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As beautiful as life can be, it can also be full of stress. Whether it’s hefty mortgage payments, killer commutes, bosses or family members who don’t give us the credit we feel we deserve, stress can come at us from many different directions. Surveys have uncovered some pretty disturbing statistics about stress. 33% of people […]
As beautiful as life can be, it can also be full of stress. Whether it’s hefty mortgage payments, killer commutes, bosses or family members who don’t give us the credit we feel we deserve, stress can come at us from many different directions.
Surveys have uncovered some pretty disturbing statistics about stress. 33% of people feel they live with extreme stress, while 48% believe the stress in their lives has increased over the past five years. And a whopping 77% of people surveyed said they experience physical symptoms caused by stress.
What are some of these physical symptoms linked to chronic stress?
• Pain of any kind
• Sleep problems
• Autoimmune diseases
• Digestive problems
• Skin conditions, such as eczema
• Heart disease
• Weight problems
• Reproductive issues
• Thinking and memory issues
How Meditation Can Help
There is plenty of scientific research now showing that meditation can physically alter the brain and how we cope with chronic stress. Meditation has been shown to be effective against physical symptoms of stress such as IBS, high blood pressure, and ulcerative colitis as well as improved immune response, reduction in pain sensitivity, and a shift from negativity to positivity.
But what exactly is meditation? When people hear the word meditation, they may think of people sitting in lotus position chanting, “Ohmmm.”
But mindful meditation is simply the practice of harnessing our attention to quiet our chattering minds. Instead of letting our brains run rampant like energetic puppies, mindfulness practice focuses our attention on the now.
Some people think this sounds so simple it can’t possibly do anything, or that they won’t benefit from it. Others think it sounds so hard to be still that they couldn’t possibly do it. And because we live in an age of instant gratification and the promotion of psycho-chemical solutions, many people expect or want “magic bullet” solutions.
But meditation is called a “practice” for a reason. Like anything else that is beneficial to your mind and body (i.e., sound nutrition and exercise), it takes commitment and persistence to reap those benefits.
Mindfulness Tips for Beginner Meditators
If you are interested in trying Mindfulness meditation for yourself, here are a few key tips:
• Get comfortable – you don’t have to sit in the lotus pose. You can sit in a comfortable chair or even lie down. The trick is to be comfortable enough that your body sensations don’t distract you, but not so comfortable that you fall asleep. Remember to turn off the volume on your phone and other electronic devices while you are practicing meditation.
• Don’t try to control your breath, simply breathe naturally, staying aware of your breath coming in and breath going out.
• The goal is to return to the breath in the present moment each time the mind wanders somewhere. Simply witness or observe the arising thoughts, emotions, body sensations or environmental stimuli without judgment and then return your attention to the breath. This moment of awareness is mindfulness.
• Start with just a few minutes and build from there. Don’t try to be perfect. There is no perfection in life or meditation, so just keep practicing every day!
If you find that you could use some extra help dealing with the stress in your life, feel free to get in touch with me. I’d be happy to explore treatment options with you and talk about how I may be able to help.
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When was the last time you heard from your inner critic? You know, that voice in your head that constantly judges you, puts you down and compares you to others. The one that tells you you’re not good enough or smart enough and says things you would never dream of saying to another person. Now you may […]
When was the last time you heard from your inner critic? You know, that voice in your head that constantly judges you, puts you down and compares you to others. The one that tells you you’re not good enough or smart enough and says things you would never dream of saying to another person.
Now you may think this inner critic, while annoying, is relatively harmless. But this is simply not the case. This inner critical voice limits you and stops you from living the life you truly desire. It hinders your emotional well-being and, if left unchecked, can even lead to depression or anxiety.
Here are some ways you can silence that inner critic and stop beating yourself up.
That’s right, in order to gain control over your inner critic you have to know that it exists. Most of our thinking is automatic. In other words, we don’t give our thoughts much thought. We barely notice a critical thought has passed. Give attention to your thoughts, all of them. This will help you recognize the critical voice.
Here are some emotional clues the critic has reared its ugly head: whenever you feel doubt, guilt, shame, and worthlessness. These are almost always signs of the critic at work.
Your inner critic is like a parasite, feeding off you. You were not born with this parasite but acquired it along the way. Your inner critic hopes it can hide and blend in, and that you’ll think ITS thoughts are your thoughts.
You have to separate yourself from this parasite. One way to do that is to give your critic a name and have fun with this naming. For instance you could call your inner critic “Judgmental Joe,” or anything else that works for you. What matters is that you learn to separate it from your authentic self.
In order to take the inner critic’s power back, as soon as you recognize it speaking, tell it that you want it to go away, that you don’t need it’s advice anymore and that you are choosing to be kind to yourself from now on.
Self-compassion to an inner critic is like water to fire.
The more powerful your new inner voice becomes the less pull the old inner critic will have on you. To create this new voice, start noticing the good things about yourself. No matter what that nasty critic said, the truth is you are worthy and full of fantastic traits and abilities. Start focusing on these! Thought it may be hard at first to see yourself in a positive light, the more you do it, the more natural and easier it will become.
To have the most fulfilling life possible, we have to stop putting ourselves down and beating ourselves up. So take these 4 steps to quiet that inner critic. You deserve to live your dreams!
Some people’s inner critic is stronger than others. Sometimes the greatest ally you can have in your corner is an impartial third party, such as a therapist, who can see you for who you really are.
If you or a loved one could use some help defeating an inner critic and could benefit from a therapist who can see you for who you truly are, please feel free to reach out today. I would be happy to speak with you.
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