Stress gets to all of us and can build up over time, whether it’s work stress, life stress or just stress in general.
Here are a few ways meditation can help with managing stress.
Add movement. When we’re stressed, it can be hard to come to self on our cushion, especially if our worried mind is locked into the cycle of rumination. In this article from Study Finds, Ben Renner writes about a recent study at Pennsylvania State University that shows how adding movement into our meditation practice can help relieve stress.
Cope with rejection. Coping with rejection when we’re already stressed can feel like someone is holding a magnifying glass on our shame. Not only can this send us into a shame spiral, but the stress from rejection can have damaging effects on our health. David S. Chester, Ph.D., writes in Psychology Today that developing a meditation or mindfulness practice can help us become more emotionally resilient to rejection.
Make it mini. The thought of sitting with our thoughts in a longer meditation when we’re stressed can feel like getting close to an open flame. Instead of pushing ourselves to sit for longer periods of time, it can be better to show self-compassion and gently nudge the envelope with a short guided meditation.
However we decide to use our practice to ease our stress, it’s most important that we remember to focus on its self-care aspect and not push ourselves too hard.
Published on Feb 28 09 : 00 am