One of the quickest ways to a happiness buzz kill is stress. Stress causes so many issues – lack of sleep, lack of productivity, feelings of irritability…just to name a few. So it only makes sense that it is important to reduce your stress to increase your happiness. One of the best ways to reduce stress, and one of my favorite things to do, is to meditate.
If you’ve never done it before you may have this image in your head of how you have to sit on the floor, feet crossed, finger and thumb touching, and making the ‘oooom’ sound. I’m here to tell you that sure you can do that if you choose but it doesn’t have to be done like that. In fact, most people I know don’t meditate like that. It’s really just a matter of quieting your mind – a state of thoughtless awareness.
It’s reached by practicing meditating, until we can reach that state of mind easily and effortlessly. Along the way meditation will help us concentrate, contemplate, and gives us more control over our mind and our thoughts.
There are all sorts of different ways you can practice meditating. Some will have you focus on your breathing, some will have you focus on your body. You can practice in complete silence, while listening to white noise or soft music, or you can work through guided meditations.
I would recommend, especially if meditation is something new for you, a simple guided meditation to help get you started. There are plenty of recordings online, on YouTube, and even on apps. Listen to a few of them until you find a mediation you’re comfortable with.
If you’re ready to give meditation a try right now, without downloading anything, here is a basic exercise to try. Start by laying down comfortably on your back. Have your hands on the side and relax. Close your eyes, and breathe naturally. Notice how the breath moves your body and try to focus your mind on each exhalation and inhalation. If you mind starts to wander, bring it back to your breath. Aim for a few minutes of meditation to begin with. Don’t feel bad if you find yourself nodding off. Meditation can be very relaxing and a great way to help you get to sleep.
The key to meditating is practice. The more you practice, the more you will be able to meditate for longer periods of time. Experiment with techniques and lengths of mediation until you find your own routine that reduces stress, increases happiness and is something you can stick with for the long run. Keep meditating to keep up your happiness levels. I make mediation a part of my daily routine not only because it helps with concentration and other things, but because I enjoy the quiet time.
Would you be interested in an exciting, unique, and fun way to experience happiness? If so be sure to check out Experience.Happy – our newest coloring adventure, a 5 senses immersive coloring adventure! Each month, we’ll present to you a different topic on something that will make you happy.