Meditation – that word sounds somewhat heavy and cult-inducing. Did you know you can do it in just 3 minutes?
Meditation has changed my way of working completely, and this is no exaggeration. I started exploring the world of meditation when I needed a solution to managing stress and improving my sleep. Meditation did not initially resolve these problems at the time, so when they re-emerged, I continued my search.
It wasn’t until I finally started meditating regularly that I started seeing changes. First of all, I let go of the notion that meditation should always take at least 30 minutes. 10 minutes every day can really move mountains. My concentration is better, I am less anxious, and I even occasionally sleep better (but that is another, longish story).
If meditation still feels too heavy, call it by another name: mindfulness. And if 10 minutes still seems overwhelming, try these 3-minute exercises.
5-4-3-2-1
This exercise brings you back to your senses and helps you calm your head when your thoughts keep galloping around.
Sit still and take a few deep breaths. Look around you and notice 5 things you see.
Then listen: notice 4 things you can hear.
Next, you’ll move to the sense of touch: list 3 things you can feel.
2 smells you can smell around you.
And finally, the most difficult one: one thing you can taste.
Counting breaths
Another good technique is counting breaths. Concentrating on breathing is an easy and a quick way to slow down and fuel up in the middle of a hectic day.
Set your phone’s timer to three minutes. In the beginning, even three minutes can feel long, but trust me, you can do it.
Sit down, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Try and concentrate on your breathing. Where do you feel the breath the most? Then start counting. At the end of every inhale, say to yourself “one”. And at the end of every exhale, say “two” -either out loud or just quietly to yourself. Continue like this: one on the inhale, two on the exhale.
Oh, did three minutes pass already? Try five minutes next time.
Now, I would love to hear from you. Have you tried meditating? If so, which techniques work best for you?
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