Typically an overachieving lifestyle is imbalanced and is often the result of insecurities and self-doubt. Overachievers may be judging themselves only on their ability to accomplish tasks rather than looking at their life as a whole.
If you find yourself unable to enjoy and experience the present moment and put pleasure off into the distant future, you may be driving yourself unnecessarily to exhaustion and robbing yourself of joyful moments and meaningful relationships in your life.
By setting the intention to periodically disconnect from the overachieving mindset, you can allow yourself to shift your priorities and nourish your heart, mind, body and soul. You can do so by taking a walk outside at periodically during the day, becoming present to your natural surroundings, stretching, or eating mindfully instead of having lunch while engaging in multi-tasking work activities.
Learning how to be still and meditate can help a great deal in your overall life experiences. Meditation is the art of focusing 100% of your attention in one area. The practice comes with a myriad of well-publicized health benefits including increased concentration, decreased anxiety, and a general feeling of happiness.
Although a great number of people try meditation at some point in their lives, a small percentage actually stick with it for the long-term. This is unfortunate, and a possible reason is that many beginners do not begin with a mindset needed to make the practice sustainable.
Here are some tips to help:
BEGIN WITH A BOOK ON MEDITATION – John Kabat Zinn’s Wherever You Go, There You Are is terrific for beginners.
MAKE IT A FORMAL PRACTICE - You will only get to the next level in meditation by setting aside specific time (preferably two times a day) to be still.
START WITH A BREATH - Breathing deep slows the heart rate, relaxes the muscles, focuses the mind and is an ideal way to begin practice.
STRETCH FIRST - Stretching loosens the muscles and tendons allowing you to sit (or lie) more comfortably. Additionally, stretching starts the process of “going inward” and brings added attention to the body.
MEDITATE WITH A PURPOSE - Beginners must understand that meditation is an active process. The art of focusing your attention to a single point is hard work, and you have to be purposefully engaged!
NOTICE FRUSTRATIONS - This is very common for beginners as we think “hey, what am I doing here” or “why can’t I just quiet my damn mind already”. When this happens, really focus in on your breath and let the frustrated feelings go.
EXPERIMENT - Although many of us think of effective meditation as a Yogi sitting cross-legged beneath a Bonzi tree, beginners should be more experimental and try different types of meditation. Try sitting, lying, eyes open, eyes closed, etc.
FEEL YOUR BODY PARTS - A great practice for beginning meditators is to take notice of the body when a meditative state starts to take hold. Once the mind quiets, put all your attention to the feet and then slowly move your way up the body (include your internal organs). This is very healthy and an indicator that you are on the right path.
PICK A SPECIFIC ROOM TO MEDIATE - Make sure it is not the same room where you do work, exercise, or sleep. Place candles and other spiritual paraphernalia in the room to help you feel at ease.
COMMIT FOR THE LONG HAUL - Meditation is a life-long practice, and you will benefit most by NOT examining the results of your daily practice. Just do the best you can every day, and then let it go!
GENERATE MOMENTS DURING THE DAY - Finding your breath and “being present” while not in formal practice is a wonderful way to evolve your meditation habits.
MAKE SURE YOU WON’T BE DISTURBED - One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is not insuring peaceful practice conditions. If you have it in the back of your mind that the phone might ring, your kids might wake, or your coffee pot might whistle than you will not be able to attain a state of deep relaxation.
NOTICE SMALL ADJUSTMENTS - For beginning meditators, the slightest physical movements can transform a meditative practice from one of frustration to one of renewal. These adjustments may be barely noticeable to an observer, but they can mean everything for your practice.
USE A CANDLE - Meditating with eyes closed can be challenging for a beginner. Lighting a candle and using it as your point of focus allows you to strengthen your attention with a visual cue. This can be very powerful.
DON’T STRESS - This may be the most important tip for beginners, and the hardest to implement. No matter what happens during your meditation practice, do not stress about it. This includes being nervous before meditating and angry afterwards. Meditation is what it is, and just do the best you can at the time.
MEDITATE EARLY - Without a doubt, early morning is an ideal time to practice: it is quieter, your mind is not filled with the usual clutter, and there is less chance you will be disturbed. Make it a habit to get up half an hour earlier to meditate.
BE GRATEFUL - Once your practice is through, spend 2-3 minutes feeling appreciative of the opportunity to practice and your mind’s ability to focus.
NOTICE WHEN YOUR MEDITATION BEGINS TO WANE - Meditation is hard work, and you will inevitably come to a point where it seemingly does not fit into the picture anymore. This is when you need your practice the most and I recommend you go back to the book or the CD’s you listened to and become re-invigorated with the practice. Chances are that losing the ability to focus on meditation is parallel with your inability to focus in other areas of your life!
Meditation is an absolutely wonderful practice, but can be very difficult in the beginning. Use the tips to get your practice to the next level!
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