Short meditation even in minute-long spurts, has been proven along with positive affirmations to reduce stress and invigorate the spirit. Many people choose to spend a few moments first thing in the morning to give thanks while others sneak away mid-day or before bed.
The Best Time to Practice Short Meditation & Affirmations (Hint: It’s Not When You Think)
Attacking Stress Before it Starts | Short Meditation & Affirmations
While embracing stillness will work any and every time you do it. Preparing the mind before stressful situations can help prevent anxiety from getting out of control. And while many situations or environments have stressful elements, the two biggest repeat offenders are work and home. What better opportunity—to calm and prepare yourself for job and family responsibilities—than those few minutes in the car before you arrive?
The Power of Word Repetition | Short Meditation & Affirmations
Whether the drive is five minutes or thirty, all it takes to lower stress hormones and ensure optimal brain function are a couple of minutes and a meaningful word or phrase to repeat. It’s no secret than repetition aids learning. It’s why we say things like, practice makes perfect. Professional athletes practice for hours outside of games. Elementary school children use flashcards to memorize multiplication tables.
It stands to reason, then, that things we repeat and affirm to ourselves become internalized. This effect can be both positive and negative. While wrangling negative self-talk is another issue altogether, purposeful repetition of positive words can change your brain chemistry and ultimately, your life. Create powerful and personal affirmations that you can use daily.
Finding a Mantra | Short Meditation & Affirmations
The first step is to find a phrase that means something to you and can be easily recalled. For stress management, imagine language that evokes feelings of calm, confidence, and resilience, for best results, choose a phrase over a word and make sure the language affirms without requesting. For example, if you become easily overwhelmed or anxious, repeat something like I have peace instead of Please give me peace. While the first statement assumes you already have what you need, the second implies a lack. In this way, repetition reinforces that peace is a quality you already possess. Over time, you will feel and live this truth.
Whatever you land on, finding a personal mantra can be the first step to greater emotional health. Once you’ve pinned one down, the next part is easy.
Making it Work | Short Meditation & Affirmations
When in the car to and from work, try to limit outside noise. Aside from that which exists on the road, turn off music and other electronics that might create distractions. Next, repeat the chosen phrase each time you exhale. Please note: this exercise is not meant to last more than a couple of minutes, as driving requires full attention on the road, and total relaxation is not the objective. The point is to train your mind prior to stressful situations in hopes that you learn to combat daily pressures and anxiety effectively. Instead of letting them build to an unhealthy point.
Whether you want to improve your work mentality or stay calm and assertive with your children. Taking full advantage of a commute can be a great start to prepping the mind for stressful environments. You have little to no control over life’s stressors, so why not change how you cope with them?