Meditation has made a big difference in my life in a short period of time (and by short, I mean in a month). It has allowed me to relax my body and my mind to be able to think clearly. Once I can think clearly, I am able to concentrate on positive images and thoughts. It’s not easy but with practice you can soon calm your mind and the negative thoughts and focus more on the positive ones. We all have negative thoughts and self- talk that go through our minds; insecurities, shame, guilt, regret, trauma, etc. Images from TV, our phones, the media, and social media can feed the negative thoughts as these outlets are usually either telling you how to live or comparing you and others. Taking a break can help reset your center and focus on you and your journey of personal development.
All this is easier said than done. Practicing mindfulness with meditation helps. Mindfulness is becoming aware through the senses, being aware of your thoughts and feelings in the moment. Your mind will wander during meditation. Recognize this and bring it back to the present moment. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Allow yourself to process these feelings and why the thought even crossed your mind. Then allow it to pass. We give grace and compassion to everyone but ourselves. There is no right or wrong way to meditate. Don’t allow every mistake to dig you into a deeper hole of depression or anxiety. Mindfulness and meditation are to help you take control of your symptoms and recognize your triggers. I’ve realized 5 ways meditation has helped me gain control of my life while dealing with depression and anxiety.
- Understanding my pain
Pain is a part of life, it’s bound to happen, but it doesn’t have to rule you. When I meditate I sometimes think of the pain I’ve been through and it hurts. Mindfulness helps me recognize this pain and meditative breathing helps me ride the wave. While I meditate I try to understand this pain, where it comes from and if it is holding me back.
2. Connecting with others
Being mindful has allowed me to look at others differently and be more understanding. Everyone has a different perspective based on life experiences and general personality. Knowing this allows me to connect with others on a deeper level and practice compassion for their own personal experiences.
3. Lower Stress
My stress has gone way down. I’ve also noticed that things that use to bother me or trigger me don’t anymore. I’m learning to let go and let God handle it. Overreacting and elevating my stress levels does me no good. When I meditate, I refocus on the positive and thus see life and people in a more positive light.
4. More Focused
Like I said your mind will wander while meditating, but that’s OK. The more you meditate the better you’ll get at redirecting your mind back to what’s important. Thus, meditation and mindfulness help me focus on what’s important and what my goals are.
5. Reduce brain chatter
When you first start meditating all you hear is the thoughts in your head. All my insecurities and the negative things people have said to me or about me started bombarding my consciousness. This can be rough and highly emotional; I know it was for me. But the longer I meditated for the quieter the thoughts became. Then I began to add positive affirmations and they made me feel better and calmed my mind. Conscious breathing during meditation also requires you to calm your mind and focus more on your breathing to get into a relaxed state.
This is just 5 things I have noticed have improved since incorporating meditation. There is so much more when you learn to stay consistent. I was one who didn’t believe it would work. It took for me to go to therapy and for my therapist to incorporate meditation, and I’m so glad she did. Don’t get me wrong it’s not a cure for depression or anxiety; everyday is a battle. But it sure helps coping a lot easier.
I hope you choose to practice meditation and mindfulness. Here is a link to the video Beginner’s Guide to Meditation https://youtu.be/KQOAVZew5l8. If you have already, tell us about your experience, good or bad.
As always,
Be You Confidently