The ongoing COVID-19 crisis continues to ask all of us to navigate the turbulent waters of emotions, uncertainty and in some cases stress. How do we stay focused on the things that bring us happiness? Each of us have found family, friends, exercise, or food to serve as coping tools. One option that many have found helpful is meditation or mindfulness training.
Learning to meditate is like learning any other skill. Think of it like exercising a muscle that you have never really worked out before. It takes consistent practice to get comfortable. There is no such thing as perfect meditation, so do not let that stop you from trying. Sometimes your focus may wander, or you will forget to breathe. That is OK. It is all part of the experience. It is one of those things where the journey is more important than the destination. The ability to be present, to rest in the here and now, and fully engage with whatever we are doing at the moment is mindfulness.
Meditation has been shown to provide the following benefits:
- Reduces Stress.
- Controls Anxiety.
- Promotes Emotional Health.
- Enhances Self-Awareness.
- Lengthens Attention Span.
- May Reduce Age-Related Memory Loss.
- Can Generate Kindness.
- May Help Fight Addictions.
Not sure how to begin? There are many resources for you that will help you along. Calm and Mindfulness are two recommended sites that have free options to start you on your path.
If you are interested in finding a community that is supportive of mindfulness, we have one here at CCS-It is called Flourish. Every Monday and Friday Flourish is offered at no cost for all employees of CCS.