The practice of meditation is becoming more and more popular. It is something a lot of people want to try out, but maybe don’t know where to start or are a little intimidated by. Just know meditation does not have to be sitting in complete stillness and silence on the floor. Being in a meditative mindset can happen several different ways. Here are 10 tips for fitting meditation into your daily life!
1. Do What You Love
Do you really love to do something and when you do that something does time fly by? For example, if you pick up your guitar and start playing, then you check the clock and realized a few hours have passed in what felt like minutes. This is being in “flow” mode. When you do something you love and time disappears, you are “flowing.” That is meditation and mindfulness.
Make time in your day for doing that thing you love, even just 10-30 minutes will make a world of difference for your stress and happiness levels!
2. Get Active
Take a walk, go for a run, dance, swim, hike, bike, kick box, ANYTHING! To meditate is to intensely focus, and when you do these activities, you have to focus your energy. Your body will thank you and the endorphins you release from getting active will put you in a blissful mood. Henry David Thoreau once said, “An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.”
3. Live Compassionately
When you bring happiness to others, you will bring happiness to yourself too! Being mindful and intentional about how you interact with people you know and strangers alike is a great little daily meditative exercise. Try it out and set a little goal to do something compassionate every day. It is as easy as:
- smiling at someone
- telling your loved ones you love them
- offering a helping hand to someone
- listening and not interrupting
- genuinely complimenting a someone
4. Just Breathe!
Can it be so simple? The answer is yes! Take some time before falling asleep while you are lying in bed to focus on your breaths. Breathe in through your nose for a count of 4, hold that breath in for another count of 4, and then exhale through your nose for a count of 5. Repeat, repeat, and repeat again.
It is amazing how much focusing on controlling your breath like this relaxes you. If you are a person who can’t shut off their brain, even to get some much-needed shuteye, try this exercise and you will be fast asleep in about 5 minutes.
5. Don’t Multitask ALL Day
So many things constantly stimulate us all day. Have some time in your day where you are doing only ONE thing. Put your phone on “Do Not Disturb” mode and shut off any other distracters.
Read a book, listen to music, write in your journal, call a friend or family member, or draw something, but just do that ONE thing. Give your brain a break and let yourself focus on just one thing. You will find peace in slowing down and not constantly checking your phone every few minutes.
6. Aromatherapy
This practice is so cool because depending on the scent used, you experience different results such as stress relief, creativity sparks, and a lifted mood. You don’t have to get fancy with it; aromatherapy is as easy as applying a scent to your skin or filling up a bath and dripping a few drops of an essential oil in. Here are some scents and their benefits:
- Lavender – Enhances sleep, eases stress, headache relief, stimulating.
- Lemon—Enhances mood, relieves stress, revitalizing.
- Eucalyptus—Relieves stress, fights fatigue and mental sluggishness.
7. Massage
“Treat yo self” and get a massage every once in awhile! The sensation of nourishing touch works wonders on your stress levels just like true meditation. Remember that when something is for your health then it is never too expensive. Check out Groupon if you are on a budget.
8. Yoga
Slowing down and intentionally moving and stretching your body during yoga is a practice of meditation too! Now with Youtube, it is so easy to practice yoga right in your home for even just ten minutes a day. Wake up a little earlier than normal and get in the habit of stretching your body in the morning. You will flow through your day with a much clearer mind.
9. Try a Meditation App
Headspace is a free app you can download on your phone which aims to help beginners get comfortable with meditation. The app helps you dedicate just a few minutes a day to meditating and they walk you through everything!
10. Volunteering
Break up your crazy routine and volunteer one day after work or on the weekend! Like previously stated, when you bring happiness to others it will also bring you happiness. It feels good to help others, connect with new people, and strengthen your community. You will be so glad that you did it!
Hopefully, these 10 tips for daily meditation helped open your eyes to different kinds of meditation and stress relievers. The bottom line is doing SOMETHING to feed your soul. You will be a happier, healthier, and more compassionate person if you fit a few of these into your weekly schedule, promise.
