10 Minutes of Meditation

In our busy lives today, we are constantly multi-tasking which can be so exhausting on our physical and mental health. I have learned from my own work experiences that it is really difficult to prioritize clarity in the mind because we need to always be thinking about work. But let me tell you, I have found that I perform WAY better at work when I give my mind a rest for just 10 minutes a day.

I try to blog about the simplest, fastest, and easiest techniques to increase health and happiness in the workplace, and in turn, in your life on a holistic scale. By downloading the app Headspace, you can get 10 free meditation sessions for 10 days. You do have to subscribe after that, but let me tell you, it is worth it. The app talks you through the different steps of clearing your mind and focusing on your breathing and the way your body feels in the present moment. A soothing and calming voice guides you through the phases step by step.

1. Make Yourself Comfortable: Before you start your meditation session, be sure you find a comfortable space. I usually like to meditate outside, under a tree or in the shade. Make sure you are sitting up with a tall posture, but feeling comfortable and calm.

2. Deep Breathing: The 10 minutes start with some deep breaths, where you close your eyes and get to focus on breathing and providing your body with serenity and quiet. The app guides you through deep breathing, allowing you to focus on where your breathing is centered. Focus on how your chest moves up and down. This is a very calming feeling.

3. Awareness of Environment: After you have closed your eyes, the app navigates you through the environment around you. What noises do you hear around you, and how can you actively listen to the noises without getting distracted and out-of-focus? What are the smells around you?

4. Scanning the Body: The app guides you through scanning your own body, imagining what parts of your body are in pain and feel heavy, as well as the parts of the body that feel comfortable, relaxed, and well-rested. After you scan your body, you evaluate your mood. How do you feel in this present moment? Do you feel relaxed and peaceful, or restless and distracted? This allows you to connect your mind and body together, creating a mindful spirit and an aware being.

5. Focus on Breathing: This last step has been most crucial to me in terms of helping me focus on my breathing, regardless of the overwhelming thoughts that may want to consume my mind. The app guides you through counting your breaths, each inhale counting as one breath, and each exhale counting as another. Count your breaths until you get to the number 10, and then start over. Why do this? This trains your mind to focus on your breaths, and your breaths only. When you get to the number 10, your mind has trained itself to go back to 1, no matter how distracted or stressed you may be. The result is a mind that can focus solely on your breathing.

6. Unwind and Stretch: Make sure to stretch and slowly open your eyes. Take your time getting up, as your body adjusts to the environment around you. How did that session make you feel? Did it bring thoughts to light that you hadn’t thought of before? Does your body feel more connected to the mind?

Overall, Headspace has really helped me prioritize just 10 minutes of my day for mindfulness, relaxation, and most importantly my mental health. Give it a shot, and let me know how it goes for you!

Get meditating,

e

How to Practice Mindfulness

As young professionals, it is crucial to keep our mental health in check. Practicing mindfulness is a perfect strategy of doing so. According to Psychology Today, “Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. When you’re mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience.”

You might ask: What are the long-term benefits of mindfulness?

According to psychologist and neuroscientist Britta Holzel, the more mindful you are, the more dominant your relaxation response becomes over time. This means you have fewer stress hormones coursing through you at any given time. Stressing activates your sympathetic nervous system, the driving force behind the body’s fight-or-flight response. Imagine always being in a state of fear, as if you are running from a bear. Being stressed makes your body think that you are in this state of danger constantly. 

With the practice of mindfulness, you will learn how to decrease your stress, and over time, suppress this fight-or-flight response when it is unnecessary.

How do I practice mindfulness? 

Start your practice. Try to set aside 10-20 minutes a day in your work schedule. I recommend doing this first thing in the morning to get a fresh perspective on the day. You can practice mindfulness anywhere, from the cubicle to the park. It is important to find a space that makes you feel comfortable and calm. Let’s begin by going over the steps.

Step 1. Breathe. UCLA’s Mindful Awareness director Diana Winston recommends to just breathe. Sit or stand in a quiet place and breathe naturally. Focus on the sensations in your stomach and chest. Keep a strong posture.

Step 2. Become Aware. Notice the sounds around you, the movement of the grass as you take your daily walk, and the strength of your body as you sit at your desk.

Step 3. Find your center. Use the focus built during this exercise in real life scenarios. If you feel anxious or stressed throughout the day, don’t push your thoughts away. Rather, acknowledge where the stress is coming from so you can make yourself better.

Step 4. Know when to stop. If you ever find yourself angry, sad, or extremely emotional, take a breath and stop. Observe what is happening inside and outside of you, then proceed with whatever you are doing. This will allow your body to relax before you go.

If you don’t have time to do all of these steps above, here are a couple that have really helped me through my internships.

1. Breathe in and breathe out. Inhale through your nose and exhale out of your mouth. When you inhale, imagine good energy coming inside of your body. As you exhale, envision the bad energy leaving your body. This imagery will help you focus on the present moment and allow you to get rid of any stress about the future.

2. Chill out. People who practice a state of relaxation and mindfulness everyday can actually change the structure of their brains, strengthening the areas that control emotions and stress responses, according to Ph.D. psychologist Britta Holzel, a neuroscience researcher at Charite Hospital in Germany. Practicing mindfulness will allow you to focus all of your attention on the present moment, making you calm, relaxed, and ready to face obstacles that come your way.

Hope these steps help you feel more relaxed throughout your workday!