Finding Peace on a Busy Day

It's Friday - deadline day, you're a little behind on your work, there's only a few hours left in the day, and one of your team members is requesting your assistance, then the phone starts to ring, and you can tell by the sound of the ring that it's an angry client. Suddenly, your manager sends you an email wanting to see you in his or her office and every time you answer one email it seems like fifteen more pop in from out of nowhere. Add all of this to the crazy morning you had before you got to work, and the insanely busy evening you'll have once you get home and the inevitable total is stress.

Many people take stress very lightly thinking that it's 'normal' to go through it on a regular basis. And some people may think it's a good sign of productivity. However, it does not benefit our overall well-being to be consistently stressed out. Stress can lead to physical issues such as headaches that range from very minor to extreme migraine levels on a daily basis, uncomfortable or very little sleep at night, heartburn, eating disorders, muscle tension, hair loss, high blood pressure, chest pain, and weakening of the immune system just to name a few. From a mental perspective, stress can cause depression, anxiety, trouble thinking clearly, lack of concentration, irritability, feeling out of control, and memory problems.

One of the best solutions that millions of busy people are starting to utilize in their lives is meditation. Contrary to popular belief, meditation is not a practice that's tied only to one's religion, but it is a practice that anyone of any background or any religion can do to help alleviate the effects of stress on the body and the mind. Meditation calms the mind and the body allowing you the opportunity to let go of anything and everything that is causing you to experience any effects of stress. Meditation is getting back to the essence of how we're able to exist on Earth - breathing. If you really pay attention one day, you'd be surprised at how many times throughout your busy day you hold your breath without even realizing it. When we take a few minutes out of our day to just sit still, close our eyes (making sure to not fall asleep, of course *smile*), and just breathe allowing everything to fall away from us, we will find that we deal with our busy lives at work and at home in a much better way.

Meditation can help our bodies and minds by decreasing anxiety and depression, increasing our ability to concentrate on our tasks, keeping us calm when a stressful situation comes up, decreasing frustration and the feeling of being out of control, increasing happiness and emotional stability, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels, easing tension in our muscles, and relieving headaches.

Here are a few simple tips on getting started with meditation, if you'd like to try it some time:

1. Make sure you sit comfortably with your back straight, face and muscles relaxed, and shoulders down.

2. You can meditate sitting in a chair with your feet flat on the floor or you can sit in a cross-legged position on the floor.

3. One of the best times to practice meditation according to many practitioners is in the morning - so that way you're setting the stage for a peaceful day ahead of you. However, you should meditate when it's most convenient for you.

4. Make sure you meditate in a place where there are no distractions. Keep your eyes closed as a way to help with visual distractions. Do not think about the day you've had, just be still and breathe - in deep through your nose and out long and slow through your mouth.

5. Enjoy the time you take for yourself!