Finding The Time To Meditate Regularly
If you're like most people, finding the time to meditate regularly can be challenging. It's not hard to see why. Between work, school and family obligations there are days where a little mental clarity seems as elusive as Bigfoot!
Thankfully though meditation doesn't come with big strings attached. You can find just enough time to practice a few minutes each day to reap the benefits. It's not hard to see why meditation is such a popular practice. The research suggests that regular meditation helps make you happier, more positive and a lot kinder to yourself and others.
Meditation is also very calming which makes it perfect for coping with stress and soothing tight muscles. I love how my body feels when I meditate but there's one surprising thing about this practice that sometimes gets overlooked: Meditation increases your productivity!
How Meditation Can Boost Productivity
Meditation affects your brain in a way that affects your productivity levels, happiness and overall well being. The benefits of meditation come from the building blocks of your brain. These are called neuroplasticity factors and they have a significant impact on your life and general well being.
The first thing to know about neuroplasticity is that it's very specific to your brain, meaning if you practice meditation at the same time everyday you'll see only those improvements in productivity and happiness that are relevant to you.
I've personally found that meditating at the same time everyday (morning or evening) gives me the best results. Some people prefer a morning meditation while others find that evening works best. I personally find morning works best for me so I get used to starting my day by cultivating a feeling of gratitude and optimism.
Keeping it brief is a common tip for those just getting started but you can meditate for as long as you like. Just stick to your routine and aim for at least five minutes per day. After some time you may discover your own "sweet spot" for optimal results.
Start With A Gratitude Meditation
That said there's a nice, easy and very effective way of meditating that even beginners can use to boost their overall productivity levels, happiness and sense of well being. This is what I call a gratitude meditation. It's very simple and it works by encouraging you to focus on all the things in your life that you're grateful for.
It's a great way to start off with if you're new to meditation as it's easy and it gets you into the right frame of mind. Plus it doesn't take long so you can do this while eating breakfast, before work or even during your commute! Here's how to do a gratitude meditation:
What you'll need: A few minutes, thoughts and journal paper. I like to use small lined paper, sitting in the palm of my hand and close my eyes during this meditation.
Say something like "Dear Universe" or "Dear God" or "Dear Spirit" etc. Don't worry about getting too personal here.(If Jesus doesn't appeal to you then substitute with "The Divine".) Now simply start to write, for at least five minutes, about all the things that you're grateful for. Try to write about three things each day and it helps to increase your gratitude as time goes on. [ If this writing exercise works for you then try taking on bigger challenges like "gratitude letter writing" or even "gratitude journaling".]
Now get out your journal and take a few minutes to complete a few sentences of how you feel at the end of meditation. Write down what you think, feel or sense after meditating.