INeedMotivation, are that it:
- Increases blood flow and slows the heart rate,
- Leads to a deeper level of physical relaxation,
- Increases exercise tolerance,
- Reduces pre-menstrual syndrome symptoms
- Enhances the immune system,
- Helps with weight loss
- Can help you to reach your ideal weight
Meanwhile, psychological benefits*, INeedMotivation maintains, can help you to:
- Improve focus and concentration
- Increase creativity
- Boost feelings of vitality and rejuvenation
- Make it easier to remove bad habits
- Develop intuition
- Increase productivity
- Fall asleep more quickly and cure insomnia
Meditating also can bring spiritual benefits* such as:
- Providing peace of mind
- Making you more compassionate
- Giving you a deeper understanding if yourself and others
(* Please note that I have not had time to find the supporting research for these alleged health benefits.)