Third Important Habit is Close Your Eyes!

Yes you heard me correctly....meditating. For those that have never tried it, don't knock it until you've tried it. There's a lot of forms of meditating and when I say you should try it, I mean you should try it for 21 days before we decide if it's worth it or not, because doing something once or twice especially while you skeptical does not really allow you to see the benefits of the experience. If 21 days seem too long, then try it for at least a week everyday consistently and then decide. If by the end of a week you don't start to feel the following benefits, then meditating is not for you.

Even the Mayo Clinic has studied the importance of meditation; Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress and how it can give you "a new perspective on stressful situations".  Some people confuse meditating with prayer - meditation is the act of emptying your head from all thoughts, where as prayers is about remembering God or whatever you believe in.

The key benefits of meditating include:

1. Calming your mind and helping you relax and reduce stress. By having a few minutes every day dedicated to meditation, you are giving yourself time to heal, rejuvenate, and refocus.

2. Preparing you for a busy day by giving you a skill to slow things down and step away from stressful moments, so whenever you feel overwhelmed or stressed, practicing meditation can increase your awareness and reduce these feelings. 

3. Giving you control of being in the now, and focusing on the here and now instead of dwelling on the past or being anxious about the future.

4. Allows you to have more gratitude and reduce bad feelings and irrational emotions, and increasing your patience.

5. Clears your mind to allow for more creative thinking

Here are some inspirational items to help you start you meditation practice.

And here are some of my favorite meditation apps (FREE):