How to Meditate & Stress-Proof Your Life

Can Mindfulness Meditation really help beat stress? The answer is “Yes”!

Since 2000, the number of scientific studies on mindfulness has increased significantly. As a result of these studies, valuable insights about both the effects of mindfulness and the underlying mechanisms have emerged. These studies have shown that the effects of mindfulness cannot be attributed simply to relaxation, but also to complex processes, like attention regulation, emotional coping, observation, and time perspective.

Take a look at these practical ideas for building more reflection and mindfulness in your routines.

Benefits of living mindfully

1. Increase your peace of mind. Even brief periods of meditation help to clear your mind of nagging concerns and pointless regrets. You’ll soon feel more relaxed and at ease. With your mind at peace, you can still feel content when you miss the last bus or lock your keys inside your car.
2. Accomplish more. Clarity of mind enhances your thinking and decision making. You manage your time effectively and achieve more with less effort. Read this article to see if this is the reason why you fail to reach your goal.
3. Enjoy greater happiness. Once you start living meditatively, be prepared to smile frequently and feel more optimistic. The kindness and affection you offer to others will be returned to you many times over.
   

Basic principles of living meditatively

1. Slow down. Do you feel like you are being swept along by external circumstances and obligations? Moving at a more leisurely pace enables you to take control. Set priorities and think strategically about how you want to allocate your resources.
2. Focus your attention. It’s easy to wind up being pulled in multiple directions. Set aside distractions and give your full attention to one task. Notice how much more quickly you complete your grocery shopping without forgetting a single item that you need for dinner. You can actually stay focused and get things done.
3. Observe your surroundings. Extend your awareness outwards. Appreciate the beauty of nature. Seize opportunities to make a new friend or acquire a valuable career skill.
4. Let go of expectations. Expectations can undermine your happiness. Realize that much of life is uncertain, but you can shape your experiences by how you decide to respond to events. Resolve to learn from your mishaps and persevere through discomfort. Read this post if you a perfectionist.
5. Generate compassion. Remember that you have plenty of company in adversity. Reach out to an acquaintance or coworker who looks like they need a helping hand. Validate the struggles of others and wish them well.
6. Express gratitude. Write up a list of the many things you have to be thankful for. Post it somewhere you can see it each morning. Tell others how they bring more joy into your life and help you to build your character. Use these 16 Empowering Messages to give yourself some love.
   

Applying mindfulness to routine activities

1. Care for your body. It’s easier to meditate when you keep your body in top shape. Eat nutritious foods and exercise on a regular basis. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. See your doctor for regular checkups. Check out these 6 essential habits to help you start your day on the right path.
2. Strengthen your relationships. Living and working with others often creates some of our most challenging and rewarding experiences. Mindfulne can help you to be more patient with your children and closer to your spouse. You may discover new solutions for resolving conflicts with coworkers.
3. Do meaningful work. Meditation is also good for your job satisfaction. Consider how your current position aligns with your values and talents. Take on new projects to learn what tasks give you the greatest sense of fulfillment.
4. Serve your community. Give back to your community through your work and leisure activities. Living meditatively will show you that kindness and generosity are highly gratifying.

Over to you

You can benefit from living more mindfully even when you’re under pressure to complete a sales report and pick your kids up from daycare. Living mindfully is a gradual approach that will help you to focus your mind and open your heart.

Developing a mindfulness practice is one of the most impactful things you can do to improve your overall mental, physical, and emotional health. If you genuinely want to make meaningful progress on your mindfulness journey, my new Mindfulness: A 8-Week Plan to Reduce Stress and Anxiety Training can help. You can find out more about this training HERE.

Mindfulness: An 8-Week Plan to Reduce Stress and Anxiety

About the Author

Christine Cheung has received over 200 hours of life coach-specific training. She is a Mindfulness Practitioner, and a certified Practitioner of Neuroscience-Lingustic Programming (NLP) and Hypnosis Practitioner. 

Christine is known for inspiring, empowering, and supporting people in developing skills and strategies to get “unstuck” from their current situation so they can reach their desired outcome using the framework and techniques drawn from Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Positive Psychology, Mindfulness, Habit Change theory, the Law of Attraction, and art therapy.

Aside from coaching clients one-one, Christine Cheung is a public speaker, a group facilitator, and an online course instructor. 

Looking for a deeper conversation? Email her at christine.cheung@outlook.com or book a FREE coffee chat with her.

Follow her on Instagram or visit the website for more personal development tips.