In a world full of technology and stress, a meditative mind can help you overcome feeling overwhelmed. At the end of the day, without taking a few minutes to clear your mind, it can affect your sleep cycles, which could affect how productive you’ll be throughout the day. A clear, meditative mind, can help increase your sleep quality and energy throughout the day. Here are 8 ways to strengthen your meditative mind and improve your quality of life.
When was the last time you went 24 hours without checking your email or social media? In today’s world, we are surrounded by technology, but too much technology can affect your daily life. Kids and adults should be limiting their usage. Every 10 minutes, on average, an adult will check their phone; close to 11 hours are spent looking at a screen. It was found that children around 5-8 years of age spend nearly 3 hours everyday between TV, smartphones, tablets, etc.
Too much screen time can cause physical aches, put your health at risk, and decrease your mental health. For kids, it can affect them in the sense that too much screen time can affect development because they are still learning. By minimizing screen time, everyone can get better sleep, which will allow for a more productive day, a better social life, and adoption of a more active lifestyle.
Music is powerful. It causes endorphins to be released in the body and help with pain; it can repair damaged minds, boost immunity, and create positive emotional experiences. Slow and instrumental music can help regulate your breathing and slow your heart rate. It can offer a jump-start for creativity and help you recall memories.
A lack of focus and concentration can cause a lack of productivity and a never ending cycle of stress and anxiety. According to a Stanford Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory study, music strengthens your brain in a way that can help control your attention span. Having a good attention span can allow you to get your work done, which can put your mind at ease and alleviate any stressors.
Have you ever stopped and questioned if you’re actually breathing? Breathing is something we do unconsciously but breathing properly is something we should do consciously. If you are experiencing stress that makes you feel like you are having a tough time breathing, you should try breathing exercises to help clear your head.
There are many methods of concentrating your breathing to clear your mind. One way is the following:
Mindfulness meditation and relaxation are different from each other. Meditation and yoga can enhance elements of the central nervous system, create a healthier immune system, and strengthen the sense of focus and awareness. They can each help in preventing injuries or even help speed up the recovery process from injuries. Meditation reduces feelings of anger and anxiety while also alter the areas of your brain that are associated with cravings.
Kripalu yoga works through the equal importance on the mind, body, and spirit, unlike most styles of yoga, where they work on meditation and breathing only. Kripalu is a compassionate, gentle form of yoga that flows into your daily life and teaches you to observe thoughts without judgement and to accept and love yourself as you are. If you are in search for a style of yoga that can help you improve your health and sense of well-being through spiritual and physical movements, Kripalu yoga might be for you.
With the stressors of everyday life, it is important to have a routine to allow for consistency, time management, and creation of healthy habits in our life. The most important part of a routine is creating one that is of good use to your time. You should intentionally decide what to include in your routine. This can allow better clarity, better direction, and better fulfillment every day.
According to The Blissful Mind, setting up a routine can be as simple as 6 steps:
If you feel you have no time to do what you really want to do, organizing what is around you and/or creating a list of tasks to accomplish may help. An organized life can lead to an organized mind and vice versa. Using this mind map video can help you easily create your task list -- especially if you don’t know where to start or don’t like lists.
The process of being organized can help in the following ways:
You can calm your mind through meditation or you can calm your mind on a walk. Going for a walk can alleviate stress and help you become more focused. Exercise can help control your weight, decrease inflammation, and reduce any health issues. It can give your brain a boost and sharpen decision making. The next time you are struggling with a task, take a step away and head out for a nice walk around the block.
If you are struggling to fall asleep at night or even just relaxing your muscles, a glass of warm milk can help with inflammation, muscle recovery, relaxation, and sleep. According to healthline, here are 6 different milk combinations that can ease any anxiety and aid in a better night’s sleep:
Warm, golden turmeric milk can help fight inflammation, protect against sleep deprivation, and lower anxiety levels. Matcha milk increases relaxation from the L-theanine in tea leaves that raises serotonin and dopamine levels, improves mood and anxiety, and helps maintain a healthy weight. Strawberry milk can help improve your skin health, regulate melatonin, and balance your sleep-wake cycle. Pink moon milk (vegan) aids with sore muscles and helps them recover overnight, contains melatonin, and improves production of serotonin. Lavender milk acts improves deep, slow-wave sleep, acts as a mild sedative, and helps you feel more rested. Banana milk can also help with strained muscles, thanks to the magnesium and potassium in it, it can also help treat restless leg syndrome, and help regulate your sleep cycle.
