Does each day really get better as we mature and gather wisdom over time?
Well, you know what – for some people, sadly, the answer is no.
You can look around anywhere in your local community to find ageing and elderly people (and even much younger ones) who are miserable and tired of their lives. Why does this happen I ask myself regularly? How come some people live satisfying and fulfilling lives right through to old age and others find their lives terribly disappointing.
We know that there will always be times in (everyone’s) life when its really tough going and we may even question our very existence. We know that even with great planning, goals firmly in place and a sound action plan, things can still go pear shaped and turn out quite differently to how we planned and this can be distressing, despite summoning up our best and most positive attitude.
So how do you get through life still feeling a sense of peace and calm when day to day situations can challenge you so strongly? We can’t all take off whenever we feel like it to a warm and sunny beach resort to relax and replenish and it’s well known (and proven) that alcohol and/or other drugs actually exacerbate feelings of anxiety (especially after the high has worn off)! Any habit that takes us away from our true and honest feelings will cause greater feelings of anxiety and stress over time. Even some things that appear somewhat healthy can become addictions and take our focus off our own needs and our much needed personal introspection and growth.
I’ve lived and interesting life full of many ups and some very low downs and I’ve been fortunate to learn some pretty handy skills along the way to help myself handle those times when outer circumstances change, threatening my feelings of safety and sanity and the crippling anxiety and deep fears arise.
So in the coming posts, I’ll share a few powerful tried and tested methods on how to find enjoyment in each day and create some peace in your life no matter what’s going on around you.
Let’s start with a very powerful one indeed!
1. Learn to Calm Your Mind.
This is much simpler than it’s often made out to be. Meditation doesn’t need to be taught by a specifically trained spiritual teacher although this can be helpful if you find someone you resonate with. Meditation is simply the art of focusing and calming the mind and a great way to start is to set aside five mins each day where you simply aim to still your body and observe your breath. Anyone can learn it.
Choose the quietest room in your home and sit in the same chair each day, preferably a chair where your back will be straight. Uncross your legs, place your feet on the floor, place your hands in your lap/on your thighs and close your eyes. Begin by taking three deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your nose.
Next, start observing your breath, taking gentle, even breaths in and out to the count of 10, then start at 1 again. As in: count 1 on the in breath and 2 on the out breath.
Each time your thoughts drift (and they will) gently remind yourself to bring them back to your breathing and your counting.
Don’t try to get it right – just do the practice and accept whatever happens without judgement.
Try this for seven days and see what has happened to your practice by the end of the week.
Meditation helps ensure that Every Day Gets Better.
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