Did you know that the moving process is considered one of life’s most stressful events? In fact, experts say on that on the stress scale, moving comes right after the death of a loved one and divorce. I found myself believing this statistic last month when it came time for me to move apartments. While I’ve simplified my life a lot in the last few years, moving still seemed like an insurmountable and complicated ordeal. First, there was the stress of finding a new, affordable place to live, then hashing out the situation with roommates, transferring the utilities, boxing everything up, moving it all, and unpacking. And those were just the big stressors – it seemed like there were dozens of other small to-dos that took up a lot of time and energy. To reduce my stress, the practical side of me first hired a cheap moving company I found through this site, but even with them handling some of the trickier logistics, I was still anxious. So naturally, I turned to meditation to calm myself down.
With overwhelming thoughts about finances, family members, and seemingly endless to-do lists, the world can be a stressful place. Whether you’re moving like me or going through something else, letting this stress stay in your mind for extended periods of time can lead to anxiety or depression, which can cause more devastation in your overall health and well-being as well. To let go of your worries, it can be beneficial to try meditation practices to calm your senses. And to help, here are a few ways that meditation can guide you through life’s most stressful events.
Stop Obsessive Thoughts
When an event or circumstance causes you stress, it can be hard not to dwell on things. But going over a situation again and again in your mind can increase the anxiety and panic that you already feel. To counteract this process, it can be helpful to practice meditation. Meditation can end the cycle of negative thoughts by training the mind to push them away. This practice is done by allowing the mind to wander for a few minutes, refocusing on a mantra or phrase, and pushing all other thoughts out of mind. It can take a lot of concentration at first, but over time, can be a natural and healthy way to end obsessing thinking habits.
Increase Inner Peace
Once you’re able to block out negative thoughts in a situation or circumstance successfully, you can be free to focus on other daily activities in life without feeling sad or upset. You can have the ability to see positive traits in others as well as yourself and can start improving the relationships that you have with family, friends, or coworkers. Events that once caused you stress and anxiety can be much easier to handle, and whether you encounter money problems, home theft, or a broken relationship, you can find peace and calm through a state of mind that isn’t dependent on outside factors.
Meditation can help you remain calm throughout stressful or chaotic situations.
Let Go of Control
Most of the stressful events that happen in our lives are out of our control and can’t be changed or stopped. Instead of focusing on what can’t be restored or wasn’t meant to be, it’s best to release your grip on control during tough situations. Meditating on a daily basis can help to detach dominating thoughts of control in your mind and can replace them with perspective. Meditation can also help you to stop blaming yourself or others for outside circumstances and to move on in a healthy and positive way.
Create Simple Goals
Finally, getting through a tough time can be easier by setting a few simple goals.Through meditation practices, achieving goals amidst stress and chaos can be possible. First, choose a mantra for each goal and use it during your meditation session, reflecting on either financial prosperity, a successful promotion, or any other target that you’re working towards. Then, repeat the mantra to help you visualize a successful outcome for your life. Working towards your goals in this way can give you clarity on what’s happening around you, as repetitive negative thoughts can make it hard to focus or concentrate on the truth.