Being an Entrepreneur, I know how important time is and never want to waste it. I also know how, when I feel I have none or too much going on, I can blow through days or weeks and not even realize it. After noticing my anxiety increasing and my productivity decreasing after waking up and saying “ holy crap, its already the end of the month” over and over again. I finally figured out a way to slow things down a bit and take control of my mind and my time. I do this by practicing a 5-10 minute mindfulness meditation daily.
Why Mindfulness Meditation?
I was never one who was into meditation until I used it to help with anxiety attacks. I specifically used mindfulness meditations because they helped me to become present in the moment, calm my mind, and overall gave me a sense of ease. These meditations aren’t some corny sit on the floor with your eyes closed and legs crossed while chanting ohm over and over and over with the sound of singing bowls in the background. This is the kind of meditation that you can do in the office, while driving, while cooling down after a workout, during lunch, etc. This is because it’s all about being mindful of everything around you in a way that we normally are not. This means we need to rely more on our other senses than just sight during these meditations.
What do I mean by other senses? Many times I will think back on a day and it all seemed like a blur. I can’t remember the sounds or smells or feeling of the day. I remember things that I saw like watching a movie in 5x fast forward, it’s all just a blur. With mindfulness you are focusing on your breathing, the feeling of what you are sitting on, the sounds you hear (maybe birds, the air conditioner, music in the background), etc. You also let thoughts flow in and out of your mind. Your goal isn’t to be void of thought but instead to have it directed on the present moment.
This is too simple, can it really help?
It sounds like such a simple task (and it is) and that it can’t be all that helpful due to its simplicity. This is completely wrong. The more time I spend practicing being mindful, the easier it gets. I can also do it with my eyes open and while driving to and from work. I started out having a hard time grasping the concept, letting go of my to do list, and hyper focusing on what distractions I was seeing. I recommend starting out following a guided meditation. I will have some links below. Once you get the hang of things, you can start trying it on your own. I like to have certain sounds playing that help me to get into the correct headspace. I will also link to that sound.
Ditch the preconceived notions and limits
I think the key is this, don’t limit yourself. Don’t look down on this practice like it is some kind of voo doo or weird fluffy BS. Don’t think that guided or unguided is the only way to do it or one sound or style of music is the only thing that can be tried to get you into the zone. Don’t stop because you can’t turn off the worries and anxieties of the day on your first few tries. Instead work on accepting that it will take time but it is worth the time that it takes. I can now spend just 5 minutes and change how I feel from high stress and negative to low stress and positive. If you asked me, I think that is a great return on your 5 minute investment!
Now its your turn! Try out these video links:
Guided Meditation Videos that I like:
https://youtu.be/Fpiw2hH-dlc
https://youtu.be/ssss7V1_eyA
https://youtu.be/8vMEoPgg-PE
Sounds that I like to meditate to:
https://youtu.be/P1F9MiPr2Vs
https://youtu.be/trVp-PYWrGQ
