This article is written by contributing writer Erin Keong.
Meditation has been a part of many people’s routines for hundreds of years because it is a simple, free way to help them to live their best lives. It could also help you to manage your sleep habits and stress levels if you use it well. Here are some tips on how to make meditation work for you.
What Is Meditation?
Meditation is the practice of focusing on and being present in your body. It is intended to help you to let the thoughts and feelings you are having wash over you without them becoming overwhelming for your psyche.
How does Meditation Help?
Sleep and stress management go hand in hand, though you might not expect them to. Stress and anxiety can make it a lot harder for you to fall asleep because you are worried about something. In turn, lack of sleep can make it significantly easier for you to get stressed out and makes it harder to manage that stress. This creates an incredibly negative cycle where you can’t sleep because you are stressed, and you get even more stressed because you haven’t slept.
Meditation is a great tool for both because it allows you to build a toolset to actually deal with that stress. It’s also great because it’s absolutely free.
How Can You Make Meditation Work For You?
Work It Into Your Routine
Whether you do a light workout, yoga or simply relax at night before bed, it’s easy to make meditation a part of your routine without adding any additional steps. Simply focus on using the same techniques you would use while sitting and meditating to do so while you walk.
Meditative Breathing
Meditative breathing can be worked into any part of your day to help you manage the amount of stress you feel. By focusing on your heartbeat and breathing, you can center yourself within your body and avoid the spiral of thoughts that often come with anxiety and depression. It can be done anywhere, from sitting in traffic to during warrior pose to laying in bed and trying to sleep – whatever works for you.
Use Guided Meditations
If you have trouble getting into the right mindset to make meditation work for you, try some of the more popular youtube channels or phone apps to help you get started. If you do, make sure you put your phone on Do Not Disturb or Airplane Mode so that you aren’t getting constantly interrupted while you are trying to focus.
You can also try putting on relaxing music or white noise to help block out some of the outside world’s noise, thus giving yourself a little bit more space to focus on yourself.
If you find that you are struggling with constant intrusive thoughts or falling asleep at night, it might be a good idea to talk to a doctor or a psychologist. These kinds of issues have the ability to snowball into much larger problems and can exacerbate each other to the point that you can’t dig yourself out from the hole you are in. And there is no shame in asking for help.
About Erin Keong
Erin Keong is a lifestyle expert with FamilyLivingToday.com. With a passion for interior design and for budgeting, Erin cares deeply about making beautiful spaces on very little money.
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