Anxiety and stress can be too much to handle sometimes. You may even become paralyzed by too many tasks, and find yourself surfing your phone instead of facing a long list of to-dos.
Meditation might hold an answer for you. Take a look at these meditation techniques to help you cope and overcome the stress in your life.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindful meditation is one of the most popular forms of meditations going right now and has some concrete evidence behind it when it comes to dealing with stress and anxiety.
Researchers have studied mindfulness meditation extensively, and have found that it has the ability to reduce stress and aid people in coping with traumatic life experiences. They have also found that it promotes a feeling of control over your life, which can be absent when you’re dealing with extreme levels of anxiety and stress.
Mindfulness meditation and relaxation techniques have a similar effect on those who seek to alleviate excessive stress. It’s one of the more widespread meditations for OCD choices out there, with plenty of scholarly evidence behind the practice.
Practicing Mindfulness Meditation
One of the reasons mindfulness meditation has become so popular in the west is its accessibility. With this meditation technique, you’re seeking to understand the mechanics behind how your mind works.
That way, when you become stressed, you will be prepared to defuse your often overpowering internal monologue.
Mindfulness meditation allows you to observe your thoughts without judgment or expansion. You will sit in an upright position and focus on a constant – usually your breath.
If your mind starts to wander, just bring yourself back to the constant. Don’t expand on your thoughts. Let them pass through your mind without clinging to them.
Visualization Meditation
Visualization is one of the meditation techniques for anxiety and stress that can bring you to a place of peace and tranquility. This technique can help put your mind at ease whether you are jam-packed at school or stressing over something you can’t control.
Proper visualization technique brings your mind to a place that is separate from the physical world. In this practice, you imagine a state of pure beauty, where all of your earthly cares are nothing.
Some people even externalize their thoughts in visualization meditation – imagining that their worries are falling drops of rain or leaves falling from a tree
Practicing Visualization Meditation
Most people relate visualization meditation to religious enlightenment. The practice comes from Tibetan tradition, where practitioners visualize a deity that gives them strength, compassion, and other positive qualities.
This technique requires a bit more practice than some of the others, and you’d do well to view a tutorial or two online on how to get your mind to the proper state.
Some claim that this meditation technique is all in your mind, and they’re not entirely wrong. After all, you imagine a place that might not exist – but it gives you peace.
Consider, though, that all of your stress is created by your brain in the first place. Visualize yourself letting go of these thoughts, and you’ll come out of the other side feeling like a weight has lifted from your mind.
Focused Meditation
Focused meditation is one of the better practices for relieving stress, especially when you become overwhelmed.
A lot of people tend to get overwhelmed when there is too much on their plate. They continuously look ten steps ahead to all of the work they have to do and end up becoming paralyzed by stress and anxiety.
Focused meditation brings your focus to the task at hand, rather than everything else that may be distracting you or causing your mind to run wild.
We often describe this type of meditation by being “in the zone.” In reality, it’s no different than seeing elite athletes perform when they’re under pressure. They shut out all of the noise, and focus on what’s right in front of them.
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Practicing Focused Meditation
Practicing focused meditation is essentially the absence of multitasking. If you’re eating a sandwich, for instance, try doing it without watching TV or listening to anything on your phone.
Focus on the texture of the meat, the flavor of each bite, and the motion of your mouth. Try not to let your mind wander, and when it does bring it back to your senses. In many ways, practicing focused meditation is similar to practicing mindfulness meditation.
Once you’ve practiced this technique in your everyday activities, you can start applying it to your work. Remember to keep your focus on your current activity if you have trouble concentrating on a single task and get overwhelmed easily.
Mantra Meditation
Mantra meditation is another popular meditation technique that offers similar results as mindfulness meditation. Different practitioners teach different techniques, and they may suggest either an internal or external repeated mantra to settle your mind.
Practicing Mantra Meditation
CHanting or mantra meditation is easier for some to learn since they can focus on the sound of their voice rather than get attached to any thoughts. This type of meditation is also known to induce a spiritual experience, though quieting the mind is still a powerful effect.
Repeat your mantra either internally or externally. If your mind wanders, bring it back to the center through the sound of your voice or a repeated phrase in your mind. For some, this is a bit easier than focusing on breathing alone.
Meditation for Anxiety and Stress
Anxiety and stress can be paralyzing, and few routes lead back to production. Doctors may prescribe you medication to help with your stress, but this doesn’t always work for everyone.
Meditation is one of the most universally effective ways to treat anxiety and stress. It takes practice, though, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t see immediate results.
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