Energy And Stress
Ever have those days where you got 8 or more hours per sleep but you still wake up exhausted and fatigued? Have those days frequently? This persistent exhaustion is often due to stress.
Ever have nights where you can't fall asleep? You lay there thinking about everything going on that year and getting frustrated with yourself for not being able to fall asleep when you want to? Then you start thinking about that and how frustrating it is and next thing you know it's 2 am? Also due to stress.
A lot of us don't realize it, but this regular cycle of exhaustion and insomnia is often related to high levels of stress. Now I know that telling you that won't fix the problem, but the first step is recognizing what the variable is that's causing the symptom. Stress is a commonplace ailment anymore... in fact it's almost like a competition. Telling a friend you're so stressed often can turn into a "well that's nothing compared to my stress" type conversation and for some reason our society thinks this is perfectly acceptable. Unfortunately, stress is a negative result of our bodies interpreting emotional and social factors as dangerous and upsetting. If left unchecked, stress can lead to fatigue, persistent exhaustion, and insomnia (to name only the symptoms related to energy).
Now that you know that, the next part is learning how to control that. Caffeine is not the answer. There are a lot of different stress-reducing techniques covered in this blog already, but I'm going to take the time today to discuss meditation as it is often very beneficial for rejuvenating your energy stores.
Last week, I posted a guided visualization meditation called "Running Meditation". As you read it, your mind falls into almost a trance as you imagine yourself running along, focusing on your body. This type of meditation isn't for everyone, but there are plenty to be found online and even on audio tapes. The benefit of this style of meditation is that it takes very little effort to clear your mind as you automatically focus on what you're reading or listening to.
Another more common type of meditation is transcendental meditation. Traditionally, you should be seated in lotus or half-lotus position while chanting a mantra internally. Alternatively, you can sit comfortably in a chair or on a couch and internally or externally chant a mantra. A mantra doesn't have to be anything specific, it could be any word you like. The word I often use is "still" to remind myself to keep my mind still. Others use "peace" or "love" or "hope" - most use one syllable words. When chanting this, repeat the mantra about once a breath, or once as you breathe in and once as you breathe out. If stray thoughts come into your mind, gently push them aside and focus back on your mantra. Don't get too upset with yourself over this - unless you've been meditating regularly for years, you're going to have thoughts slip into your consciousness.
Finally, another popular meditation technique is the breath rhythm meditation. This one is as simple as counting your breaths. I often do this one as I'm laying in bed at night to quiet my mind before I fall asleep. Similar to the transcendental meditation, stray thoughts will often wander into your mind and you simply set them aside and focus on your breath again when you notice it. If I'm having a really hard time focusing on it, I'll count my breath in and my breath out as opposed to a whole breath as one. For example, in = 1, out = 2, in = 3, out = 4. This makes it so that there is less time in between numbers so your thoughts have less chance to sweep in and take over.
As you practice meditation, it will become easier and easier to clear your mind. You will also notice that you'll begin to reach a greater level of relaxation and a deeper meditation as you continue to practice.
Ever have nights where you can't fall asleep? You lay there thinking about everything going on that year and getting frustrated with yourself for not being able to fall asleep when you want to? Then you start thinking about that and how frustrating it is and next thing you know it's 2 am? Also due to stress.
A lot of us don't realize it, but this regular cycle of exhaustion and insomnia is often related to high levels of stress. Now I know that telling you that won't fix the problem, but the first step is recognizing what the variable is that's causing the symptom. Stress is a commonplace ailment anymore... in fact it's almost like a competition. Telling a friend you're so stressed often can turn into a "well that's nothing compared to my stress" type conversation and for some reason our society thinks this is perfectly acceptable. Unfortunately, stress is a negative result of our bodies interpreting emotional and social factors as dangerous and upsetting. If left unchecked, stress can lead to fatigue, persistent exhaustion, and insomnia (to name only the symptoms related to energy).
Now that you know that, the next part is learning how to control that. Caffeine is not the answer. There are a lot of different stress-reducing techniques covered in this blog already, but I'm going to take the time today to discuss meditation as it is often very beneficial for rejuvenating your energy stores.
Last week, I posted a guided visualization meditation called "Running Meditation". As you read it, your mind falls into almost a trance as you imagine yourself running along, focusing on your body. This type of meditation isn't for everyone, but there are plenty to be found online and even on audio tapes. The benefit of this style of meditation is that it takes very little effort to clear your mind as you automatically focus on what you're reading or listening to.
Another more common type of meditation is transcendental meditation. Traditionally, you should be seated in lotus or half-lotus position while chanting a mantra internally. Alternatively, you can sit comfortably in a chair or on a couch and internally or externally chant a mantra. A mantra doesn't have to be anything specific, it could be any word you like. The word I often use is "still" to remind myself to keep my mind still. Others use "peace" or "love" or "hope" - most use one syllable words. When chanting this, repeat the mantra about once a breath, or once as you breathe in and once as you breathe out. If stray thoughts come into your mind, gently push them aside and focus back on your mantra. Don't get too upset with yourself over this - unless you've been meditating regularly for years, you're going to have thoughts slip into your consciousness.
Finally, another popular meditation technique is the breath rhythm meditation. This one is as simple as counting your breaths. I often do this one as I'm laying in bed at night to quiet my mind before I fall asleep. Similar to the transcendental meditation, stray thoughts will often wander into your mind and you simply set them aside and focus on your breath again when you notice it. If I'm having a really hard time focusing on it, I'll count my breath in and my breath out as opposed to a whole breath as one. For example, in = 1, out = 2, in = 3, out = 4. This makes it so that there is less time in between numbers so your thoughts have less chance to sweep in and take over.
As you practice meditation, it will become easier and easier to clear your mind. You will also notice that you'll begin to reach a greater level of relaxation and a deeper meditation as you continue to practice.
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