Do you find the holiday season stressful? As a mom of two little ones I can relate with feeling stressed during the holidays. This time of year is filled with parties, shopping, spending, entertaining, and a list of other demands that can easily lead to feelings of being overwhelmed and exhausted. And let's face it, our schedules are already abundant.
Instead of letting stress get the best of you, take charge of the season’s stressors with mindfulness meditation to help you navigate the holiday season with greater ease, less stress, and more calm. Still needing motivation to set aside time to tap into your inner Zen? Start with these five research-tested benefits to inspire you to get meditating!
The Top 5 Benefits of Meditation
1. Stress Reduction
In this fast-paced society, it is easy to contribute to and exacerbate everyday stress levels. Learning how to control or minimize the effects of stress on the body and mind is important in overall health and well-being. By focusing on the present moment, through the practice of mindfulness, the stress hormone Cortisol can be lowered.
2. Improved Relationships
Individuals who exhibit greater mindfulness as a natural personality trait tend to enjoy greater satisfaction in relationships and deal with relationship stress more constructively. Practicing mindfulness can lower stress response during a conflict and is associated with better communication during such conflicts.
3. Chronic Pain Reduction
Millions of people suffer from chronic pain, some following an accident, some as a result of post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), others due to diagnoses with cancer or debilitating disease. Mindfulness has been found to result in significant improvements in pain, anxiety, well-being, and the ability to participate in daily activities.
4. Heart Health
It has been said that what is good for the mind also tends to be good for the heart. Mindful meditation can improve how your heart functions, lower blood pressure and regular practice of mindfulness can enhance your overall outlook on life and motivate you to maintain better heart-healthy behaviors.
5. Brain Matter
Another surprising finding of the mind-body practice is that it appears to increase gray matter in the brain. Grey matter is the area in the brain involved in memory and learning processes, regulation of emotion, self-referential processing and taking perspective.
And as a special gift this holiday season, enjoy my 5 minute meditation to help you feel more peace and calm in your everyday! Click the link here to begin your 5 minute meditation. Would love to here how you enjoyed the meditation in the comments below!
Happy Holidays from my heart to yours,
Bea
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