Do you feel overwhelmed?
Wish you could cut some stress out of your life?
I spent a few days this past week at my mom's house. She lives out in the country and it's truly a hidden piece of paradise. Sunny, blue skies, green trees, colorful flowers all around and quiet except for the occasional hummingbird's buzzing wings.
While I was there, we committed to a routine of meditating for 3 minutes every 3 hours. Sound burdensome? Imagine instead of mindlessly flipping to Facebook or that article you should read for a "break", you take 3 minutes to close your eyes and relax. Even if you're just focusing on your breathing, or feeling parts of your body that you could relax (How are your shoulders feeling? Are you breathing?), those 3 minutes can make a big difference. You can't always change the stressors in your life, but you can change the way in which you react to them. That's the key here. When your body is in stress mode (i.e. it thinks it might be eaten by the proverbial tiger), it's not focusing on processes that it considers trivial such as digestion, repair and maintenance of aesthetics like hair, skin and nails. It's focusing on keeping you alive! Let your body move into relaxation mode so it can focus on repair and maintenance for a healthy system! Need something to picture during these 3 minute breaks? Above is a peaceful photo of my mom's yard.
I hope you'll try a 3 minute meditation today, and even try out a few days. Go ahead and set those alarms now! ... 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm (perhaps throw in a 6am or 12am depending on your sleep patterns).